Sweet 16 Kindness

I really believe that the vast majority of people WANT to help, want to be KIND.  But sometimes we get so busy and overwhelmed by our own lives that it is hard to see where we can help out in someone else’s. 

But when people are brave enough to raise a hand and ASK for a little assistance, kindness and love overflow.  It’s beautiful!

And that’s what happened recently here in Arlington, Virginia.  A mom contacted me and explained that her daughter’s 16^th birthday was coming up.  She wondered if there was any way our community could help make it a SPECIAL day for the girl, even though Covid restrictions are still in place and money is tight.

And do you know what?  That’s all that was needed.  An ASK.  A clear request for what would be helpful – a blow-out party for a special girl turning 16!!!

A group of 18 women had been working together to help another family.  I posed the question to them – would they like to work on a 16^th birthday party, or were they “helped out” from the other generous things they had been doing for the other family??

I bet you can guess where this is going, can’t you?  Those 18 women rolled up their sleeves and went to WORK!!!  “What is her favorite flavor of cake??”, “What does she enjoy doing??”, “What is her favorite color???”…  Messages and questions flew for days!!  We were ENERGIZED – we had a MISSION!!!

And even though we all had our own things to be worried about – sick family members, school starting, house renovations, work, etc. – having this PARTY to plan seem to give us energy and life!!  I don’t think any of us KNEW the birthday girl.  But we had all turned 16 before.  And we all wanted to make it a special day for her!

Each person pitched in.  One offered to make cupcakes!  One ran to the store to find a shirt in just the perfect color for the birthday girl!  One asked other people to donate items that the girl would like!  And piece by piece it came together – like a big birthday puzzle!!  The birthday girl had a wish for special shoes.  She had picked out some really cool Vans.  So, one group member scoured the internet and found the same exact shoes locally.  And even though she was super busy building a little schoolhouse and taking care of her family, she drove out and got the shoes.

Beautiful necklace for the birthday girl

Perfect make-up case for a strong woman

A member of our community heard the birthday girl liked skateboards so donated his longboard!  A member of the small group and her boyfriend had the equipment needed to make personalized vinyl letters to decorate it and spent HOURS getting them just right!  The longboard turned out PERFECTLY!  They also made the plain shirt into a printed workout shirt with the birthday girl’s favorite Bible verse on it! 

Longboard BEFORE

 

Longboard AFTER!!!!

Donated gifts came in – books, journals, beautiful photo prints….  Some gifts were purchased new with money raised at the Kindness Yard Sale.  And everything was wrapped carefully (and fancy!) to surprise the recipient.  20 presents were ready to surprise a special stranger.

Gifts just waiting to be opened!

A time and location was set.  A photographer was sent to the location (my partner, David 😊 ).  And 4 cars met up.  One was decked out with a sign and big bow.  One had HAPPY BIRTHDAY blaring from the speakers.  With secret messages to the mom, we headed over to the house.

And the birthday girl was SURPRISED.  She was HAPPY.  And she was GRATEFUL.

Here is a video of how it all went down.  You will smile if you watch it.  It will remind you that there is good in the world.  Drive By Sweet 16 Birthday Party Video

You only turn 16 once.  And I would like to think that the kindness of strangers made this girl’s 16^th birthday a memorable one.

Happy birthday, G-Zel.  We were honored to be part of your special day!

If you see a need in your community, reach out.  And if you could use a bit of assistance, ASK.  Don’t be embarrassed or afraid.  Because there is an army of people around you just waiting for a call to action.  We all want to help.  And who knows, maybe your request will be the one that makes us smile so hard our cheeks hurt.

Kindness Yard Sale Money spent on birthday gifts - $87.58 

Kindness During Covid (Kindness Yard Sale update!)

It is easy to get down these days.  Watching the news for any length of time means confronting the sad statistics of how many deaths have happened due to Covid-19, how much longer we are all going to be social distancing and/or stuck in our homes, and that a vaccine is a ways off.

So, instead of focusing on the sadness this evening, I am going to focus on KINDNESS.  Namely, how more funds from the 1st Kindness Yard Sale were used!  We raised a total of $1905.76 from the yard sale last summer (items were donated, shoppers paid whatever they wanted to with the understanding that every penny raised would be used for kindness) and from donations that came in after the sale.  I have given updates throughout the year on where all of the money has gone because I am want to make sure it is completely transparent, well accounted for, and that YOU read about the kind actions and get inspired to do some of your own!! 

