It's (fill in the blank) Night, And You Know What The Means...

At Kindness Activist, we are always looking for new ways to spread kindness.

But we also have some tried and true kind acts that we do over and over.  We repeat them, because they are fun and the recipients love them so much.

One of our common acts of kindness is buying a meal for strangers.

No, not a meal in a restaurant.

But a meal at a GROCERY STORE!

Breakfast is served!

How it works:

My partner David and I love to grocery shop.  In fact, we went to a grocery store on our very first date decades ago!!  Because we enjoy it, we find ourselves at the grocery often.  And sometimes when we are there, if we have time and energy, and put together a meal for a stranger!

Fruit theme!

We choose which meal we are aiming for – breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Then we get all of the necessary ingredients to make it!

Dinner is on the house!

If it is a breakfast, it might have coffee, milk, cereal, orange juice, eggs, bacon, bagels…

Hearty breakfast ready for delivery

If it is lunch, it might have salad, soup, fruit…

More of a dinner than a lunch, but comes with dessert!

And if it is dinner, we might put together a protein, vegetable, starch, and dessert.

This dinner came complete with sparkling lemonade

Sometimes we do “theme” shops – like all pink and red things for Valentines, or a bag full of SNACKS. 

St. Patrick's Day theme

Wishing you a very Aldi Christmas

It is so fun!

Someone's having hashbrowns for breakfast!

We then take a photo of the items.  Ideally, we take a picture of David HOLDING everything.  One, because it is fun.  And two, because it is funny!!  You can often find us in the aisle at Trader Joe’s, David trying to balance way too much and me snapping a picture.

See?  It's much more fun when David is in the photo...

I then post the photo on our local Buy Nothing group.  I list out everything that is in the offer and explain that we will drop it off to the person chosen the same day.  I explain that the food is not “needs based”, it is “kindness” or “magic” based, so anyone can get it.  (Note:  we do a LOT of needs based food giveaways 24/7 in the Little Yellow Free Pantry, so these special grocery runs can go to anyone!)  I also explain that we prefer to give the food to someone who has not received one of these deliveries from Kindness Activist before.

Neither of us understand the appeal of pumpkin spice season at Trader Joe's,
but we do not let our opinion yuck someone else's yum.

We then finish our shopping, check out, load up the car, and see who has commented on the post.  We choose a recipient, get their address, and bring it to them on our way home from the store.  It is so fun!

This breakfast looks really tasty to me

We have given these special meals to: tired mothers of toddlers, people who are jet lagged from just returning from a trip and haven’t had time to go to the store yet, teachers on limited budgets, people who simply love the food we have chosen, and lots, lots more.  We do these giveaways about twice a month (so often, in fact, that my phone can auto-type the posts, which always start with, “It’s (fill in the blank) evening, and you know what that means...”.

Ahh, that time Aldi had a whole POT ROAST kit!

These small acts of kindness have also allowed us to meet lots of people in the community, and see new neighborhoods.  See, the kindness is good not only for the recipients, but the givers, too!  And delivering these meals also introduces lots of new people to Kindness Activist!

Anyone hungry for a little SNACK?

We have been doing these special grocery meals for years now and I doubt we will stop any time soon.  Our Buy Nothing group has over 4,600 members, many of which are still strangers to us!  But bit by bit, meal by meal, we are meeting more and more of them.

Cheerios - they're what's for breakfast!  
(Along with lots of other tasty things.)

Each meal averages $26.00 (we are savvy shoppers).

No, I am not running out of photos yet.  Like I said,
this is an oldie but a goodie act of kindness!!

That’s not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things.

Another BIG breakfast!

But just the idea that someone else went to the trouble of planning a meal for you, and took time to deliver it.  Well, that makes these extra special.

Are you hungry yet??

"Why Are You Doing This?"

“Excuse me, but why are you doing this?”.

Such a simple question really. 

But no simple answer.

We spent about an hour and a half today spreading kindness at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia.  We both had the day off of work, so had time to use to do whatever we liked.  And what we realized we would like is: giving treats to strangers.

If that sounds random, well, it was. 

My partner David had a doctor’s appointment today in the Inova complex.  When it was finished, I asked if he would like to join me in doing something kind.  He’s always up for an adventure, so as expected, he said yes.

