A Boy and His Bike

Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE used things!  Used furniture.  Used cars.  I mean heck – the outfit I have on right now is almost entirely USED CLOTHING!

But I do believe that there are some things in life that it is nice to experience NEW.  And one of those things is a shiny new bicycle.

That’s why when I saw a social worker from a local school post in a Facebook group recently that she was she hunting for a used bike for a student who had outgrown his, I knew Kindness Activist money needed to jump in!  If the boy needed a bike, the boy deserved a NEW BIKE!

I contacted the social worker and we worked out a plan.  She asked the boy’s mom for bike details (size and favorite colors) and also asked an extra question – favorite snack (cuz if you are going to ride a shiny new bike, you are going to get hungry!).

I know nothing about bikes, so I reached out to Bayley, a neighbor who (in my mind) is a bike expert.  He and his wife bike all the time.  They can often be seen with their sweet little daughter in a big cart, biking along.  Bayley even hauls furniture and other bulky items by bike!  He rocks.

I found a bicycle online that I thought looked good and ran it by Bayley, who approved.  He reminded me that any kid with a bike also needs:  a lock, a pump with a gauge, and a helmet.  And Bayley offered to come over and work with the boy, Jaden, to put the bike together when it arrived (and teach him how to do it)!!  I was so excited!  (I also realized that any super cool kid with a bike also needs lights to put on the spokes of the wheels!!)  So, I ordered everything, plus some vitamins that Jaden’s mom said he takes.

BIKE DAY finally arrived!!!  I had wrapped the other gifts, but the bike box was too big to wrap (plus, he knew he was getting that part!).  Jaden brought 2 of his buddies and his mom with him and we had a fun time!!  There was the big “unboxing” of the bike, unwrapping of the gifts, then a little craft project until Bayley arrived.  Then the 2 bike guys went to town! 

It was so sweet seeing Bayley on the porch, showing Jaden where to put screws, letting him screw it all together, grease the bits that needed greasing, etc.  At one point, Jaden came over to the table where his friends and mom were working on a project for me and whispered to his mother, “Mom, when the bike is all finished, can I RIDE IT HOME???”.  He was so excited!!  His mom said that sadly, no, the roads were too busy and he wasn’t experienced on the bike yet, so riding home wouldn’t be possible.

A proud Jaden and Mom

Well, leave it to Bayley…  He offered to RIDE HOME WITH JADEN!  Turns out they live close to one another.  So once the bike was ready and all of the other gifts had been packed in the car, the two bikers pedaled off.  It was a great afternoon, and I think Jaden will spend many summer hours riding that shiny new bike.

 

Off they go!!

Kindness Activist funds used:  $386.38

A Facebook friend reached out recently and explained that she was trying to help another woman escape an abusive relationship.  Abuse has skyrocketed since Covid – these long periods of being in enclosed spaces together, many people losing their jobs, and money being tight has been hard on many couples.  So, relationships that were abusive before are even worse now, and this woman really needed help. 

These situations are not something you can “fund raise” for in public, either.  Abused partners often need to sneak away very quietly and quickly, so as not to be traced and re-abused.  It is horrible.

I was glad that my friend knew Kindness Activist was a safe place to reach out to, and happily donated $300 to the complete the fund that was needed to get the person to safety.

I do not know the woman who needed assistance, but I know other people in abusive relationships.  It is such a tangled, complex web - it must feel impossible to leave sometimes.  But if you are in an unsafe situation, there are resources to help.  If you need help, please visit https://www.thehotline.org/ (from a public computer, not your own, to protect your browsing history) or call them at 1-800-799-7233 (1-800-787-3224 for TTY users). 

Kindness Activist funds used:  $300

 

Gasoline, Elsa, Quarters and More

The power of people working together is AMAZING.  It is like digging a hole – digging ALONE, it would take hours and hours to dig a deep hole.  But if several people pitched in and shoveled, well that hole would be dug out in no time!  That’s how it works with funding kindness, too!  I may not have a lot of extra funds to help people out, but if I give a bit, someone else gives a bit, you give a bit…  It adds up really quickly!

That very thing happened this weekend.  I was outside on the porch painting and a woman approached and handed me some cash.  I think she has donated to Kindness Activist before, which I am so grateful for.  I thanked her and put it in my pocket without counting it (other people were around).

