Food Truck Kindness (and More!)

One of the major concepts of Kindness Activist is that EVERYONE deserves and could use kindness.  That’s the reason that Kindness Activist is magic based.  There are many, many other organizations that are needs based – giving funds or items to people in hard financial times.  And yet, sometimes those two concepts – magic based and needs based – overlap.  And the results are lovely.

The first story of Kindness Activist funds being used in this story is purely magic based. 

My partner David is a performer and has toured the world with his shows.  One place he has performed a few times and we have made some dear friends is Orlando, Florida.  So, when we knew we would be near Orlando during the infamous Orlando Fringe Festival, we made sure to grab tickets to some shows and attend!

Between shows, patrons and artists hang out on what I think used to be called (during “our time” at the festival) the “Green Lawn of Fabulousness”.  It is effectively a large green park-like area with food trucks all around, a beer tent, a performance area, and tables and chairs for people to sit, eat, drink, and chat.  On our drive to Orlando I had an idea:  I would work with a food truck vendor to surprise guests with free food!! 

So, after we had seen a couple of great shows and eaten our lunch, I set about choosing a vendor…  The man who had served us our food was super friendly and I knew would go along with this harebrained idea, but his truck was not very visible from the main seating area, and I wasn’t sure how busy it would be. 

Now you should know that when I give talks about Kindness Activism, one thing I mention is that you have to be prepared to “get dirty” when you spread kindness.  Not in the physical, mud on your shirt sort of way, but in an emotional sense.  Because kindness can be messy.  And it can be awkward.  In fact, during my most recent presentation on K.A., one of the questions asked by a young woman was, “But, what if you offer kindness to someone, and they do not want it?  What if they say no?”.  I told her, “Yes, that will happen.  People will refuse the kindness you offer sometimes.  And that is a-ok!  Maybe they are having a bad day.  Maybe they are leery of strangers.  Maybe they are just not in the mood.  But when that happens, just roll with it.  Be ok with that.  And offer your kindness to someone else”. 

But it is one thing to teach that concept, and quite another thing to put yourself into it.  And I have been in that situation enough times to know that it makes me uncomfortable and honestly, makes me feel like a bit of a failure.  So, I had to work up a bit of courage to approach the food truck vendor that I knew could be the “right partner” for me…  It was a cheery little truck near a well-travelled area.  It served items that patrons wanted on a warm day – fresh lemonade, flavored shaved ice, fried Oreos, funnel cakes…  But I hadn’t met the vendor yet, and honestly, from what I watched from a distance, I was afraid he might be a little cranky…

So, I worked up a bit of courage and approached him… 

“How can I help you?” he asked as I got to the truck.

“Hi!  I don’t need to order anything, but I would like to work with you if possible…  I run an organization called Kindness Activist.  We do creative fundraising, and then spend all of the money raised to SPREAD KINDNESS.  I would love to pay for the next $100 worth of orders for your customers,” I explained.

He was a bit stunned.  And confused.  And it turned out he wasn’t alone, his wife was in the truck, too (I hadn’t seen her before), and she wasn’t quite grasping the concept either.  So, I explained again.

“Wait, what?  HOW?” they asked.

I told them that if they could just keep ringing in customer orders until they hit $100, I would give them my credit card (shows credit card so they see I am legit 😊 )!!  And I gave them my business card, so they could see Kindness Activist was a real thing.  They were still a bit confused.  “You can charge the $100 now if you like, if that would make it easier.  Then just serve people until you hit that amount…” I offered.

“NOW???” he said, still very leery.

“Yes sir.  I TRUST YOU,” I countered.

And that was the moment a partnership was born.  My new food truck friends were ALL IN.

They let me join them inside their food truck!!  My new friends

The vendor handed me a stack of tiny yellow coupons, each one worth $1 off any item.  “Give people these!” he instructed.  “We will take $1 off of everything!”.  Oh, he was down with the plan.  He was excited.

I stood near his sign and as people walked by, I chatted with them – “Hey!  This guy is giving people a buck off with this coupon!  They have great fried Oreos!” was my usual line (in all honesty – I love fried Oreos, and I think I ate some from this truck years ago). 

LET'S DO THIS!

And one by one, people got in his line.  Singles.  Couples.  Families. 

