World Kindness Day - Kindness Activist Funds Accounting

Happy World Kindness Day!!

The official date was November 13^th, but I am only now taking time to sit down and tell you about it.

A few days before the holiday I put out an ask for help – WHAT SHOULD KINDNESS ACTIVIST DO FOR WORLD KINDNESS DAY?  There were a few parameters.  The suggestions had to be: in the evening since I had to work all day, could have a budget but not a huuuuge budget, and should spread kindness to multiple people.

There were lots of ideas generated!  It was hard to choose just one, and I am sure that we will use some of the other ideas as the months go on.  But one suggestion stood out.  The writer said: “You should go to a cheap gas station and watch for people who were paying with cash.  Then you should use Kindness money to help them get more gas”. 

PERFECT!  It fit all of the criteria – could happen after work, needed funds but not a huge amount of money, and would spread kindness to multiple people.  Love it!

The suggester told me that they had been in the situation of not having enough money to fill their tank before.  They explained that it was humiliating to only be able to put a few bucks of gas in when everyone around you was filling up.  They said if they ever had someone offer extra cash to them to fill their tank they would’ve been delighted.

So once work was over – off we went!

We had printed flyers with beautiful drawings explaining it was World Kindness Day (one side English, one side Spanish).  We drove to our favorite gas station, parked, and waited.

It was actually fun to wait!  We watched people get out of their cars and tried to guess – are they paying cash or credit?  When they walked into the gas station before putting in gas, we assumed they were paying cash.  But sometimes we got tricked – they were going in to get food or coffee or play the lottery games.

So, we waited more.

And finally… we found someone! 

A man parked at the pump but didn’t get out of his vehicle.  We watched as he moved around a bit and I realized – he is looking for bills and counting the cash getting ready to go pay.  And sure enough, when I followed him into the station, he was paying with one and five dollar bills.  He asked for $20 worth of gas (which we all know does not go that far these day…).  I put 2 $20s on the counter, handed him the World Kindness Day flyer, and asked if we could double his gas. 

He was a bit confused.  A bit shocked.  And very surprised. 

He said SURE, and I wished him a happy World Kindness Day as I left and got back in our car.

He was texting as he walked out of the station to his vehicle, I am guessing telling someone, “You will never guess what just happened to me…”  It was so fun to watch him fill his tank.  He was happy.  He smiled and read, then re-read the flyer.  When he finished with the gas, he folded the flyer and put it in his pocket.  He saw us in our car, smiled and waved, and off he went.

We waited again and the next person paying with cash was a woman.  I followed her in, wished her a happy World Kindness Day, and explained we wanted to add $20 to her total.  She was so excited!!  She gave us a big thank you as she passed our car.

The station was closing so I asked the person who originally suggested the idea if they knew a good place to try next.  They told us about a gas station not too far away and off we went.

We parked and started the wait.  I told David, “I think the employee saw us park here, what if he calls the police on us?”.  We had a giggle imagining what we would say to explain to the police just what we were doing.

A gas customer pulled up and went inside.  I rushed in, flyers and cash in hand, and plopped $20 on the counter to add to his money.  He smiled and thanked me, but it was the cashier who was the most excited.  He seemed to have a hard time believing this was happening – a stranger paying for someone’s gas.

After the person filled their tank and left, the cashier came to the window and smiled really big.  He gave us a thumbs up – so sweet.

One more cash customer came before the station closed, and we added $20 to his tank, too.  Then the cashier started his close up routine and we made our decision – we wanted to give $20 to him, too.  I popped back inside, wished him a happy World Kindness Day, and gave him a flyer and cash.  Wow was he delighted.

We had a great evening.  We didn’t get to surprise as many people as we had hoped so we are planning to go out and do this kind act again another time (earlier in the day).

Amazing artwork by neighbors Bella and Joshua

We also had a big poster in front of our home that invited passersby to add a note saying how they would make the world a kinder place.  It was super fun to read what people wrote.

I will pose the same question we asked neighbors to YOU – what will YOU do to make the world a kinder place?

Happy World Kindness Day everybody!

Kindness Activist funds used:  $100

Asking for Help

Asking for help is DIFFICULT.  Most of us struggle with admitting we need help, then being vulnerable enough to ask for it.  When was the last time you actually asked for help?  Not when someone voluntarily gave you help – “Here, your hands are full, let me get the door for you,” – but when you humbled yourself enough to ask for help.