Later that evening I took it out and counted – 5 $20 bills!  She had just walked up and given me $100!!!  It is a bit like magic, isn’t it?

I thought about how to best use the money and decided on GAS.  Gas is so expensive right now, and for some people that increase is really hurting their budget.  So, $100 in hand, my partner David and I parked at a gas station and waited for someone to treat…

When doing similar kind acts in the past, I learned that some men have a difficult time accepting financial help from a stranger, particularly a woman.  So, I decided I would look for a female driver.  I had a budget of $100, so I was looking for a car that could be filled for that much or less (not a huge SUV).  And honestly, though I often do Kindness Activist acts without looking for “need”, in this case I kind of hoped I would find someone that would really benefit from having a full tank of gas for free.

It took a while to get the right car at the pump, but I knew her when I saw her!  I rushed over to her window before she even got out of the car and announced that her gas would be FREE today.  She was perplexed, but I showed her the cash to prove it was real, then rushed inside the station to tell them I was filling up on pump 4! 

I came back and told her to fill ‘er up!  As she did, she said that her daughter (who was in the car) asked WHY I was paying.  I explained that I raise money to spread kindness, and with gas being so expensive right now I thought this would be helpful.

She smiled a big smile and was very thankful.  Her daughter was quite excited, too.  Her fuel cost $46.77.  David and I waited a bit for another person to come, but it got dark and windy, so we decided to save the $53.23 for another day.  I can’t wait to see who the next person we get to treat at the pump is!

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $46.77

I wrote recently about someone who was brave enough to leave a note in the special box of the Little Yellow Free Pantry with a list of groceries they needed.  Well, it happened again!  This time 2 women wrote – one on each side of the paper.  Each listed their needs, their name, and their phone number.

But the lists were in Spanish.  David and I could figure out most of what was asked for, and my good friend Ixi helped translate the rest.  She also called the women for me to get their addresses for delivery.

I “shopped” in the pantry supply at our house for some of the items, and the grocery store for the rest.  Both households are now stocked up with meat, milk, fruit, and staples!  The women were excited when Ixi spoke with them and asked if they could sign up for weekly delivery 😊 .  I WISH it would be that easy, but I need to spread the Kindness Activist funds around.  Ixi told them they can come get food out of the Little Yellow Free Pantry anytime though.

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $117.40

Does anyone else here sometimes grocery shop at Aldi’s??  If you haven’t been to one and there is a location near you, check it out.  Not only are the groceries inexpensive, they also have a aisle of strangeness!  You never know WHAT you will find in that mystery aisle!  A huge candle?  A heated dog bed?  A blow-up movie screen and projector (they really had that once and boy was I tempted!).

We were in the aisle of strangeness at Aldi’s recently and I spied FROZEN DOLLS.  Actual Disney dolls, not fake knock offs.  I grabbed 2, knowing that when the Santa Project rolls around again this year some children will undoubtedly ask for Elsa and Anna. 

When we got in line a sweet family came behind us.  They had a little girl who was probably 4 years old seated in the cart.  She and I didn’t share a common language, so I could not talk with her like I do with so many strangers.  But we did share something – FROZEN!  I held up the Elsa doll and the little girl’s eyes shone!  I showed her Anna – she was in heaven!!  She knew their names and we giggled as we looked at them.

Only then did I realize my huge mistake…  WHAT TORTURE!  Here I was showing a little girl dolls that were in MY CART, not hers.  Ugh!  As David finished checking out our items, I rushed back to the aisle of strangeness.  I realized the little girl’s dad had gone to try and find the dolls.  I showed him where they were, picked up an Elsa (the last one!) and gestured that I was getting it.  I added it to our order, paid, and turned around to present it to my new little friend. 

This time it was her parents’ eyes that lit up!  They couldn’t believe that a stranger was gifting their daughter a toy.  The cashier was also really surprised.  I was so glad there was one left when I ran back!

Kindness Activist Funds Used:  $20.13

The power of connection over Elsa and Anna:  Priceless

I decided to use some Kindness Activist funds to celebrate Black History Month this year.  I wanted to give away some Maya Angelou quarters, but couldn’t find any “in the wild”.  So, I ordered 5 online and gave them to neighbors who expressed interest. 