I didn’t tell them their food would be free, I told them they would get a dollar discount.  But my new friend was psyched to explain to them there would be no charge!!  This was strange territory for him, and he was digging it!!  After the guests got their orders, he would always point to me and instruct them to, “Be sure to thank THAT LADY!  She paid!!”. 

Another of the key concepts of Kindness Activist is that the people who receive kindness (the lucky folks who got free food), the people who witness kindness (their friends they told when they walked around the festival), and the readers of the kind stories (YOU!) will be hit by a “kindness ripple”.  That those people may be inspired to go out and spread kindness, too.

But I hadn’t planned for the food truck vendors themselves to be hit with such a large ripple.  They were soooo exited to be caught up in this act of kindness!!  When we hit $100 they let me know and ran the credit card.  Even though perhaps a half an hour had gone by since we began our secret mission, they were still a bit dumbfounded by it all.  And in fact, the man who I feared might be a bit cranky had the softest heart.  “In all my 17 years of doing this, I have never had anything like this happen…” he said, with tears welling up in his strong eyes. 

I know that the vendors will re-tell that story of kindness.  They will explain how a complete stranger approached them.  How she handed out coupons for them.  How customers were so excited to get their shaved ice for free.  And how, even though they had not had a profitable week because of rain and wind keeping them from opening most days, that Saturday the sun shone and the kindness flowed. 

Outback Snack Shack

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $100

 

This story of accounting of Kindness Activist funds mixes magic with need. 

In the five years since we began fundraising for kindness, one thing I have learned is that those who have the least often give the most.  They may not give the most in terms of monetary amount, but they give what they have, and it inspires me to no end.

The people I am talking about are the guests who do not have enough food for their tables, so they come to the Little Yellow Free Pantry to supplement what they get at other food pantries.  Only, instead of only taking, they give.  If they have received something as a gift or from another pantry that they do not need for their cupboards, they bring it to the Little Yellow Free Pantry and donate it for others. 

These are the people who do not have a vehicle so rely on public transportation, but if a neighbor is in need, they will spend hard earned money to get on the bus and go to them and help out.

These are the people who, instead of gifts of money or items, offer the most precious gift of all:  their time and assistance. 

I saw one of these such beautiful demonstrations of giving online recently.  A community member commented on a post about something she had recently done.  It was a simple gesture, but one many wouldn’t think to do.  She had given what she had.  Given from her heart.  And it made me so happy.

I know that she relies on public transportation, so I messaged her and explained that Kindness Activist would like to give her some money to top up her bus card.  She was very thankful, but explained that, because of her age, she was able to ride the bus for half price and her bus card was quite good for the time being. 

But although her bus card was funded, she had another worry.  She wrote, “My current anxiety is the country’s debt crisis.  I depend totally on social security payments, and while I can pay my rent next week from my savings, I am scared about not being paid (Social Security) in June and not being able to pay July’s rent”. 

Oh, my heart.

When I hear the stories of the economic situation in the USA, it feels abstract.  The numbers thrown about in the newspaper and on the news are far too large for my brain to comprehend.  But THIS, this example of a real person who lives in our community, this made the dire situation all too clear to me:  if the government cannot agree on a resolution, this woman and many, many others, will not be able to pay her rent.  They may be evicted.

I told her that I had been planning to give her $100 to add to her bus card, and that I would be happy to give the same amount for her to use for whatever she needed.  She was so thankful.  “That would be such an enormous blessing!” she wrote.  “I would accept that amount and sit on it while holding my breath – only figuratively that is”.

Kindness Activist sent the funds her way. 

May we all cross our fingers and hold our breath (only figuratively) that somehow, someway this country figures out a way to get our fiscal house in order. 

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $100

 

And finally for this report, a story of kindness in a classroom.

The school year is almost done, but that doesn’t mean that teachers (underpaid and underfunded) have enough to finish out the year with their students.  One local teacher recently posted this:

“In search of crayons for my elementary students!  By the end of the year, our crayons are looking pretty sad.  Even if you have gently used crayons that your kids no longer use, they would be greatly appreciated.”

Well, if there is one thing I know, it is that NEW CRAYONS are amazing.  The colors!  The perfect tips!  The smelllll….  So, this was an easy ask to decide to fulfill.

Two Amazon deliveries later (oh how I wish Amazon could bring everything at once…) the classroom had a BIG box of 400 bright color chunky crayons and 48 multicultural color crayons (that represent the rainbow of skin colors in our world - oh how I wish these had been around when I was a kid). 

