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.