We drove to the nearby Lidl grocery store and stocked up on snacks - chips, gummies, chocolates.  Then we headed back to the hospital to find people to surprise.

We started in the radiology department.  My sister got radiation when she had brain cancer, so I know what it is like to sit in the waiting room chairs and hope that your loved one is going to be ok.  Our neighbor is currently undergoing treatment at Inova, and we drove him to a couple of appointments there, so we knew exactly where to head.

The kindness was simple – walk up to people and ask if they would like a snack. 

It turns out, that little act of kindness went a very, very long way.  People were delighted to be given a snack.  The vast majority said yes and eagerly made their choice.

But really, I think it was really about more than the food.

It was about someone acknowledging them.  Being willing to say hello.  Smiling.  Being present.

We gave treats to patients.  To family members.  To care givers.  We even gave a treat to someone who recognized us from a local Facebook group (how random).

If you have never had treatment for cancer or had a loved one who has, you may not know about “the bell”.  When a patient finishes their final treatment, they get to ring a big bell to announce that they are done.  Well, we were fortunate enough today to get to witness a woman ring the bell. 

She was wearing a hat – I am guessing she did not have hair.  She was a tiny woman, but her spirit was big.  She rang that bell and we hooted and cheered from all the way across the room.  And as we cheered, others in the waiting room felt they were granted permission to join in, too.  The patient hugged the person who was with her, likely her daughter or maybe sister.  They cried.  The nurses cried.  I cried.  Another woman in the waiting room cried.

Of course I offered the bell ringer some treats and congratulated her.

As I was walking back to my seat, that’s when someone said, “Excuse me, why are you doing this?”. 

They weren’t judging us or anything, they were just genuinely curious why two random strangers were hanging out in a lobby waiting for new patients to check in for their appointments.

I didn’t have a good answer ready.  So, I just said something like, “Oh, my husband had a doctor’s appointment in the building today, so we decided to pass out snacks while we were here.  We’ve been the people sitting in the chairs waiting, so we understand it is not easy.”

And that was a correct answer.

Sure, I could have also explained about Kindness Activist.  About how we find ourselves in situations like this very often.  How, because of amazing donors to our non-profit, we have money to do random acts of kindness like this and spread joy.

But none of that explanation was necessary really.

I guess the real answer to “Why are you doing this?” is:

Because we can.  Because we love to.  Because spreading kindness has become part of our lives, part of our DNA.  Because the world could use more kindness.

It doesn’t take a lot to be kind.

Just an open heart.

An open mind.

A bit of time.

A touch of courage.

A lot of compassion.

Perhaps some creativity.

And for sure some awareness.

Being kind makes the world a better place.

And sometimes, if you are lucky, being kind puts you in the exact right location at the exact right time, and you can cheer when somebody rings the bell.

Just be kind.

 

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $26.34

Hearts warmed:  around 50 (52 if you count our hearts)

P.S. - if you would like to donate to Kindness Activist, a 501C3, you can do so via Venmo (@KindnessActivist) or PayPal (@KindnessActivist).  Your donation is tax deductible and will be used to spread kindness in the world.

The Myth of the Can Opener

Ugh.

I hate it when we are out of can openers for the Little Yellow Free Pantry.

And no, I don’t hate it for the reason you might think. 

I am guessing you might think that I hate when we run out of can openers because we give away so many, and if we have none, pantry guests will not be able to open the canned food they receive here, so they will be hungry.

 

But that is not why I dislike announcing we need more.

 

I don’t like to ask for can openers because I fear my ask will perpetuate the myth that all people coming to our free pantry are experiencing homelessness.

 

And that in the bigger picture, that all people experiencing food insecurity are without housing. 

 

But from what we see daily, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

 

Because the people we meet when they stop at the LYFP are as diverse as it gets.

 

They are white.  They are black.  They are Latino.  They are Asian.  And they are everything in between.

 

They speak French and Spanish and Arabic and English and Chinese and so many more beautiful languages.

 

They arrive on foot and by car and by rental e-bike and tied to their mamma’s backs with colorful cloth and on scooters and in trucks and in strollers and in cargo vans.

 

They come on the way to work and at dinner time and on the way home from school and in the pitch black of night.

 

They live in apartments and houses and group homes and shelters and cars. 

 

And yes, some live on the streets. 

 

Some ARE experiencing homelessness. 