I admire people who are strong enough to ask for help.  And if they put a specific ask into the universe, I am honored to have Kindness Activist funds to help meet their asks.  There have been three of those this week, so I will share them here. 

1.      A member of a Facebook group I belong to recently posted this:  “Does anybody have baby formula that can give it to me, because my babe doesn’t have any more formula.  “I really need some.  It doesn’t matter what formula it is, I just need some please.  Thank you!”

Isn’t that brave?  The past months have been filled with parents needing formula because of the shortages on the shelves.  But this mother needed formula period.  Any kind.  Just something to feed her baby.

Because of the generous people who shopped at the 2021 Kindness Yard Sale and those that gave donations, Kindness Activist had money to get this baby 3 cans of formula.  I like to imagine that baby gobbled some up and had a nice, tummy-filled rest.

 Kindness Activist money spent:  $81.96 

2.     We saw a family sitting on the ground behind their van in a very busy gas station parking lot.  It was a woman, man, 2 children, and one small infant.  The man held a sign saying that they needed gas. 

Now, I know that many people do not believe that people holding signs asking for things are being truthful.  And maybe sometimes they are not.  But I think it takes courage for this man and woman to sit out in the blazing son and ask for help.  Plus, they asked for gas, not money.  

I walked up to them and said I could get them some gas.  They all leapt into the van and the dad drove up to a gas pump.  “I can get you $50 worth of gas,” I said.  His face showed me that he was not certain what I said, so I clarified, “5 – 0”.  His eyes lit up.  $50 of gas would get him quite a ways!  As he pumped the gas (and very carefully watched the pump so that he would no go over and take advantage of the kindness being offered), I asked a bit about his story.  I could not understand the name of the country they had arrived from, but they came through Mexico to enter the US.  The children were 4, 2, and 2 months, and all were beautiful.  One little boy kept poking his head out of the driver’s window to see what was going on.  He said something, and the father translated for me, “He say he is very grateful and thank you”. 

The man showed me that he had a monitoring bracelet on his ankle.  “Immigration,” he explained.  “Difficult.”  Oh yes, so very difficult.  He said in the best English that he could that he moved his family here so they could all have a better life.  That working was hard, but when he got a green card it would all be worth it. 

         Welcome to America, sir.  I am sorry that I could not do more for you, but may               your family settle down in this country and thrive. 

Kindness Activist money spent:  $49.98 

3.     And finally for this accounting, a woman who I had left a note in the Little Yellow Free Pantry outside our home a few months ago asking for diapers one time texted today.  She said she and her son were at our door, but we didn’t seem to be home.  She needed diapers and wondered if we had any. 

Well, because of her courage in being willing to ask for help, and because of funds raised by Kindness Activist, I was able to order not only diapers to be sent directly to her, but also wipes, snacks, and toys for her children.  I wish I could be a fly on the wall and see her smile when the packages arrive on Monday. 

Kindness Activist money spent:  $88.53 

People like these, people willing to put themselves out there and ask for assistance, inspire me.  I wish more of us were willing to ask for what we need.  It’s not always a physical “thing” we need.  Maybe we wish our children would call us more often.  Maybe we would like a co-worker to go on a lunch time walk with us.  Maybe we need a bit of help setting up a new computer…  But we are too embarrassed to ASK for what we want/need.  I am going to try and take a lesson from the people I assisted recently and ASK FOR HELP.  What can it hurt, right?  I hope you, too, will be inspired and brave enough to ask for help when you need it.

Note:  photos in this piece are not my own, but stock photos.  They do not represent the actual people assisted.  

Gasoline, Elsa, Quarters and More

The power of people working together is AMAZING.  It is like digging a hole – digging ALONE, it would take hours and hours to dig a deep hole.  But if several people pitched in and shoveled, well that hole would be dug out in no time!  That’s how it works with funding kindness, too!  I may not have a lot of extra funds to help people out, but if I give a bit, someone else gives a bit, you give a bit…  It adds up really quickly!

That very thing happened this weekend.  I was outside on the porch painting and a woman approached and handed me some cash.  I think she has donated to Kindness Activist before, which I am so grateful for.  I thanked her and put it in my pocket without counting it (other people were around).

Later that evening I took it out and counted – 5 $20 bills!  She had just walked up and given me $100!!!  It is a bit like magic, isn’t it?