Can't you just SMELL them....

Image by Crayola

Color on, my little friends.  Fill the world with art.

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $97.04

There are a million things one could reasonably say I “should” be doing right now.

But I shall cast those “should”s aside, and instead sit down and write a short story of something magical that happened this week.

May 15^th is my sister Annette’s birthday. 

Actually, some might find it is awkward to say “is”, because most people would say  “was”.  You see, my sister died of glioblastoma (GBM) in December 2019 at the age of 58.  But I say – I am the mourning sister, I can chose to use language in whatever form I see fit. 

So, May 15^th is my sister Annette’s birthday. 

And I chose to celebrate the day by thinking of her and doing things that she enjoyed.

I hit up a local thrift store that was new to me – she LOVED thrift shopping!  And not only did she enjoy it, she was good at it.  There is an art to real thrift shopping, and she was an artist in the highest degree.  And she didn’t shop just “normal” thrift stores, oh no, she shopped at what we call the “junky Goodwill”!!  That’s a store where instead of paying per ITEM, you pay per POUND.  “Treasures” are wheeled out every 30 minutes or so in huge bins, and shoppers go at them like hungry vultures.

Find a Scrabble game missing the board?  She could find it in another bin.

Find a baby toy with 4 out of 5 pieces??  Not to worry – Annette would scour the store until the game was complete.

And find A SHOE – not a pair of shoes, but A SHOE??  You can bet that my sister would find the mate.  (She might even stare down another shopper who was on the same mission and had the mate in THEIR cart…)

I tell you this to say – when I was at the thrift shop and found a single shoe, a shoe that I DID NOT WANT, mind you, but was ON IT’S OWN (and was strangely interesting…) – I STARTED MY HUNT.  I knew the mate was around there somewhere!  I mean, who would’ve bought only ONE SHOE???

I even enlisted the aid of a fellow shopper.  “Ma’am, you see this shoe??  I am looking for the mate!  Can you help me?” I asked.  “Oh honey, those shoes are so YOU!” she said, not knowing that my motive was not to buy the shoes, but simply to succeed in the mission of finding the other one.  Since the shoes had rocks embedded all throughout the sole, I told my assistant to please holler “ROCK!!!” if she spied the mate.

As I looked, I smiled and thought of Annette.  It wouldn’t have taken her nearly as long as it did me to think of hunting in the men’s shoe section.  And when she found it (as I eventually did, then ran with it to yell “roooock!!” at the shopper who was helping me hunt) – when SHE found it, she would’ve bought the shoes.  But since they were much too big for me, and since they looked like actual torture devices, I left them in the store (all matched up neatly now).

But that is not the story I came here to tell. 

I want to share about another part of May 15^th, the part where I went into a nail salon as Kindness Activist to pay for a stranger’s nails.

You see, Annette went to nail school and for a while she did manicures and pedicures.  And decades before that, during my senior year of high school she used toothpicks to paint intricate designs on my long nails many, many times.  So as part of my celebration honoring her birthday, I knew that paying for someone’s nails was on the agenda.

I peeked into the big window of the nail salon near our home.  I felt a sense of panic when there appeared to be NO customers.  This was the one thing I knew I wanted to do on May 15^th.  It was a perfect blend of Annette and me – her nails and my Kindness Activist work.  I walked around a bit and peeked in another window, craning my neck to see the spa chairs. 

And there she was!!!!  A woman with her feet in the water, about to get a pedicure! 

I was so excited.  I had written a little note on the back of a Kindness Activist card that I thought I would give to the recipient as I paid and ask her to give it to the client.  The note said something about how this gift was in honor of my sister who did nails. 

I went to the cash register and explained that I wanted to pay for the woman’s nails.  “What woman?” the clerk asked. 

I thought, ummm, the only woman in here right now???

 

But she insisted that I identify what woman, and so I followed her back to the nail area, expecting to see the woman I had spied through the window.  But, surprise, there were 2 women getting treatments!  Oops!! 

I pointed to the woman I had seen through the window and clarified, “THAT WOMAN!”.

Then I approached her, with her feet in the warm water resting.  I quietly explained that I wanted to pay for her nails today, and that it was in honor of my sister.  “I will pay for the nails, but you leave a good tip, ok??”.  She happily agreed to that arrangement and looked at me a bit in shock.