It is important to celebrate the achievements of women of color, and I am proud that our country finally made a coin with a black woman on it. 

Kindness Activist Funds Used:  $7.05

And finally for this report – the gift of warm hands.

I saw someone online asking if anyone had an electric handwarmer that they were looking to get rid of.  The woman was hoping to get one for her friend who is going through chemo and, because of Raynaud’s disease, often has cold hands. 

That seemed like the perfect use of kindness money, don’t you think?  I ordered one online and sent it to the woman to give to her friend.  She reported that the gift went over very well.  I keep her friend in my thoughts and hope that she is staying warm during treatment.

Kindness Activist Funds Used:  $55.46

 

Vegan Food, Flowers, and More

One thing that I find so admirable in people is the ability to be vulnerable.  It is not easy opening up, showing your “less than perfect” side.  Especially these days. It seems like everyone has filters on their Instagram photos and, if you believe people’s Facebook statuses, the whole world has happy marriages and perfectly adjusted children.

That’s why, when someone is willing to open up and be vulnerable, I take time to embrace it. 

One underused part of the Little Yellow Free Pantry is a special request box.  There are instructions on it in English and Spanish that say if you have a special food need, write your name, phone number, and what you need on a little card and leave it.  There is a pen in the box, too (though it often finds its way home with visitors and has to be replaced).

I check that little box religiously but rarely find any notes in it.  But Monday I did!  I opened it to find a card, folded in half, that said:

GUS (phone number)

Vegan.

Thank you!

(big heart drawing)

You can bet it wasn’t long after I found it that I gave Gus a call!  He was surprised that someone was actually getting in touch with him.  In fact, he was sort of speechless.  I explained that I found his note and just needed his shopping list.  He stammered, unsure of what to do.

So, we talked a bit.  I asked if he lived in the area.  Nope, he told me, he just happened to drive by the pantry when he was making some deliveries.  He explained that times are tough right now – he is between jobs.  He was almost out of gas when he noticed the pantry and stopped.  He said he is fasting for Lenten.  He is eating a vegan diet for the month and eating fish on Fridays.  I commended his efforts and again asked for a shopping list.  But he could only sputter out a couple of items.  I think that is when I told him how much I respected his vulnerability.  “You know, not many people are brave enough to put a note in that box,” I told him.  “And I am really glad you did.  I love when people are honest and up-front about what they need.  That’s what this whole project is here for.”  He confessed that it hadn’t been easy to write the note.  He said he stood squarely in front of the pantry as he wrote it, so that no one passing by could see him. 

After we talked a while more, I said, “Listen, Gus.  You need some TIME.  Let’s hang up.  You think about what you want!  Text you list back to me at this number, and I will shop for it!”.  The silence made it feel like he was pinching himself to see if this was really happening.  I asked if he had enough gas to come to pick the groceries up, and volunteered to deliver them if he didn’t. 

A few hours later his very carefully crafted shopping list popped in.  He is using an app to plan his meals, so the items he was requesting were very specific:

            Half an avocado

            A 1 inch piece of ginger root

            Half a bunch of radish

            1/8 a cup of pine nuts

And the like.  Well, Gus, you were brave, you were vulnerable, you deserve much more than HALF AN AVOCADO!  So, I loaded up 2 heavy bags of items that I had in pantry storage and we headed out to buy the rest (and more healthy things that were not on his list but he deserved).

Let me tell you, finding Nutritional Yeast Flakes was not easy!  But the 2^nd store had them, so we were good to go!  We drove over to Gus’ place and met him.  What.  A.  Cool.  Guy!  David and I both got a great feel from him.  He was thankful and kind.  He assured us if there was anything he didn’t need he would share it with others.  I sure am glad he stopped to write a note – I am glad we got to meet him!

Nutritional Yeast Flakes, baby!!

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $127.85

A neighbor recently posted in a Facebook group that she was looking for glow sticks for a “glow party” for a first grade classroom.  Well, she had me at GLOW STICKs, and I was ALL IN AT GLOW PARTY!!!  I mean, what even IS a glow party??  I wasn’t sure, but I knew I wanted to be invited!!

