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
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