 

“May I hug you??” she asked.

 

It is rare that I would say no to a hug, so I bent down and we gave each other a big squeeze.  “This is the kind of thing that happens on TV,” she said, “I never ever expected it to happen to me,”.

I paid for her manicure and pedicure, and as I walked out of the salon I cried. 

I didn’t know it at the time, but the woman getting her nails done also cried.

And how do I know that??   Well, I found out 3 days later.

You see, Thursday night I walked out onto the front porch to do some work for the Little Yellow Free Pantry, and a woman walked up.  She smiled a very big smile and said, very thoughtfully, “Thank you”.

Now, you should know that strangers passing our home saying “Thank you” is not unusual.  People holler it from their cars.  People shout it out from their bicycles.  And pedestrians stop and chat and say thanks.

So, at first, I thought this was an “overall thank you”.  You know, thank you for the work you do for the community.  Thank you for spreading kindness. 

But this particular thank you seemed so heartfelt, so personal…. 

I looked the woman in the eye, returned her smile, and said, “You are welcome”.

And that’s when she held up her hands to show me her pink fingernails.

“It was me.  You paid for my nails.  Thank you.”

I never thought I would see her again!  Most of the Kindness Activist actions do not get the closure that this one did.  The woman explained that she and the friend who was with her walk by our home about four days a week.  She knew our house – the “Just Be Kind” sign, the whole vibe of the place.  And she had taken time to look at the Kindness Activist website after I gave her the card with the note on it, so she understood the depth of the work.

She told me that she had tried to write to me several times since May 15^th, but she teared up each time and couldn’t finish.  I told her that part of my belief as a Kindness Activist is that we all deserve kindness.  “I knew you had enough money to pay for your services that day,” I told her.  “If you didn’t you wouldn’t have been there.  But it isn’t about ‘need’, it is about KINDNESS.”

She looked at me intently and explained that the kindness had come at the perfect time.  She had taken herself to the salon that day to try and treat herself – to cheer herself up.  She is going through a rough patch, and she needed to do something special for herself.  And that is when the kindness just magically appeared.

Isn’t that the sweetest?  That it all just happened so perfectly – she was where she needed to be, and I was where I needed to be.  And our interaction brought a bit of healing to BOTH of us that day.  “I never thought anything like that would happen to me,” she said. 

It is not the big things, friends.  It’s not surprising people with new cars or sending them on a week-long vacation.

It is the tiny things.  Smiling at the stranger.  Letting the person ahead of you in traffic.  Complimenting the cashier on their necklace.  Giving a tired mom with a cranky toddler a look of, “This is hard, but you are a good mother”.  BEING KIND.

I hope that after I die, when my birth date is a “was” and not an “is”, people who knew me take time on June 16^th to honor my memory by going out and doing something kind.  Anything!  Just something.

Wait…  Why wait until I am dead???  Maybe NOW, this year, on June 16^th, you can all do something kind for someone…  And you can email me and tell me what you did (with photos or drawings please!!) and I can put your stories of kindness together and share them here!!!  Oh that would be such a wonderful birthday present – I would LOVE it. 

So, if you would be so kind, please go out into the world on June 16, 2023 and SPREAD SOME KINDNESS.  Be a Kindness Activist.  Then email me the story of what you did at:  kindnessactivist@gmail.com .  Pretty please!

 

P.S. – the woman who was treated to a free mani/pedi told me, “I have wanted to come to your house and talk to you, but I didn’t want to seem like a weirdo or something”.  Friends – I talk to people that I have never met before all day!  I love chatting with new people!  So never ever think you are a “weirdo” for approaching a stranger to talk.  The worst they can do is ignore you, and if they do, no harm no foul!

P.P.S. - Here are the thrift store shoes!!  

Before the hunt

AFTER!!!  Found both!  And ouchie wawa they look painful.
I know, I know, they are chakra/massage/special/something-or-other,
but they also look painful and weighed about 5 lbs each :) 

 

 

 

Kindness Ripples

One thing that brings me both pride and joy is taking a moment to pause and take in the KINDNESS RIPPLES that are flowing.

Kindness Ripples are kind actions that occur because the person doing them has been inspired by other acts of kindness.  These ripples are at the heart of Kindness Activist – my belief in ripples makes me brave enough to put myself out there and talk about kindness to the world.

