Little Yellow Free Pantry - It Takes a VILLAGE!

Have you ever wondered about who donates to the Little Yellow Free Pantry and why?

Maybe it’s just me 😊 .  After all, I am pretty close to the project.  But I sometimes think, “Out of all of the places that people can donate and help out, how did we get so lucky that they chose the pantry??”.

So, this week, instead of just wondering, I asked! 

A very kind neighbor and frequent donor agreed to answer some questions so I could get to the heart of what drives them to be so kind.  Their answers definitely inspired me and I think they will you, too!  Please check them out.

Some members of the Pantry Crew hard at work :) 

Information about how YOU can get involved and help feed the community is at the end of this piece.

Why do you choose to donate to the Little Yellow Free Pantry?

Oh, so many reasons! The biggest is that I know that not everyone who has food insecurity qualifies for benefits like SNAPs, WIC, and official food banks, and that even if they do, those benefits are pretty meager.  I like that the LYFP includes both staples like beans, rice, soup, etc., and “fun things” like condiments and spices. Also, necessities like soap, shampoo and dishwashing liquid that aren’t covered by SNAPs.

Also, it is easy, because of the online shopping angle and because it’s very close to where I live, so it’s fairly easy to drop off a contribution on most days.

On a personal level, I haven’t had to rely on public assistance (knock on wood), but in my younger years I certainly was helped by friends and family, and I know what it’s like to live on a tight food budget. Not gonna lie, I still can’t open a can of tuna for myself, although I’m happy to donate it.

 

What do you like to donate?  What is your favorite thing to donate?

I like to mix it up! I do like knowing what staples the pantry is urgently short of, so when Susan sends out a list, that guides my choices that week. When it seems like the basics are covered, it’s fun to shop for condiments, spices, and other treats that help make meals more interesting. And sometimes I like to throw in something different -- like a can of beets, sauerkraut or collard greens – that someone might be craving as a change of pace. And I really get a kick out of finding something that isn’t on the list but that turns out to be a hit with the guests.

Note from Kindness Activist:  You are soooo good at mixing it up!  When I see a bag of donations from you, I get excited just wondering what might be in it! 

Sometimes you send things and sometimes you shop locally and bring them over.  Just curious why both methods (I love that it is both ways!).

Well, that gets into my main method for donating. I get points for using a credit card that is tied to my Amazon account, so when I build up a lot of points, I go to the online wish list to cash them in. When I take a vacation or have to shell out for car repair or new glasses, the LYFP benefits! I know, I could use the points for myself, but I don’t really need more stuff, and somehow knowing that I will be able to use the points to help other people makes the cost of that new dental implant less painful. (I know that shopping at Amazon is controversial for a lot of people, but remember that I am getting the pantry food from there free by spending money at other places, so ….)

 

As for the local shop, I enjoy scouting the grocery bargains, and there, too, there are often bonus points in play. This week, for example, buying three cans of black beans, which the pantry seems to always need, earned me some extra bonus points, which can be “spent” on things either for myself of to donate. I like to compare the prices of the local store with Amazon and Costco, for example, and when I can buy locally for less, I try to do that. The local supermarket specials also can inspire what I donate that week.

Note from Kindness Activist:  this act of generosity makes my heart so happy.  As you said, you totally COULD use those points for things for yourself.  The fact that you choose to use them to be kind…  You are amazing.  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

How does it make you feel to help out the pantry?

It’s fun! I really do use it as retail therapy at times, but deeper than that, it’s an expression of gratitude for the life I have enjoyed. And I do like thinking about the person who gets a reprieve from worrying about how to feed their kids that day or who gets to have a different flavor than usual.

Note from Kindness Activist:  we feel the same way!!  Knowing that the pantry helps spice up someone’s day and fill bellies makes us feel GOOD.

Ever met a pantry guest when you came over or see someone getting food at the LYFP?

A couple of times there has been someone getting food at the pantry. I don’t put things right into the pantry unless Susan asks me to (!), but once when she did, I did quietly offer some things to a man who was perusing the selection, but I tried not to make a big deal if it because if I were in his position, I wouldn’t want someone making a big deal of it.

 

Anything else you would like to say?

I have learned a lot by paying attention to what Susan says the pantry guests need. I hadn’t, for example, thought about the number of people who do have housing but don’t have much in the way of cooking facilities, so that they really do need foods that are microwaveable or otherwise simple to prepare. I do try to donate a variety of things for people in different situations: People who can cook in kitchens and need ingredients, people who don’t have full kitchen access but have some way to heat foods, and people who really don’t have a way to store or cook much of anything.