I told her I would hook them up then ran out shopping.  I panicked a bit when I couldn’t find glow sticks, but a clerk helped me (first she took me to the GLUE STICKS and I had to explain, no GLOW, not GLUE…).  I stocked up on all of the glow stuff I could find in 2 stores (blow necklaces, glow sticks, glow balls, glow wands – anything that had “glow” in the title went in my cart!) and dropped them off at the requestor’s home.

She contacted me after the glow party and told me that it went really well.  She said, “We really appreciate your going out and buying the glow in the dark things!  The kids voted on a “glow in the dark blanket party”, which is not something either of us teachers had ever heard of!  And of course, we were going to do the party the next day.  The lead teacher is nicer than I am, I would have either limited theme choices to stuff we could do overnight or postponed the party until Monday.  You really “saved our bacon”. “

 

1st grade GLOW PARTY!

The lead teacher sent this note to the students’ parents:  “The Glow in the Dark – Compliment Party.  Mrs. A and I were able to get some glow in the dark necklaces, bracelets, and balls.  Mrs. A. found an organization that provided our class with numerous items that the class enjoyed in the effort to celebrate their dedication to learning and kindness.  We even played a glow in the dark ball game.  How fun!  The students used their flashlights and glow sticks to read today.  Some used their blankets as tents while others held them.  The classroom looked very creative.”

Glad to do it, first graders!  Everyone should get to celebrate with a glow party (and teachers in the US should not have to spend money out of their pockets to make special events like that happen).

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $47.22

Another neighbor recently asked for an armoire in a group. 

She didn’t get the armoire, but she got a whollllle lot more.

She was looking for the armoire to solve a vexing problem, one that was delicate and probably a bit difficult to admit in public.  But it turned out when she admitted it, when she was willing to be VULNERABLE, people came out of the woodwork not only with suggestions and ideas, but with, “Us, too!  We have the same issue!!”.  All of the sudden she was not alone, plus she had creative ideas on how to try and solve the problem.

I did not have ideas to help her, but I DID have Kindness Activist funds, and time to go get her a special treat.  I left this on her doorstep:

Sometimes when you are down and having a hard day, you just need some flowers.  And chocolate.  And maybe wine.  They won’t make the difficulty go away, but they WILL remind you that there are many good things in life.

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $27.41

And finally for this report, my partner David was approached at the gas station by a woman who asked for $10 to help fill her tank.  She had an old truck, which was probably a gas guzzler.  At first David said no.  But as he filled up his own tank, he had a change of heart.  Gas is really expensive right now, and people who were already living paycheck to paycheck are obviously getting hit the hardest.

He went up to the woman and asked if she needed the gas to get to work.  She said yes, she is a security guard (her logoed shirt confirmed that).  He said he would be happy to put $10 in her tank, and proceeded to do so.

When he pulled out, the woman stayed at the pump.  She was asking others to pitch in $10, too.  I hope she got enough to fill that truck up.  And I hope she made it to work on time. 

This was such a good example to me of how when everyone pitches in, things can get done.

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $10.00

A Muffin

Today started, then ended, with a muffin. 

 And in between – oh in between! In between there was singing and twisting and laughing… 

But first – the muffin. 

This morning as I was rushing to get ready for work, I saw a young woman walking down the sidewalk. I noticed her coffee cup – wasn’t sure if it was from Starbucks or the local coffee shop down the street. I watched as she paused at the Little Yellow Free Pantry, opened it, stood a moment, then closed it and left. I was curious… I didn’t see anything in her hand – maybe she didn’t take anything? 

Before jumping in my car, I went to peek at the pantry. The woman had left a muffin. A beautiful, fresh muffin from the coffee shop. I marveled at how such a simple act could make me so happy. It wasn’t like she put $100 in the pantry. It wasn’t like she had cooked some fancy meal and left it. But she had actually done more than that… She had THOUGHT AHEAD. She had planned. When she ordered her coffee, she ordered a gift for a stranger – a muffin. And she placed it lovingly in the pantry so that someone ELSE could find it and have the treat. That, to me, is kindness. 

Fast forward a couple of hours. I rushed home from my assignment to find David outside in the sunshine hanging the handmade posters about the Little Yellow Pantry’s 1st birthday party all along our fence. They looked glorious! But there were chairs to move. Plastic animals to blow up. Cookies to plate. Drinks to bring outside… It was a bit overwhelming… 

Then our friends from Afghanistan showed up early! They were coming for the pantry birthday party, but came early to help us prepare. Ahhhhh, perfect! Bubble machine filled. Blanket on lawn. Big piano you play with your feet (like in the movie “Big”) rolled out. We. Were. Ready! 