I thought about how to best use the money and decided on GAS.  Gas is so expensive right now, and for some people that increase is really hurting their budget.  So, $100 in hand, my partner David and I parked at a gas station and waited for someone to treat…

When doing similar kind acts in the past, I learned that some men have a difficult time accepting financial help from a stranger, particularly a woman.  So, I decided I would look for a female driver.  I had a budget of $100, so I was looking for a car that could be filled for that much or less (not a huge SUV).  And honestly, though I often do Kindness Activist acts without looking for “need”, in this case I kind of hoped I would find someone that would really benefit from having a full tank of gas for free.

It took a while to get the right car at the pump, but I knew her when I saw her!  I rushed over to her window before she even got out of the car and announced that her gas would be FREE today.  She was perplexed, but I showed her the cash to prove it was real, then rushed inside the station to tell them I was filling up on pump 4! 

I came back and told her to fill ‘er up!  As she did, she said that her daughter (who was in the car) asked WHY I was paying.  I explained that I raise money to spread kindness, and with gas being so expensive right now I thought this would be helpful.

She smiled a big smile and was very thankful.  Her daughter was quite excited, too.  Her fuel cost $46.77.  David and I waited a bit for another person to come, but it got dark and windy, so we decided to save the $53.23 for another day.  I can’t wait to see who the next person we get to treat at the pump is!

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $46.77

I wrote recently about someone who was brave enough to leave a note in the special box of the Little Yellow Free Pantry with a list of groceries they needed.  Well, it happened again!  This time 2 women wrote – one on each side of the paper.  Each listed their needs, their name, and their phone number.

But the lists were in Spanish.  David and I could figure out most of what was asked for, and my good friend Ixi helped translate the rest.  She also called the women for me to get their addresses for delivery.

I “shopped” in the pantry supply at our house for some of the items, and the grocery store for the rest.  Both households are now stocked up with meat, milk, fruit, and staples!  The women were excited when Ixi spoke with them and asked if they could sign up for weekly delivery 😊 .  I WISH it would be that easy, but I need to spread the Kindness Activist funds around.  Ixi told them they can come get food out of the Little Yellow Free Pantry anytime though.

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $117.40

Does anyone else here sometimes grocery shop at Aldi’s??  If you haven’t been to one and there is a location near you, check it out.  Not only are the groceries inexpensive, they also have a aisle of strangeness!  You never know WHAT you will find in that mystery aisle!  A huge candle?  A heated dog bed?  A blow-up movie screen and projector (they really had that once and boy was I tempted!).

We were in the aisle of strangeness at Aldi’s recently and I spied FROZEN DOLLS.  Actual Disney dolls, not fake knock offs.  I grabbed 2, knowing that when the Santa Project rolls around again this year some children will undoubtedly ask for Elsa and Anna. 

When we got in line a sweet family came behind us.  They had a little girl who was probably 4 years old seated in the cart.  She and I didn’t share a common language, so I could not talk with her like I do with so many strangers.  But we did share something – FROZEN!  I held up the Elsa doll and the little girl’s eyes shone!  I showed her Anna – she was in heaven!!  She knew their names and we giggled as we looked at them.

Only then did I realize my huge mistake…  WHAT TORTURE!  Here I was showing a little girl dolls that were in MY CART, not hers.  Ugh!  As David finished checking out our items, I rushed back to the aisle of strangeness.  I realized the little girl’s dad had gone to try and find the dolls.  I showed him where they were, picked up an Elsa (the last one!) and gestured that I was getting it.  I added it to our order, paid, and turned around to present it to my new little friend. 

This time it was her parents’ eyes that lit up!  They couldn’t believe that a stranger was gifting their daughter a toy.  The cashier was also really surprised.  I was so glad there was one left when I ran back!

Kindness Activist Funds Used:  $20.13

The power of connection over Elsa and Anna:  Priceless

I decided to use some Kindness Activist funds to celebrate Black History Month this year.  I wanted to give away some Maya Angelou quarters, but couldn’t find any “in the wild”.  So, I ordered 5 online and gave them to neighbors who expressed interest. 

It is important to celebrate the achievements of women of color, and I am proud that our country finally made a coin with a black woman on it. 

Kindness Activist Funds Used:  $7.05

And finally for this report – the gift of warm hands.

I saw someone online asking if anyone had an electric handwarmer that they were looking to get rid of.  The woman was hoping to get one for her friend who is going through chemo and, because of Raynaud’s disease, often has cold hands. 

That seemed like the perfect use of kindness money, don’t you think?  I ordered one online and sent it to the woman to give to her friend.  She reported that the gift went over very well.  I keep her friend in my thoughts and hope that she is staying warm during treatment.

Kindness Activist Funds Used:  $55.46