The longer I have been engaged in Kindness Activism, the more ripples I see.  Maybe it is because my eyes have become more astute at spotting them, I don’t know.  But what I do know is that they happen every single day:

-         A stranger drove by recently, saw me outside doing something, and made a u-turn to come back.  He explained that he met me about a decade ago when I was standing outside sharing slices of fresh peaches that we had picked from our tree.  He appreciated that gesture and has been watching the kindness emanate from the Big Yellow House ever since.  I didn’t even REMEMBER handing out peach slices, but I dug back in my photos and sure enough, on August 3, 2014 (well before the idea of Kindness Activist was conceived), I stood outside and handed out fresh fruit from our tree!!  So, this stranger who had been the recipient of kindness so many years ago reached into his pocket and donated $60 to the cause!  That was one long lasting ripple!

When your peach tree is prolific, you SHARE!  August 2014

-         People we have never met walk by and bravely take time to stop and say “Thank you.  I don’t know you, but thank you for all you do for the community.  You are an inspiration.”  I have to believe that they then carry that inspiration, that ripple, with them on their walk and do something kind for someone. 

-         A woman stops by every once in a while.  I have met her and know her name, but we have never had a chance to have a real conversation.  But she pops over to our porch or hails me to her car and gives a donation.  She recently gave $100.  She wants to see the kindness continue.  She has caught a ripple.

-         A friend told me the other day that because of what she has witnessed Kindness Activist do, she has become a kinder person.  She, too, has caught a ripple.  She explained that she is consciously trying to be more kind in her own life now.

-         Another friend is an artist and recently began selling beautiful photographs that she has taken and printed.  She could use the money – rent here in the DC metro area is very expensive and she is also dealing with some health issues which can result in big medical bills.  But instead of keeping all of her hard-earned income, she donated 10% of it to Kindness Activist.  Ripple.

-         People stop and take photos of the green neon “Just Be Kind” sign that glows from our front porch every night.  It’s funny – many people are too shy or embarrassed to come up and say hi.  Sometimes when I see them out there, I smile and wave, and they quickly put their phones down and walk away, ashamed that I “caught” them I guess.  But people – I am grateful for your photos!  Because I know they will be posted to Instagram and Twitter your friends will see them and their friends will see them ….  And that little green sign will work quietly to spread ripples all night long.

Simple message.  
I was nervous about spending Kindness Activist funds on a neon sign, but it turned out to be a great investment as it has created MANY ripples ($201.37).

And finally, one more story of an amazing ripple. 

A local father reached out to me via Facebook message and said, “Our kids have a “charity bucket” as part of their allowances.  They aren’t allowed to spend it but choose where to donate.  They chose to give half of their 2022 donation to Kindness Activist.  What’s the best way to do that?”   

THANK YOU NEIGHBORS!

Oh my goodness!!!!  Even children are catching the kindness ripples!!  The dad told me that the children earn $1 a week allowance (plus interest) and one of the “buckets” that they have for the money is charity.  When I expressed my gratitude and disbelief that 3 young kids were willing to donate $300 to Kindness Activist, he told me, “It was an easy decision for them as they see your work in the neighborhood.  And our youngest is a frequent consumer of everything you offer around the holidays”. 

Isn’t that so sweet??? Kindness Ripples in ACTION!  Makes me proud and very, very happy.  I wrote them a thank you and it was fun telling them the cool ways that their donation spread kindness.

What act of kindness can YOU do today that will inspire a Kindness Ripple?  It doesn’t have to be a big gesture – any simple act of kindness will do.  And, because of ripples, your act will beget another act which will beget another act…  And the ripples will just keep on flowing.

 

 

Weekend of KINDNESS!

What.  A.  Weekend!!!

It was a weekend chock full of more kindness than any 2 days should be able to hold!  It was glorious!

A few months ago, I got excited thinking about creating some art with kids again (which is always fun!) and scheduled a Junior Kindness Activist event – making Mother’s Day gifts (now, in the spirit of the Big Yellow House being inclusive and not having a whole heck of a lot of structure or rules, these gifts were not specifically for mothers, but could be made to give to anyone).  We have done several of these events:  parents sign their child up, then drop them off for an hour-ish of CREATIVITY!  They make a piece of art to take home (and the parent gets a well deserved hour of peace).  There are some kids who are “regulars” and know how it all works and feel safe when their adult leaves, and others who are new to the experience and are a bit more trepidatious.