 

But honestly, the majority just need FOOD.

 

They have jobs.  They are hard working.

 

But they also have bills.  And rent.  And insurance.  And need to buy gas to fill the tank to drive the kids to school.

 

And a paycheck only goes so far.

 

So, maybe they swing by the LYFP to see what is available. 

 

Maybe they pick up some rice or a cake mix or applesauce or pasta.

 

But most of them, the majority, have a can opener at home.

 

They are hungry.  And they are grateful.

 

Grateful to be treated with respect. 

To have choices (some that they never see in more traditional pantries). 

And to have a resource that is open to all, no questions asked, no paperwork to sign, no red tape.

 

They are thankful.

 

And we are thankful.  Without kind donors around the country, our pantry could not continue.  Which is why I write today to say…

 

We need a dozen can openers.  Please.

 

Other things we are low on and need to restock are:

 

·       Jars of peanut butter of any kind

·       Cans of mixed vegetables

·       Cans of potatoes

·       Cans of beans of any kind

·       Cans of peas

·       Cans of carrots

·       Single serving cups of instant mashed potatoes

·       Cans of mushrooms

·       Dried beans of any kind

·       Pancake syrup

·       Pop-Tarts

·       Capri Sun or other brand of individual juice pouches

·       Individual servings of coconut water

 

You can find our Amazon wish list at the link below.  Everything ordered from the list ships directly to our home and is shelved inside.  We refill the pantry multiple times daily and pull from the storage shelves.  This system ensures there is variety in the pantry so people have choices.

 Little Yellow Free Pantry Amazon Wish List

Our neighbors thank you.  YOUR neighbors thank you.

 

And we thank you.

The Kindness Dance

Thanks to my friend Ixel, a flop became a hit.  And I am ever so happy and proud.

Last summer, I had the idea to recreate something fun that we did during Covid.  David and I would choreograph a dance, film us doing it (with instructions), post it to our neighborhood Facebook page, and neighbors would film themselves doing it.  They would then send their videos to me and I would edit them all together into one fun video.  It was so cool when we did it during Covid, I figured it was time to do it again!

Only, no one else figured it was time.

It flopped.  The only people who filmed themselves doing it were David and me (on the beach even!), and young friends Ixel and John (aka Baby John).  Baby John was really into the Charleston part, and Ixel was a specialist at the freestyle part (no choreography needed, the “do your own thing” part). 

But I figured I couldn’t make a video with just US and our 2 friends, so I dropped the whole idea.  It was, as they say, a kindness flop.  I was disappointed, but oh well.  Not all ideas work out.

Fast forward about 5 months…

Ixel mentioned “The Kindness Dance”.

I honestly didn’t know what she was talking about.  Kindness Dance???  New to me.

Only, it wasn’t new.  It was the dance from the summer, and in her mind, it was called The Kindness Dance. 

And she became fixated on it. 

She practiced her freestyle parts daily.

She made costumes.

She had a whole story line in her head.

And, one day, she proclaimed it was TIME to perform! 

“When is the Kindness Dance???” she asked me (a question I think she had been badgering her mom with quite a lot).

Well, ummm, I hadn’t thought of actually performing it.  I mean, it was supposed to just be a fun video thing…  But to actually perform it??

But Ixel would not take no for an answer.  She had plans.  In her mind, it was all ready for an audience!!

Only, we had no space…  And it is far too cold to do it outside…

She even picked a DATE!  Like, the girl was ready, and the whole back-end actual PLANNING and logistics hadn’t happened.

But the more her mom and I thought about it, the more we knew – the Kindness Dance was going to be a real live thing.

We booked a room at the local community center.  Ixel had told us she would need 3 hours to get ready, you know, what with make-up and costumes…  But the adults figured 2.5 hours total should do it. 

Ixel made a poster.

Kindness Activist was a co-sponsor, along with "Ixel's Ballet Studio"

She made a list of characters.

She made headpieces for many of the performers.

And she made AN ENTIRE OUTFIT!  Everything!  She made a leotard, a skirt, and a headpiece!  And folks, this was costume number TWO!  Yes, she had a costume change mid-song!  While us background dancers were grooving away, she ran to the side and pulled off costume number one, with the big reveal of costume number two!!!!  This girl was on fire!!