So - here is the latest report:

·         $125 was used to buy $5 Starbucks gift cards for 25 people working on the front lines:  TRADER JOE’S EMPLOYEES!  Grocery store employees have had to work so hard during this pandemic to keep the shelves stocked, and the ones at our local Trader Joe’s do it with a smile (that you can’t see due to their masks…).  One afternoon in April I called to ask how many employees were working.  On the way to do our shopping, we bought the gift cards.  And before shopping I dropped them off in a bag with a thank you card at the customer service desk.  It was very fun!!  Lots of employees came and found us while we shopped to thank us for the gifts.  One employee even said the kind gesture had made her cry.  These are the awesome little kindnesses that can happen because of the yard sale!!

Ready to DELIVER GIFT CARDS and do a huge shopping trip!

·         $34.20 was used to help a homeless man get a fresh start living on his own.  My friend Kristi works at a homeless shelter and I was honored to volunteer there one night for their annual Christmas gift giveaway.  As we talked, she explained that as the people get housed, they should get a basket of goodies to help them begin their new lives.  But the shelter had run out of the supplies, so people getting housed were no longer getting them.  Well, I couldn’t imagine getting a brand new start in life and having NOTHING but the clothes are your back.  How successful can living on your own be if you have nothing – no plates, cups, salt, pepper, silverware, laundry detergent…  So, I went to a cheap store and filled up a cart with things I imagined would be helpful.  It was a very fun shopping trip!!!  I delivered the basket to Kristi, who later reported she had given it to a client and they were very happy to have the gifts.  Fingers crossed that they are doing well in their new home.

·         $36.15 was used to mail 2 packages.  I saw a woman in a military uniform in the Post Office parking as I was walking in.  She had 2 boxes that she was arranging.  After I paid for my items, I stepped aside (social distancing) and waited for her to tape up her boxes and have her turn.  As she was almost finished, I asked if I could use Kindness funds to pay for her shipping.  I couldn’t see her expression since we were both wearing masks, but her eyes glowed and she was very happy.  At first she thought it was too much, but as I paid she thanked me very much and said that her sister and the other recipient of the gifts she was mailing would be VERY HAPPY.  I took the opportunity to THANK HER FOR HER SERVICE.

·         $20 was used to support the My Job Bags campaign, which I read about on Facebook.  Here is the site’s description of the amazing project: “While the Coronavirus pandemic has closed schools in Arlington, children across the county continue to learn from home. Unfortunately, not all families are able to provide their children with the resources that they would have in a classroom setting. That's why we've established the My Job Bags campaign. A child's 'job' is to imagine, create, learn and play. We're working to assemble bags for children in need and to provide them with supplies to learn and be creative while at home. We're accepting monetary donations as well as donations of the supplies below that will be included in the bags. All money collected will be used to purchase supplies and the bags will be assembled and distributed by volunteers. Each bag will contain: crayons, pencils, pencil sharpener, spiral notebook, construction paper, blunt tip scissors, glue stick, dry erase board, marker and eraser, children's book, Legos, and bubbles.  Through bulk purchasing we've been able to lower the cost of supplies for each bag to approximately $6.50 per bag.”   So, the Kindness Yard Sale donation of $20 should help 3 kids get their Job Bags!!  If you would like to donate to this campaign, visit Go Fund Me - My Job Bags

The right supplies are essential!

·         $17.02 was used a couple of months ago to buy dinner for a family.  We landed at Regan National Airport very late one night.  Everything in the airport had closed and we were the last ones picking up our bags.  But a woman and her 2 children were sitting in the lobby, the kids watching a movie on a device that was plugged in and charging.  As we waited for our bags I went over to talk to them.  It turned out, they were CAMPING there for the night!  Their flight had been very delayed so they missed a connection and there were no other flight options, which left them stuck in DC for an ENTIRE DAY.  They had taken the metro (subway) into the city during the day, but now that it was night everything was closed.  They didn’t have enough money for a hotel room.  I offered to bring them home and let them stay at our house, but their morning flight was super early and only a few hours after we met them.  So instead of housing them, we got them dinner.  The McDonald’s near the airport was open and they were excited to have a hot meal.  We took the order, went and got it, and delivered it back to the airport.  I think that was Kindness money well spent.