26 kids came for this one - in only 2 days!   Sign-ups were done in advance with a maximum of 4 kids per time slot.  And wow, did we have fun!!  The project this time was a special flower in a little flower pot and a card.  Kids painted their pots and flowers and filled the pots with pretend dirt.  There were sequins available to artists.  And glass beads.  Oh – and GLITTER, did I mention glitter??  The regulars have come to expect that when they come to Miss Susan’s to craft, they WILL be allowed to use glitter (even if the person they are making the gift for is not a big fan of this “ingredient”…). 

We used so many supplies this time!  Here are the ones that I can remember:  colored paper, glitter, markers, glue, sequins, paint pens, paint, paint brushes, more glitter, wooden sticks, rocks, glass beads, even more glitter, clay pots, fake flowers made of some sort of thin wood I think, silk leaves, card paper, shiny rock bits, floral foam, and GLITTTTER!  Many of these items were donations that came in for the Kindness Yard Sale that were squirreled away for this project instead (thank you donors – I hope you are cool with this use of the items!). 

The kids who created, ranging in ages from 2 to 10, were so lovely!!  They were polite and funny and artistic and silly and all-around fantastic.  We had kids who weren’t sure what their mother’s favorite color was and then one kid who actually knew his mom’s favorite FLOWER (and chose to make one that looked just like that variety to surprise her).  We had kids who thanked their moms in their cards for being the best mom in the whole wide world (how can so many of you be the best one in the world…) to one child who admitted in their card that maybe this hadn’t been the best of years…  We had kids who wanted to use every single color of paint imaginable to one who simply wanted to use BLACK (but later decided to spice it up by adding some yellow).  And we had everything in between.

One very proud artist - her flower pot is next to her

And we had SNACKS.  Ahhh snacks!  Thank you to donors of the Little Yellow Free Pantry – snack supplies were pulled from the pantry stock.  Capri Suns hit the spot on this sunny weekend, and chips, candies, fruit leathers, crackers, and more delighted the artists.

Artists hard at work

Special thanks to volunteers Nadya (who stayed much longer than the times she registered for and made the perfect model of the project), and Gary and Marc (who helped with the clean-up and giggled with me when the child asked for the “teal marker” – since when did kindergartners differentiate shades of blue??). 

 

Kindness Activist funds used:  $23.63 (lots of the craft supplies (like the glitter!!) were from my stash and others were donated so this came in at a great price!)

Only, as I alluded to at the beginning of this story, this was a BUSY WEEKEND…  So, making crafts was not the only Kindness Activist event.  Oh no, as kids and I were working in the BACKYARD, the PLANT WHISPERERS were working in the FRONTYARD!

You see, May 6^th was the Kindness Plant Sale, too!!! 

A group of amazing women in the community asked last year if they might pitch in and host a plant sale to raise money for Kindness Activist.  They said they would do everything, but could they host it at our house since we live on such a busy corner??  Well now, who could resist that offer???

So, this was the 3^rd Kindness Plant Sale and my oh my, was it ever successful!!  People donated so many plants and plant related items!  There were huge plants, baby plants, plants with thorns, plants with smooth leaves, PLANTS, PLANTS, PLANTS!  And they were gorgeous!! 

The sun was shining.  The air was warm.  And the shoppers turned out!  Boy howdy, did they turn out!

The event was supposed to last for 4 hours on Saturday, but because there were SO MANY donations, we had plenty left to extend another day, so we opened on Sunday too (albeit with a skeleton crew 😊 ). 

Generous shoppers/donors hit it out of the park on this one, people.  The Kindness Plant Sale more than doubled the total the volunteers brought in last time!!  I am so very grateful to these neighbors – thank you thank you thank you!