I know that there will always be someone who grabs the convenience food even if they don’t really “need-need” it – although most of us occasionally reach for convenience food – and there will probably always be someone who doesn’t need free food at all but takes it anyway. I worked in an office where there were always a few of those people. But that doesn’t outweigh, to me, the benefits of helping the people who do need what’s in the LYFP.

 

I also would like to remind people that they don’t have to donate foods that they don’t agree with or believe in, whether that’s meat or sugar or GMO or whatever. I’m not interested in donating toaster pastries or sugary drinks, so I don’t. I get that kids like them, but I’ll spend my money (and points) on other stuff, and that’s ok. Someone else might not want to donate pork products like Spam, and that’s ok. Donate what resonates with you, and someone will want it!

Note from Kindness Activist:  the Pantry has taught the Pantry Crew a LOT, too!  Like you said, we hadn’t thought about the people who have a roof over their head but no access to a kitchen.  In our community, many people rent rooms in homes, and some of those rentals do not come with a shared kitchen.  We also went into this project with the (wrong) assumption that most of the guests who come to use the pantry would not have housing.  While we DO have guests experiencing homelessness, we also have many who have housing but not enough money left over after paying rent to put food on the table.   We have lots of guests who come after working long shifts, too.  They are productive, contributing members of our community who just need a little assistance.  Thanks for helping give them that!!

And there you have it!!  An interview with an amazingly kind human who supports Kindness Activist and the Little Yellow Free Pantry!!

If you would like to get involved and help out, we would be so very grateful.  As of June 13, 2025, the most needed items are:

     ·      Canned meat of any kind

·      Canned vegetables of any kind

·      Single serving boxes or cups of cereal of any kind (we are out of these)

·      Salt and/or pepper

·      Shampoo and/or conditioner (full sized bottles please)

·      Single serving drinks of any kind – we go through a lot of these, and now that it is hot they will go even faster (we have enough milk and water, need any other kind)

·      Condiments of any kind (mustard, soy sauce, mayo, ketchup, hot sauce, etc. – full size please, not restaurant size packets)

 

If you live in the metro DC area and would like to shop and deliver items, please place them in the tan and green plastic bin on our front porch.  We will bring them inside and store them until they are placed in the pantry.  Please do not put them directly in the pantry.  This system allows us get food to more people and ensure variety for all.  If you need the address for drop-off message me or email:  kindnessactivist@gmail.com . 

If you would like to order online and have items shipped, any store is great!  If you need our shipping address please reach out.

If you would like to order from the Amazon wish list for the pantry, items will ship directly to us.  That list can be found here:  LYFP Wish List

Proud Kind Kids, Happy Mammas

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mammas out there!

Kindness Activist held a Mother’s Day gift making event and boy howdy, did we MAKE THE GIFTS!

Each child drew a self-portrait and had a photograph taken.  Then they decorated a frame that had two 5 x 7 openings.  We printed the photos and shrunk the drawings to size and voila – fancy Mother’s Day gifts!

Of course, it was not quite that simple…  There were glitter “incidents”.  There was quite a lot of PAINT glopped about (including the purple that must’ve been on the bottom of my shoe before I walked into and through the house…).  There were “gem emergencies” when shiny rhinestones fell off and had to be reglued.

But there was joy.  Oh, was there joy!  Those kids were so PROUD of their work.  Most were very detailed and thorough and did not rush one bit.  In fact, the hour-long slots we allotted were not long enough, so the craft assistants never got any breaks between sessions, because as soon as one group finished the next group appeared.

One sweet girl showed up today.  Her mamma has been overwhelmed with work (and life), and thought today was the crafting day.  NOT TO WORRY!  We busted out the materials and supplies again and let the artist (and another child who was over) create! 

Apparently, the magic worked, because mom’s have been sending sweet messages of gratitude. 

·       My heart is full today. Thank you so much for organizing the super thoughtful Mother’s Day crafting project. I’ve in love with my updated pics and pictures. Thanks to the fairy godmother of Penrose!

 

·       I love the frames and photos so much! Thank you again so much for making this amazing Mother’s Day gift possible. And thank you for being a mother to the whole Arlington community  

 

·       Thank you soooo much for this beautiful Mother’s Day gift! I think this is the best gift I have ever received!

 

·       Thank you so much for the sweet and lovely gifts you prepared with the kids!!! I love them!!