Hareer and her mom hung a lot of posters!

And once the birthday guests started coming, they never stopped. It was a never-ending stream of partiers! And many brought gifts for the Little Yellow Free Pantry, too! She will be well stocked for a month or so! We played Twister. We rode the see-saw. We ate. We drank. We hoola-hooped. We made chalk art. We sang “Happy Birthday” to the pantry about a dozen times (as guests came and went). (We sang in 3 languages, and I am sure if I had asked we could’ve heard it in at least 4 more.) And we sat in the glorious sunshine and took it all in. It was SO NICE to see friends and neighbors outdoors again, laughing and singing. 

Things got a wee bit messy...

As we talked, I noticed a man at the pantry. He was squatting down, looking in the bags and boxes under the pantry – the gifts. I greeted him and explained that we were celebrating today, that the pantry was exactly 1 year old. He had put a few items in his bag, excited to see so much to choose from. I went through choices with him and he carefully made selections. “No, I have enough of that already, thank you. Oh yes, I could use that”. He told me he had visited the pantry and gotten food before. It was nice to have someone come and use the pantry quietly while the party was happening. 

People came and went. Horns were blown. Hats were worn. Chalk got everywhere. And fun was had. 

When the celebration was over and we were picking up, one young man came walking down the sidewalk. I said hello, and when he saw the signs and streamers, he asked, “Whose birthday is it?”. I pointed to the Little Yellow Free Pantry and said with glee, “That pantry’s! That pantry is one year old today!!” “Wait, what?” he said incredulously. “You threw a party for a PANTRY??”. “Of course!” I smiled and pointed to the pantry. “Would you like a snack?” “Wait, there’s FOOD in there??” he said as he opened the doors and the motion detector lights went on, illuminating his choices. He smiled as he looked, then picked up his choice. “I think I will have this muffin!”. 

Ahh yes. The muffin. A gift from a stranger, to a stranger. 

Full circle. Happy birthday Little Yellow Free Pantry. Thanks for bringing joy into our lives.

FRIENDS at the pantry

"Check Out" This Kindness

A local grocery store, Harris Teeter, mails out coupons to bring people into the store.  They recently sent one that said if you spent $100, you would get $20 off.  So, instead of using it on our groceries, we decided to use it on an unsuspecting stranger’s groceries!!

Like with all Kindness Activist acts, I was psyched.  I really love spreading kindness around!  But one thing I always wish is that I could bring some of YOU along so that you could experience the joy, too.  But since it would be logistically difficult to bring a bunch of people along, we did what we hoped would be the next best thing and streamed it via Facebook live 😊 .  

Anyway, a super sweet looking young woman walked into the self-check area just as we were ready to start.  I approached and asked if it would be alright if we paid for her groceries.  She was a bit startled, but said OF COURSE!

And we started ringing!  She had a cartful, and our limit was $100.  The cashier really got into it, too.  She was loving it!  The subtotal kept creeping up as we rang more and more of the items.  But guess what???  When everything had been rung, we need about $3 dollars more!!!  Hahaha.  I encouraged her to go get candy – no didn’t need candy.  How about a greeting card for your mom?  Nope.  David suggested 2 apples.  No…  Then she thought of something and rushed to get it.  It was a little healthy shot drink – I am not sure what they are called.

Ringing groceries for a sweet stranger

But after we rang that, you will not BELIEVE the total…

LOOK HOW CLOSE WE GOT TO $100!!

YES!  $100.51!!!  We couldn’t have gotten it that close to exactly $100 if we tried!!

The woman was so appreciative.  She was taking photos to show her mom 😊 .  And after we paid, she took out $50 in cash and tried to give it to us to support Kindness Activist.  But in THIS case, a donation didn’t seem right.  So, I asked her to please share that by doing something kind for someone else.

What a fun act!  We have another coupon for the same store that is for the second half of March.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we do this one again!  Who knows who will be in line next time…

(You can see the video of the live feed here: "Check Out" This Kindness

Kindness Activist money spent - $80.76 (after the coupon and with 5 plastic bags)