And if you did not get a chance to stop by and enjoy the extravaganza in person, remember, it’s not too late to shop the companion online auction event!!!  But you better check it out soon, because the final gavel bangs at 10:00 pm ET on May 9^th.  You know what they say – bid early and bid often!!  The proceeds from the online auction will also go to Kindness Activist and will be used to spread kindness.  Link to the online Kindness Plant Sale Art Auction here:  Kindness Plant Sale Art Auction

Kindness Activist funds raised from the Kindness Plant Sale so far:  $2330 (and more is likely to trickle in, the GIGANTIC yucca that was donated is now listed on Facebook Marketplace…)

Other kind things that happened in this short weekend:

-         We brought a hot dinner to our homeless friend

-         An AMAZING neighbor donated a very nice sofa to our friend (and a Kindness Activist volunteer) who just received permanent housing from the county – and not only did he donate the sofa, he donated the use of his TRUCK so that we could deliver it!

-         Another neighbor helped us get the sofa out of a basement apartment (not easy) and transport it.  Then he refused to accept money for his help.

-         A stranger helped carry sofa pillows and hold doors for us

-         A community member who needed something for dinner was comfortable enough to ask for it and received it

-         A neighbor girl who is a pantry guest was very happy to receive the first ever box of Q-Tips that pantry has had

-         A pantry visitor received a hot meal

-         Supplies were donated to the pantry 

 

More thanks to:

·        The woman who bought David and I lunch when we hadn’t eaten

·        The children who worked at the lemonade stand (and sold a LOT of drinks and treats!)

·        The people who work literally year-round to propagate and grow plants for these sales

·        The woman who bought David and I a box of wine 😊

·        The woman who made the cool Kindness Plant Sale sign for the last event that was used again this time

·        The women who patiently instruct those of us who do not know much about plants how often we should water our purchases and how much light they need

·        The stranger who recognized me in line at Trader Joe’s buying a cart full of flowers to make into bouquets for the sale and gave me a $25 gift card to help pay for them

·        The partners of the women who give up a lot of their time to come set up, sell, and tear down this massive event

·        The woman who brought David and I a bag of homegrown lettuce

·        The shoppers, many of whom donate more than they know the items are worth to keep this mission alive

·        The person who pulled up next to David and I at a red light when our Prius hatchback was full of the biggest yucca tree I have ever seen and said, “Hey, I bet you are going to the Kindness Plant Sale!” and made us crack up

·        The woman who brought David and I fresh watermelon

·        The woman who made cupcakes with EDIBLE FLOWERS on top to sell at the lemonade stand so that they would match the theme of the event

·        The women who holed up in our basement drinking “elf juice” and making floral arrangements until midnight (even if you did make fun of the ONE arrangement I made…)

·        The partner (#husbandforscale) who gave up his entire weekend to jump into this mumbo jumbo messy fun

·        The volunteers who stayed much longer than they ever planned to

·        The people who donated plants

·        The people who came to shop

·        And anyone I have forgotten in my exhausted state

From Donuts to Fancy Gowns (and Everything in Between...)

This update on Kindness Activist funds not only includes how they have been used, but how even more came in.

First up – “It’s Friday night, and you know what that means…”.  My partner David and I have taken to picking up meals for community members when we are in the grocery store.  We get our groceries, then decide on what meal we will grab for someone else.  Sometimes it is dinner, sometimes breakfast for the next morning.  We gather what looks tasty to us, photograph it, then post about it in a local Facebook group, always starting with the line, “It’s Friday night (or Tuesday or Thursday…), and you know what that means…”.  We explain what food is on offer and that whoever receives the meal must run out to our car and meet us to pick it up.  We have had a great time with these deliveries and met some very sweet neighbors!! 

Dinner anyone?

Total Kindness Activist funds spent on these meals since the last report:  $117.23

 

Next – a donation.  The other day as I was walking from the pantry back into the house, a car honked at me.  This is not uncommon – we live on a very busy street and I am outside a lot.  I am quite good at “interpreting” honks!  There is the “go you idiot - the light is green!” honk.  The “you just turned right in front of me and I almost hit you!” honk.  And the “hi Susan!” honk.   This was a “hi Susan” honk.  I turned and waved (though honestly did not know who I was waving at…).  As I turned back to walk inside, I heard another honk.  This seemed to be a “come over here please” honk.  And sure enough, when I looked, the woman who had honked to say hello had pulled over, rolled down her window, and was waving at me to come to her car.

She had a beautiful smile and a warm welcome.  She said that she drives by our home often and has always hoped to catch me outside.  She appreciates the projects and work that happens at the Big Yellow House and was eager to pitch in and be a part of it.  She told me that her name was Mary and handed me a $20 bill.  Isn’t that sweet??