 

·       My child gave me her present and it is absolutely adorable. I LOVE it!!! And the wrapping paper was so pretty. You are so kind to offer these special crafts that mean so much to us moms.

Thanks for trusting your kids to us.  We had fun creating with them and seeing their confidence grow, one brush stroke and glitter blob at a time.

 

Volunteer hours put in for this project:  38.75

Number of kids who made gifts:  21 (plus one child who made 2, so a total of 22 gifts)

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $279.89 (most of the paint, glitter, brushes, etc. were in our craft supply already, KA funds were spent on frames, printing photos and self-portraits, and wrapping paper)

Cost per child: $13.99

 

P.S. – sorry about the glitter that will get on whatever table you place your frame on, moms.

P.P.S. – if you can post a photo of your child’s finished gift in the comments that would be great!

Here are some of the amazing self-portraits.

Camping Kindness

I got to sit down and chat today with a new little friend, Owen.  He is only 3, but he is FULL of energy, ideas, imagination, and KINDNESS.

He is a funny one, my new friend!  Made me laugh

Owen’s birthday party this year was CAMPING themed – complete with a bonfire, smores, a tent, and even a campfire pinata that his dad made!  But even though the official theme was camping, a “sub-theme” of kindness was woven in, too.

Cool campfire pinata

Because you see, instead of asking for GIFTS, Owen asked his guests to bring food donations for the Little Yellow Free Pantry!  Isn’t that amazing???  His mom and dad brought him by today so that we could talk a bit and learn about the sweet little boy and his birthday donations.

Owen’s mom, Janelle, works with United Way so knows alllll about non-profits and volunteerism.  A friend of the family had a birthday party and asked for food donations, so Owen’s parents were inspired to do the same for his event.  “At first we were going to collect for AFAC, but then I remembered your posts about the pantry and thought that would be even more local to help out,” she said. 

The birthday boy and his kind parents

And help out they did!  Owen’s guests brought bags of shelf-stable food, which they then donated to the LYFP.  And today when the family came over to talk about it, they got to meet a pantry guest who stopped by.  I love it when that happens – connecting donors to receivers – it really brings the system “full circle” and makes it real. 

Owen is a sweetheart.  He loves reading books, his favorite color (today) is blue (his dad says that changes quite often…).  He likes hopscotch (though he says he is not that good at it, and walks on the hopscotch board instead of hopping) and has a great imagination.  And this little dynamo is really kind.

Owen tried out our newest project, the "stress relief" station :) 

Happy belated birthday, Owen!  I am glad you got to go to Great Wolf Lodge and celebrate after your party.  And I am very, very thankful that you collected food for the Little Yellow Free Pantry.  Because of YOUR KINDNESS, other neighbors have fuller bellies.

Kind kids rock.

P.S. – items currently most needed for the Little Yellow Free Pantry are dried beans of any kind (we are out of lentils and almost out of other kinds as well), single serving heat and eat soups in cups, single serving drinks of any kind except milk which we have enough of (water, iced tea, juices, etc.), cans of fruit of any kind, deodorant, and sun screen.  Our Amazon wish list can be found at the link below (Costco wish list coming this month).  THANK YOU!

Little Yellow Free Pantry Wish List

A Little Sunshine, A Pop of Color, And a LOT of Pride

What happens when you invite a 6 year old, 12 year old, 9 year old, 7 year old, a couple of 10 year olds, and a 5 ½ year old to come together and paint a bunch of people’s fingernails??

I will tell you what happens.  POLISH-A-PALOOZA!

See how HAPPY the customers were??  

Today our yard was full of color.  And love.  And pride – so.  Much.  Pride.

I was so happy to see these young kids being so very PROUD of the work they were doing! 

So proud of his work - he just finished placing a beautiful shiny gem 

At least one participant was very nervous before today.  “But Miss Susan, what if I get polish on someone’s FINGER??” one potential painter asked when I invited her to help at the event.  She was worried she would mess up.  Worried she would not be “good enough”.  “Hey, that’s fine!” I told her.  “And do you know what?  Some of the nail techs are going to be 6 years old!!  Even younger than you!” I explained.  Her eyes got wide as she contemplated joining in…  Then she said YES.

And she was so glad that she did!  As was I.  I specifically asked her to do my nails, and they turned out terrific – looked just the way I wanted them to.