Tonight was the night.  She told me a couple of weeks ago that there would be “lots of people there to watch”, so I confess I was a bit nervous thinking that there might be more dancers on “stage” than there were butts in seats.  But I was wrong!  26 people (special invitation only) came out on this cold night to watch us (well, mostly to watch Ixel) dance to Bruno Mars singing “Uptown Funk” while disco lights shone.

Cast list (as you can see, David played the role of David)

Ixel wrote her own intro and delivered it with a microphone.

John, playing the role of the Crystal King, decided at the last minute that he would sit out (he complained that his crown was hurting his head, not sure if that was an excuse or not).  He sat down on stage as we danced, then ran around a bit 😊 . 

"Baby" John in crown handmade by his big sister

And Ixel.  Ixel was so happy. And so proud.  To see her shine like that – spinning and spinning and spinning.  It was beautiful (and not just the dancing, her heart was beautiful as well). 

Pre-show spinning

And her friends there supporting her – so sweet.  When the official performance was finished the dance floor opened up to all guests, and we rocked out.

Post-show dancing (costume number 3)

Tonight was a good lesson for me.  Sometimes even flops can turn into something special.  No, there was not a neighborhood video this time.  But the community came out, and the result was 100 times more special than planned.

The cast.  Crystal King minus his crown, Ixel in costume number 3, and me in costume number 2

Ixi as Sunshine

Susan as Flower and David as, well, as David

Oh, and hey.  As we were leaving tonight Ixel announced that the Kindness Dance is going to be an annual thing.

And you know, when Ixel says something, that girl makes it happen.

 

See you on the dance floor next year.

And now for your viewing pleasure, may I present, Ixel, starring in the Kindness Dance (not the whole dance)!

Kindness funds spent:  $67

P.S.- special shout out to the techie and DJ, Mac, for keeping the lights flashing and the music blasting.

 

A Single Boot

I looked out the kitchen window, me safe and snug in my warm house, and I saw a boot.

A single boot. 

A gray rubber boot.

Next to it, a foot wrapped with plastic.

That’s our view of the Little Yellow Free Pantry from the kitchen window – we see guests from the knees down.  The pantry covers the rest of their bodies and their faces, which sometimes leaves us to guess who the visitor might be.

“David, look.  Their foot is wrapped in plastic…”

 

They stood at the pantry looking at their choices.  They were one of few people brave enough to get out in the cold today and come for supplies.  And the ICE – the sidewalks are slippery and some have not been shoveled.

 

Yet there they were.  One foot in a rain boot.  One foot in plastic.

 

I bundled up in my coat and went out to greet them to see what else they might need.  When I could see more than their feet, I recognized them immediately.  It was one of our guests who lives in their car.

 

“Do you need BOOTS??” I blurted without even thinking if the question might be disrespectful.

 

“Yeah.  Yeah.  I could only find ONE,” they said, pointing to their rainboot.  “And this other foot is broken…  It is in a tennis shoe.”

 

One boot, not insulated.  One broken foot.  A tennis shoe wrapped in plastic.

 

“What size are you?” I asked, hoping that we might have a pair of warm boots for them.

 

They told me their size, and I asked what other winter things they might need.  I made a mental list, asked them to please wait for me, and ran downstairs to see what we had.

 

First – boots.  I was so disappointed to see the only boots left are kids and smaller adult ones.  That made me sad, but I started collecting the other items.  Big fluffy down coat – check.  Warm socks – check.  Warm hat – check.  Hand warmers – check.  Gloves – check.

 

As I was turning to rush back upstairs, I saw a shoe box…

 

I opened it and found a BRAND-NEW pair of beautiful, warm boots that were the right size.  Yes!

 

I carried everything out to the porch and found the guest hunting for a sock.  They had found one on our porch (leftover from yesterday – it had been covered in ice), and were hunting for the mate. 

 

“I found a sock,” they told me.

 

“Hey, I brought you 2 pairs of warm socks!  Here!” I said as I handed them over.

 

The coat was received with gratitude.  I demonstrated how the hat had a liner inside to make it even warmer.  They looked through the basket of mittens and chose the work gloves plus a pair of large mittens designed to be worn over gloves.

 

“And hold on a minute – I have some boots that might work, too!  I will grab them,” I told the visitor. 

 

Their eyes lit up when they saw the beautiful new winter boots, tags still attached.