The golden arches

·         $20 was used to buy dinner for a homeless man in a parking lot.  My partner and I were traveling and had just eaten at a tasty little place in the south that had amazing biscuits.  As we were getting in the car I noticed a man with a backpack.  Attached to the backpack was a MAT made by weaving together plastic bags.  I had read about the mats but never seen one, so we asked him about it.  He said he had made it himself and that it was very helpful in keeping dry and more comfortable when lying on the pavement.  He was really sweet.  We told him the restaurant was delicious and gave him $20 to go in and eat.  He was very thankful.  If you would like to learn more about the mats made from plastic bags, here is an article with instructions:  Turn Your Plastic Bags Into Sleeping Mats

·         $25 was used to buy a grocery gift card for a family whose mom, one of the primary earners, was out of work because she got Covid-19.  She was on the recovering end of the illness but was still not able to work and they were running out of food.  Luckily, the community rallied around them and made sure they got through.  They were so appreciative of the gift card.

I have a couple of other kindness projects in the works – funds have been used to get supplies but because of the pandemic I cannot carry the plans out yet.  (For example, one is for a Department of Motor Vehicles office, and I don’t think this would be a good time to spread kindness there, even if they are open!). 

We have $103.89 from the Kindness Yard Sale left to be used.  I would like YOU to choose where the next $50 goes!!  Please comment below with an idea that is $50.  Voting will be by how many “likes” “loves” or other reactions each idea gets.  I will count the votes and use the $50 at 10:00 pm EST on May 9^th.  So please, comment with your ideas!!

$50, waiting to be used for KINDNESS!
(And yes, that IS Harriet Tubman's face on that $20.  I fixed it.)

I am starting to dream of the 2^nd Kindness Yard Sale.  I hope that things calm down in our community before too long and that there are items left to be donated (everyone seems to be cleaning out closets and basements and attics while they are stuck at home!).  If you live in Arlington, VA and have things to donate for the sale I would LOVE them.  I would love it even more if you could store them until we know when we can have the sale 😊 .

Thanks so much for being a part of this grand experiment.  It brings me joy, and I hope it does you, too.   Now get out there and be KIND.  But social distance!  And wear your mask!!!  #KindnessActivist  #ALittleKindnessCanGoALongWay  #KindnessDuringTimesOfPandemic

Holidays in Times of Turmoil

Holidays are usually fun times.  But it seems like this year St. Patrick’s Day is going to be a bit of a downer.  I mean, how much can you celebrate if you are self-quarantining, or keeping your “social distance” from others to try and curb the spread of the Corona Virus?? 

But a creative neighbor (Caitlin) just forwarded THIS to me:

BRILLIANT!!!!  Let’s DO IT!  Make a shamrock (or 2 or 3 or 10….) and hang them in your windows, or your doors, or on your porch.  Then kids and their parents can take a walk or ride around the neighborhood and see how many they can find!  I mean, most everyone is home schooling these days due to school closures, and this activity could count as several subjects:

1.       Obviously, ART.  😊  Have your children make shamrocks and hang them.

2.       No brainer, MATH.  Count how many you find!  For more advanced students, make up some   word problems based on the hunt.  Here are some examples:

a.  If Joe finds 5 shamrocks in his neighborhood, and Kate finds 7, how many shamrocks did they find all together?

b.  If Kelsey finds 12 3 leafed shamrocks and 3 4 leafed shamrocks, how many sides total are on all of her shamrocks?

c.  If Jarod finds 28 shamrocks, but 6 of them were YELLOW and he was only counting GREEN ones, how many green shamrocks did he find?

3.  History – study St. Patrick’s Day, how it came about, and what it means.

4.  PE - if you WALK around the area on your hunt, your kids will also be getting exercise!

I will be making some shamrocks tonight and putting them up for passersby to count in my neighborhood.  Here is a pattern I will use, feel free to use it or to Google “shamrock patterns” to find others.

If you decide to participate, make sure your neighborhood knows so they can join in the fun!!  Share, share, share away.

Let’s make learning fun and do a little something special for St. Pat’s 2020!