 

I got a great manicure from this nail tech

This nail polishing event was really meant to be more of a “fun raiser” than “fund raiser”.  I mean, asking people to pay for nails done by a kid could be a bit of a stretch…

 

The first customers of the day!

Beautiful manicure!

Pink nails with strawberry stickers - so cute!

But people came!!  Sure, lots of them were related to the nail techs 😊.  But hey, those relatives were so excited to have their child paint their nails!!  I think the MOST PROUD was this grandma.  Her grandson did her nails in his favorite color – orange.  She was beaming at the sight of them.

 

This was probably my favorite manicure of the day.  This grandma was soooo proud of
her grandson and his work.  It was beautiful to witness.

Another thing I loved about the event is that everyone participated.  Maybe it is a generational thing, but there didn’t seem to be any hesitation from kids to get their nails painted, regardless of their gender.  It was so great to witness that.  Made my heart happy.

 

Don't these nails look terrific?

And dads – oh dads got their nails done…  This dad got his pedicure from his 3 year old (who was not an “official nail tech” but nevertheless was proud of her work!).

 

Very young nail tech gently drying her dad's pedicure with a fan. 
Wouldn't want any of that polish to get messed up!

We also had hair gems – little shiny jewels that lightly stick in your hair.  The best was seeing a bald dad rocking a jewel right on the top of his hairless head.  Priceless.

 

We even had a DOG come get her nails done!  And the 2 kids who worked on that one did terrific.  The dog (and owner) were very happy with the result. 

Manicure in progress...  Or was it a pedicure...

 

Finished nails!  A thing of beauty.

One terrific young volunteer took over the task of snack duty and was great at it.  After a while he branched out to sign holding duty and managed to bring some new customers in.  (Full disclosure - at first that made me nervous…  You pulled over because you saw a sign about getting your nails painted, but did you understand it was an elementary school aged kid who was going to be wielding the brush???  Oh, they understood.  They understood alright, and jumped right in!)

Concentrating hard to get the nails juuuuust right

 One candidate for school board stopped by to get her nails done.  She was out doing meet and greets today, and was heading straight to an event with the Commonwealth Attorney for Arlington.  “You are going straight to the event with those nails?” I asked quietly.  She beamed.  “Of course!!  And if Parissa (the attorney) was not so busy today, I am sure she would be here getting her nails painted, too!” she replied.  Again – PRIDE.  She was going to rock those sunny yellow nails!

 

Those are some shiny, happy nails!!!  And that is BEFORE the stickers were added!

A bit of polish was spilled.

 

The new bubble machine didn’t work.

 

I forgot to take a photo of all of the nail techs together.

 

But do you know what? 

 

It was perfect.

 

It was exactly how it should be.

 

Just like David’s nails.  PERFECT.

 

 

Perfect manicure.

 

Kindness Activist funds raised:  $468

Afternoon spent in the sun watching young people be happy and proud of their work:  immeasurable

 

P.S. – There were lots of cries of, “Miss Susan, can we do this again???” as we were finishing up today.  So be ready – you may need to come get a very colorful manicure someday…

 

P.P.S. - $10 of the total above was given as a tip to Jay, a young boy who had proudly finished another set of nails.  The tipper explained that she would pay separately for her nails, but this $10 was a TIP just for him because he did such a good job.  Well, that little boy came right up to me and showed me the money.  “I just got this tip!” he said.  “I want to give it to kindness!”.  I tried to talk him out of it…  $10 is a LOT of money for a 7 year old, and it was given to him specifically.  “She said I could do whatever I wanted with it,” he told me.  “And I want to give it to KINDNESS.”

 

With kids like that in the lead, our future has to be bright.  It just has to be.

This nail tech's favorite color to paint nails is GOLD. 
Here he is carefully drying the gold nails he just finished.

Aren't our nails lovely??

Such concentration.

Team work - one paints while one dries.

That is one COLORFUL manicure

 

Hug from a nail tech

David picked out great colors 

Small Act, Big Reminder

Sometimes we all just need a little reminder of a tiny bit of kindness.  Just a small story to remind us that kindness exists in the world.

This is that story.

Meet my neighbors. 

Very special donation

Aren’t they adorable?

They came over recently to help me tie “Springtime Eggs” to our fence.  Each egg was filled with candy and a prize, and these 2 sweeties were so patient that they didn’t open any until their mamma declared it was time for them to choose the ones they would take home.

But before they got to work hanging eggs, they handed me something special.

It was so special that they had made an ENVELOPE for it!

And when I peeked inside, I found $5.