 

“These are the size you asked for.  I think they will fit your good foot, but I am not sure about the broken one.  How about you take them and try them?  If they work, great.  If not, please bring them back for someone else.”

 

I asked what other food they might need that they hadn’t found in the pantry, but they said they had enough.  Really, I think they were probably overwhelmed with all of the winter gear and didn’t want to ask for more.

 

This person could be me.

 

They appear to be about my age.

They are always clean.

They are quiet and polite.

They told me once that they had a house or apartment, if I remember right, they had a fire and lost everything.

They seem smart.

Don’t appear to have a mental illness.

They just, as they told me one time, “Have had a hard couple of years”.

 

This person could be you. 

 

It could so easily be any of us.

 

Broken foot covered in plastic.  Walking on ice. 

 

Living in their vehicle.

 

I can’t imagine how cold that must be.  Sure, they can turn on the motor sometimes and run the heat, but I bet that is not often.  Can’t waste fuel that might be needed to actually go somewhere. 

 

I came inside and cried.

 

This work warms my soul and breaks my heart at the same time.

 

Thank you to all who support Kindness Activist.  Because of your generosity, we persist.

 

Thank you to whoever donated those fantastic warm boots.

Thank you to those who brought over coats and scarves and other winter gear.

Thank you to people who bring over or order food to help us keep the pantry filled.

Thank you to those who donated fancy gowns and jewelry for the Fancy Outfit Library so that neighbors can borrow them.

Thank you to neighbors who show up at our events.  Neighbors who pay to get their nails painted by our young helpers, who stand in line to buy a cup of cocoa from June Bug, who shop at our fundraisers and online auctions, who buy plants at the plant sales and get photos taken at the kindness photo days.

 

And thank you to the amazing people who donate money.  The funds you so graciously give keep us alive. 

 

Soul warming.

Heart breaking.

 

It is possible for both of those to exist simultaneously.

 

P.S. – A word on donations:

- Monetary donations are tax deductible and can be made via PayPal, Venmo, or check.  Any amount is greatly appreciated and will be used to spread kindness.  Donation info can be found here:  Donations – KindnessActivist

- Donations for the Little Yellow Free Pantry should be placed in the tan and green plastic bin on our front porch.  If they are ordered from the Amazon wish list they will ship directly to us.  Link to shopping list of most currently needed items and wish list here:  LittleYellow Free Pantry - Google Docs

- The donation window for Project Warmth (winter clothing) has closed for the season.

- We are not currently accepting donations of clothing (fancy or otherwise) or household items.

Your Prescription Is Ready

One thing I have always wanted to use Kindness Activist funds for is to pay for people’s prescriptions.  I just think it would be such a good way to treat people kindly, don’t you?

But I have found over the years that it is actually quite difficult to do.  It feels like you are violating someone’s privacy to go up behind them at the pharmacy check-out and offer to pay for their meds.  I don’t know, maybe I could ask them before they approach the pick-up window…  It just feels like a HIPAA violation or something.  In all the years I have been doing Kindness Activist work, I think I have only managed to pull off paying for prescriptions twice.

Well, three times now.

Because yesterday, a perfect opportunity presented itself, and I went for it.

I was at the CVS in Target to pick-up my prescription.  I must’ve gone at the ideal time, because for once there was not a single person in line!  The pharmacy tech seemed to be ringing someone up, but the person was not standing at the register.  Odd.

Then I heard, “Hello?  Hello?  Can you hear me?” and I saw an elderly gentleman seated in a chair across from the cash register and talking on his cell phone.  The pharmacy worker smiled at him and gestured that his order was ready and it was time to pay.

“Ahhh, can you let her go ahead of me?” he said, pointing at me.  “Cuz it’s gonna take me a LONG time to get outta this chair”. 

That’s when I took it all in. 

This sweet elderly man had sat himself down in a curved plastic chair with no arms.  It was as if it was conforming to his body – his back curved a bit to snuggle into the chair.  Beside him was an old cane and a small red, dirty first aid kit with things written all over it in black Sharpie.  And in his hand, the cell phone.

The CVS employee had already begun ringing in his order, so instead of her having to cancel it, I looked at the man and said, “Sir, I would be happy to pay for your medicine.  Is that ok with you?”.