Wipes of Kindness

The world is in a state of panic.  Covid 19, the Corona Virus, is spreading at a very rapid rate it what seems to be every corner of the world.

But I don’t need to tell you that.  Newspapers, television, emergency alert texts, and social media are covering the illness and the repercussions of it extensively.  The markets are crashing, there are not enough test kits, flights are being cancelled, people are being quarantined, and “social distancing” is the new norm.  Trying to keep up on it all feels like trying to drink from a fire hose.

But one thing is clear – people are panicked.  And when people panic, kindness often goes by the wayside.   Humans are hard-wired to take care of THEMSELVES and their FAMILIES/FRIENDS first.  It is why wars happen.  It is why people say, “blood is thicker than water”.  And, I guess ultimately, it is why many are hoarding essentials at the stores – toilet paper, dairy, eggs, fresh produce, hand sanitizer, etc.  Seeing someone push a cart loaded with the last 20 packages of toilet paper down a grocery aisle, refusing to share even one roll with another shopper, appears to be self-preservation in a comically absurdist extreme.

So, in this time of fear and panic, when an act of kindness appears it seems extra special.  I will be highlighting some of those kind acts in this blog so that you, too, can read them and be inspired that there is still kindness in the world.  And who knows, you may be so inspired that you spread a little kindness yourself, even if it is spread from the confines of your quarantined home.

Here is today’s installment of Kindness During a Pandemic.  This one is called, “WIPES OF KINDNESS”.

My sweetheart and I have been on vacation in St. Kitts (an island in the Caribbean).  We were there 7 days and tried to semi unplug ourselves from the news.  Of course, since the situation with the Corona Virus is so serious, we DID watch a bit of news while there and read some articles. 

It was while we were there that the situation became very serious in the US.  Universities and schools started to close.  Social distancing became a thing.  And all hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes disappeared from the shelves.  Actually, I guess the run on hand sanitizer and wipes happened right before we left, because I couldn’t find any of those the night before our flight to bring with us (and ended up bringing the only alcohol wipes we had at home, which we POSTAGE STAMP size 😊 ). 

When we were preparing to fly home (which included considering staying THERE…), I realized that since St. Kitts was just NOW starting to feel the impacts of the disease, I might be able to score a bottle of hand sanitizer and some wipes to bring home in our luggage.  So, we ran to the little grocery store.  They had wipes, but the hand sanitizer was already sold out.  We bought one container of wipes and packed them.

Think about that last paragraph.  How self-centered could I be???  “Since St. Kitts was just now starting to feel the impacts…”.  Basically, that is me saying, “Since I know how important these wipes are already and how I will not be able to get them in my home country, I will buy THEIRS here, precluding them from getting some”.  It’s so embarrassing seeing it spelled out here, but that is exactly what I did. 

But wait, my behavior gets worse…

I packed the wipes in my carry-on with a plan of wiping down our airplane seats, hand rests, and tray tables.  And when we got on board our first flight, we did just that.  I considered, for a brief second, asking our seatmate if he would like a wipe, but my brain said, “NOPE!  Think of yourself first!  Susan, you need these wipes!!  All of them!  You won’t be able to find any at home!!!”.  So, I followed my head and quietly repacked them in the carry-on before take-off.

Lucky for the rest of the plane, a woman 2 rows ahead of us was not so selfish. 

She had a package of wipes the same size as mine.  She took one or two out, wiped down her area, then said in a very loud and cheerful voice, “WIPES!!!  I HAVE WIPES HERE!  DOES ANYONE NEED A WIPE TO CLEAN THEIR AREA???”.

People.  Were.  Shocked.  I heard a guy behind me say, “Why is she doing that??  She could sell those things and make a lot of money!!”.

At first, people didn’t really understand or believe her generosity.  She had to clarify, “No!  Seriously!  We all should wipe down, here, take some and pass this back.  Everyone – feel free to use these wipes!!”. 

She was so kind!!!!!  “Thanks!” rang out as people took a wipe and passed the container back.

And just like that, I was reminded. 

Even in times of chaos.  In times where it seems like self-preservation is the only thing we can do.  There are other choices.

We can be kind.

I will use that woman as a model for my behavior in the coming weeks.  Things with the virus will very likely get much worse.  But if we can keep our heads clear and remember that KINDNESS MATTERS, we can help one another get through it.