“$5??  Wow!  Where did you get that??” I asked, excited.

“Ummm, from our refrigerator,” one of them explained.  But the explanation was actually a bit confusing…  Money from the refrigerator??

Mom helped clear things up.

They had FOUND the $5 bill on the ground.  They talked about what they should do with it and decided that donating it to Kindness Activist was the best idea.

Isn’t that the kindest thing?

These little children could have spent the money on candy.  Or on a book.  Or on fries at McDonald’s.

But instead, they made a special envelope for it and hung it on their refrigerator until the next time they came to visit so they could deliver it to me in person.

Thank you, friends.  That $5 will be used to spread kindness!  And even more than that, it will remind me (and the people who read this story) that small acts of kindness go a long, long way in making the world a better place.

One Apple At a Time

These are hard days.

So, so hard.

Fellow empaths – unite.

 

What does one turn when everywhere you look is hatred?  And sadness?  And anger?  Where is the respite?  How do you come up for air?  How do you BREATHE?

Work has been stressful.

The house is a mess.

The to do list is a mile long (and in my head when it should be on paper).

A pantry guest betrayed my trust and hurt my feelings.

A friend is going through a difficult time.

Neighbor after neighbor after neighbor are losing their jobs.

It is a lot.

 

Tonight, I turned to PRODUCE.

 

More specifically, clementines.

“What is my favorite department at the grocery store?” I thought to myself.  “If I suddenly lost my job (unfairly and by no fault of my own)…  If I suddenly did not know where the next mortgage payment was coming from, how I would pay the car insurance, what is something I would have to cut out of my life but would miss?”.

And the answer was easy.

Fresh produce.

Broccolini.  Asparagus.  Brussels sprouts.  Hell, I would even miss cauliflower.

And mango.  And strawberries.  And perfectly ripe pears.

I would miss fresh produce.

So, after I finished a task that I had committed to, I messaged a friend who recently got fired unjustly.  “I am heading to the store – need any produce??”.  She excitedly replied that she would love chives and cilantro. 

“Favorite fruit?” I prompted, knowing that chives and cilantro would not suffice in this “feeling like the end of the world” scenario.

“Hmmm that’s a good one… those tiny oranges? The easy to peel ones? Although I don’t think they are in season…” she replied.

CLEMENTINES!  Shopping list ready!!

But get this.

As somehow so often happens in my world, before I could even drive to the grocery store, I got this message from another friend who is a remarkable supporter of the Little Yellow Free Pantry.

“Would you like some eggs this week? I got an extra dozen and could split it into two cartons.

Oh, also fresh mandarins.”

CLEMENTINES!!!  The very fruit that was on my shopping list!  (Now I confess, perhaps I only THINK mandarins and clementines are the same fruit.  They look alike!  If I am wrong, I am a-ok with that, because this was just pure magic to me that someone would reach out and offer the very thing I was literally in the car driving to buy.)

Turn car around.

Go to pick up what I thought would be eggs and mandarins, but because this neighbor is a-freaking-mazing it was also 4 other big bags of pantry supplies – cake mixes, dry milk, canned goods…

Then to the grocery store.

To the produce department.

The most beautiful artwork Mother Nature has painted.  The yellows of the squashes.  The bright red peppers.  The light green of the celery next to the dark of the zucchini…  The perfect palette.

I filled my cart with 2 of each item. 

-          2 bags of clementines (decided to save the donated ones for the pantry, we rarely have fresh fruit to share)

-          2 containers of blueberries

-          2 mangoes

-          2 limes

-          2 lemons

-          2 cantaloupes

-          2 beautiful red pears

-          2 kiwis

-          2 papayas

-          And the requested and cilantro

At the check-out, I bagged one of each in separate bags.  Then I drove to the first home – the one that had requested the herbs. 

“Special delivery!” I said when the child opened the door. 

Next stop, another neighbor recently fired unjustly.  No answer at that one, but the cats looked at me from inside and wondered what I was up to as I left the items to be discovered.

I sent another message.  “Special delivery on the love seat outside your front door.”

The reply moments later – “Susan, I got it.  It moved me to tears.  Thank you.”

Fruit.

Fresh.  Juicy.  Vibrant.  Healthy.  Delicious.

And dignity.  Recently stripped away by an uncaring system, that will be so very hard to rebuild. 

But one pear at a time.

One apple.  One orange.

Produce.

Community.

Love.

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $35.48

And I am so grateful to have the opportunity to do it.