Total Kindness Activist funds received from a stranger who caught a Kindness ripple:  $20

And now, a story of new beginnings.  I got this message from a neighbor: “I was wondering if you might be able to check something for me.  One of the Afghans I am helping just got a job as a security guard, and they told him that he needs a black coat/jacket.  Would you have anything that might fit the description in a men’s medium?  Thanks so much!”.

Well, I think that that situation calls for a NEW COAT, don’t you?  A person who arrived in this country not long ago, with a brand new job, making a fresh start?  Yes, that man needed a NEW COAT!  The woman who reached out to me and I checked out Amazon and found a coat that looked perfect.  And because of the amazing Amazon Prime, the coat arrived quickly.  Project Warmth was in high gear at the time, so we had a great pair of brand new gloves and new warm socks to round out the gift.  The person who contacted me said that the coat recipient loves America, especially now that he has a job!

Total Kindness Activist funds spent:  $51.98

Here’s a tale of another donation.  A family that lives near us is barely scraping by.  It is a multi-generational household that has a hard time putting food on the table.  They sometimes check the pantry to see if there is anything that they would like to eat.  Well, the other day one of the family members saw me outside and said, “Miss Susan, I feel drawn in my heart to make a contribution”.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a $5 bill.  “No, no, you don’t need to do that,” I said, knowing that they don’t have $5 to spare.  But he insisted.  He wanted to give back. 

That happens often at the Little Yellow Free Pantry.  Guests who come to get items sometimes also donate items.  Often, they will bring canned goods to the pantry that they received at the local food bank.  I think they get their allocation of food from the food bank, sort it out and decide what they need/want, and donate the rest of it to the LYFP so that others can eat.  Isn’t that beautiful?  So, I accepted the man’s $5 donation.  Not only will it fund some kindness, it also gave him a sense of self-worth that had to feel good.

Total Kindness Activist funds received from a neighbor who uses the LYFP:  $5

And speaking of the Little Yellow Free Pantry…  I was outside filling it up the other day as the local middle school kids were walking by on their way home.  One young man who I did not know stopped to say hello.  I asked him if he wanted anything, and he said, “You have a lot of food.  Can you donate some canned goods?”.  “Oh!  Are you collecting food?” I asked.  “Yes, for the homeless,” he explained.  I asked if it was a project for his Boy Scout troop and he said that no, it was for the middle school. 

I was so impressed that this boy was brave enough to stop and ask!  And of course, this is a perfect project to use Kindness Activist funds on.  “Sure!” I told him.  “I will order some canned goods for you.  What would you like me to donate?”.  That one stumped him…  He wasn’t sure.  “Well, people who are homeless like to eat the same things you like to eat!” I explained.  In the end, we decided on a vegetable, some soup, and a fruit.  I had him write down his name and number so that I could text him when the food arrived, but I couldn’t quite read the writing and was not sure the text I sent was delivered.  So, today we dropped the canned goods off at the school’s office.  The secretary could not read the writing, either, but I hope they figure out who the child was so that he can get credit for being so brave and asking!

Total Kindness Activist funds spent:  $58.43

One more story about food pantries…  A friend who works at a local Title 1 elementary school contacted me.  Title 1 schools in the US serve low income students.  The friend’s message said, “Hi – the local bank delivers food every month for a food pantry at our school.  I just found out they can’t provide it by our pantry date this month”.  She explained that 120 families at the school rely on that pantry, and if she could raise funds, some staff would go to a store where they could stretch the dollars and do their best to ensure those people had food. 

Kindness Activist donated $200, and she was able to double that with other donations.  The following week we received a box of beautiful donated produce and that was also given to the school to share with their families.  Because, you know, everyone deserves good food.

Total Kindness Activist funds spent:  $200

Ok, final story for this report!  A little neighbor girl has become a model -taking classes and participating in fashion shows.  This has to be great for her self-esteem, but it is tough on her mamma’s pocketbook!!  And of course, mamma has other financial obligations, too…

So, Kindness Activist treated the girl to a dress of her choosing for one of her events.  When the girl put it on, she told her mom that she felt “like Cinderella, and Miss Susan (Kindness Activist) is my Fairy Godmother”.  Mom has promised to share the gown with another model when it no longer fits her daughter, so that the Kindness ripple can spread even further.

Total Kindness Activist funds spent:  $52.99