“Well yes!!” he said happily.  “Yes, you can.  It ain’t gonna be but a dollar or two anyway”.

I smiled at the pharmacy tech and nodded that she could complete the transaction. 

While she was keying everything in, we listened to the man. 

“Hello??  HELLO??  Yea.  Yea.  I can hear you.  Can you hear ME??” he said a few times.

The employee and I smiled and I said quietly, “We can hear you!”.

The total was ready - $16.59. Not quite the “dollar or two” he had anticipated.  The cashier looked at me, wondering if I would still foot the bill.  I smiled and inserted the credit card.

The pharmacist was working in the back but caught wind of what was happening.  She made eye contact with me, smiled, and silently thanked me.

I picked up the brown bag with the medicine inside and turned around. 

“Mr….” I quickly looked at the name on the Rx.  “Mr. Clinton, your prescription is ready,” I told him, smiling.

He thanked me, I picked up my own medicine, and walked away, him still stuck in the chair and talking loudly on his phone.

It wasn’t much.  Under $20.  But it was kind.

And it was the best $16.59 I have spent all month.

P.S. – I am not sure HOW he managed to get himself out of that chair, but he did it.  I peeked after I did the rest of my shopping and he had moved on.

A Heart Full of Pumpkins

My heart is full, and autumn has officially begun in my world.

Kindness Activist held a PUMPKIN CELEBRATION today, and it was, in a word, glorious.

Did it solve any “real” problems?  No.

Did it end world hunger?  Again, no.

But it DID bring together a community in a unique way.  It gave folks an opportunity to celebrate the season.  It gave new volunteers a chance to help out and spread kindness. 

And pumpkins were the stars of the show.

Hard to choose which little pumpkin you want...

Ohhhhh pumpkins.  I have picked up, transported, and carried pumpkins so many times in the last 24 hours that I may well turn into a pumpkin!  With events like this, it is always impossible to know how many people will show up, which makes it hard to purchase needed supplies.  But we did a bit of math and calculated that we needed 100 small pumpkins/gourds, and 50 bigger ones.  For the bigger pumpkins, we divided the 50 into some BIG ones (more expensive), some FANCY ones (also pricier), and some “regular” old traditional pumpkins (on sale!).  The plan was to give each family one big pumpkin, and each kid age 13 and under could also take one small one. 

Sweet neighbor

We had lots going on!  We had:

-         Pumpkins to choose from

-         Snacks, including homemade cookies from the delightful Duffy, a neighbor who bakes for the Little Yellow Free Pantry and offered to make a special batch for this event.

-         Halloween/Autumn/pumpkin themed books to read aloud

-         The “Penrose Aldi” – a miniature play version of an Aldi’s check-out stand and lots of pretend groceries to purchase.  The check out stand has a belt that MOVES (when the cashier spins a handle) and a scanner that lights up and beeps.  This is fancy, people.

-         Hot cocoa, hot apple cider, and hot coffee

-         Candy and other snacks

-         A raffle with 5 prizes

-         Sidewalk chalk

-         Teeter totter

-     Tattoos (don't worry, the fake kind)

-         On-going 30 second dance parties (every time someone hits the button, loud techno music blasts for 30 seconds)

-         And a super cool craft: guests could paint or color a paper pumpkin or leaf.  The talented Jessica cut out lots of those shapes for the event using her Cricut.

Young artist at work :) 

Like I said, it is hard to know how many people will show up.  I always try to steel myself to be ok if it is just a handful, but this time people came!  Like, we were CROWDED!

Because of a threat of rain, we sat up the Aldis and food on our covered porch.  We had the craft table in the yard, but a back-up craft table was ready on the porch in case it started to pour.  The day was gray, but we only got a tiny bit of drizzle once during the whole 5-hour event. 

Penrose Aldi is OPEN for business!

It was so fun to chat with neighbors!  We caught up with old friends and met new people.  I was delighted to have a couple of kids be brave enough to read stories aloud to younger visitors (and was so glad that I had time to sit on the steps and read some books aloud myself).  Whatever you do – do NOT push that button…  That was one of my favorite stories of the day.

Stories on the steps - I loved hearing these

The artwork people made was amazing!!!  We laminated most of the pumpkins and leaves and tied them to our fence (a few kids wanted to take theirs home).  They look so cute on the fence!  And it is fun to know that the young artists will likely walk or drive past our house and be proud to see their pieces on display. 

Just a few of the painted leaves.  I was too busy to take a lot of photos, but I want to get one that shows the whole fence - it is so pretty!

We gave away the majority of the pumpkins and gourds but still have some left.  And that’s a good thing, because it has allowed us to surprise some people as we were cleaning up.  One man walked by and said hello.  We explained that we had a pumpkin party today, and he gladly accepted our offer to bring a pumpkin home with him.  Another couple pulled over and parked near the pantry.  That often means someone coming to get food, donate something, or perhaps pick up something that we have offered.

But this time it was different.  These people were going out of their way – pulling over and walking up to our house – to thank us.  They weren’t thanking us for today’s event - I don’t think they even knew we were hosting something today.  But they were thanking us for the work that we do in the world.  For spreading kindness.  For being a beacon of hope.  “I drive by your house often on my way to yoga,” the woman said.  “And I drive by all the time on my way to work,” the man chimed in.  They expressed how good it makes them feel to see what goes on here.  Then the woman held something out to me.  “Here, I would like to give you this.  Thank you,” she said.  I looked down at what she had handed me and saw it was money.  I didn’t look at how much it was but I thanked her for being so kind and pitching in.  She said that she appreciates the work that I do, and she hopes others in the community do, too.  We gave them a pumpkin (it was the theme of the day after all) and they were on their way. 

When I peeked at the denomination of the bill I realized:  this complete stranger just gave me $100…  Heart.  Melt.  It reminded me of another time that same exact thing happened when a new to me (at the time) neighbor pulled over a few years ago and did the same thing.  People are so kind.

We sat down to pull out the winning names for the raffle and ANOTHER car pulled over – this time right into our driveway.  David walked over to greet them and see what they needed.

I couldn’t hear the conversation, but the two of them were talking for a long time.  Eventually they walked over and I met the man.  He, too, drives by our house often.  He explained that he just “gets a vibe” from our home.  He asked a friend who lives near us just what this yellow house on the corner was.  “Oh!  That is FRIENDSHIP HOUSE!” they explained to him.

Isn’t that the sweetest?  We’ve heard our home called other things – Kindness House being the most common.  But I didn’t know that in some circles it is known as Friendship House.

He thought we were a business.  In fact, he asked David if we were open.  “Well, this is our house, not an office.  So yeah, we are always open,” David told him.  The man sat down on our steps and we chatted a long time.  He asked (as many people do) if this was all part of a religious organization. 

That’s a really common assumption, and I understand why people think it.  Churches, mosques, and synagogues are most often the groups that work to feed, clothe, and care for their communities.  I explained to the man that people of all faiths are welcome here and indeed, were present at the event today.  He asked some hard questions, like, “Why do you do what you do???”.  Those are tough ones to answer in the moment.  But I guess an honest answer is - because I couldn’t imagine not doing it.  Not talking to strangers.  Not laughing with children.  Not going out of my way to be kind.  It is just who I am.

If our legacy can do anything, I hope that we can demonstrate that one needn’t be a religious institution to spread kindness.  To have open arms.  To be welcoming and supportive.  You can be just ordinary people who have chosen an extraordinary path.  You can just be “Ms. Susan and Mr. David” and make a big impact. 

I honestly thought about cancelling today’s Pumpkin Celebration.  It was supposed to be a really rainy day, and we’ve been busy lately and I am tired.

But I am so glad we forged ahead.  Seeing the smiles, watching the painting, listening to stories being read and smelling hot cocoa…  It was worth the effort and time. 

Simple yard sign - speaks volumes

We aren’t making a huge difference in this world.  But today we did good.  We spread joy and kindness.  One pumpkin at a time.

The young man in blue made the sign hanging behind him.  He and his mamma worked hard on it, and he was SO PROUD when I complimented him on his art.  

Total Kindness Activist funds spent:  $465.47

When I asked a young volunteer to put this sign together, she had to report:
"Ms. Susan - we have a problem...  You do not have a letter "K"...".  In my haste, I suggested that a letter "C", though a bit unusual, might work.  Lucky for me that volunteer's mom (my friend) had the same letter set at home!  She loaned me a "K".  You would think an organization whose name starts with a "K" would have one...

What a pumpkin head

Just be kind.  Cuz, why be anything else?