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??

Ahoy Matey!!

Some acts of kindness are also acts of magic.  We just did one of those today.

And, like almost all kind acts, it probably made us (the doers) feel just about as good as it made the receivers feel.

It all started with the idea of a TREASURE CHEST. 

 

And then it blossomed from there.  And boy did it blossom.

 

My sister Sherry and I decided that we were going to create a TREASURE HUNT.  It sounded simple enough, but the more we worked on it, the larger it became.

We got a plain wooden box.

Painted it black.

Decorated it – and by decorate it I do mean DECORATE.  That box had bling to beat the band.

Isn't is so fancy??

 

Then we got shells.  But not just any shells – FANCY SHELLS!  Our local beach doesn’t have all that many shells, so we had to buy them.

 

Then we got JEWELS!  Rubies, pearls, and glass beads.  Soooo pretty. 

 

We wanted doubloons – pirate booty – but couldn’t find any.  So, my partner David MADE some, and they were fantastic!!

 

David and his handmade coins

So sweet

We got necklaces, because all treasure chests have necklaces, right?

 

We found a pretty feather on the beach – put that right in the treasure chest, too.

 

TADA!  Look at all of the amazing treasures! 
(Many pearls, rubies, glass gems, and more shells hidden under what you can see here.)

We got a small glass bottle to put a secret note in.  Only, regular paper for the note simply would not do, so we burned the edges to make it look rustic (it may have taken us a couple tries to get that right…).

 

So cute - tiny bottle!

Secret note for the inside of the chest

Then we needed to make the TREASURE MAP…  It was tricky – we wanted the hunt to be fun, not too easy, magical, and doable.  I mean, we wanted the kids to be successful!  Of course, it too had to have burnt edges.  In the end our map told the treasure hunters to run 20 steps, splash 4 times in the ocean, shout “Ahoy Matey, I am on a TREASURE HUNT!”, spin around 4 times, walk 10 steps in towards the dunes, draw a fish family in the sand, look for the “mast” from a pirate ship in the water (one of the only remaining parts of the downed ship), find the blue “sail” from the ship, and more.  And of course, the final clue told them that X MARKS THE SPOT.  (Luckily, we had a leftover stepping stone and some spray paint to make the perfect X.)

 

Only we couldn’t just hand a MAP to the hunters…  It needed to be special!  We decided on a green wine bottle.  Perfect! 

 

Only then, we needed a CORK…  Quick trip to some neighbors solved that one.

 

We wanted to bury the chest, but we didn’t want it to get ruined in the moist sand.  We decided to wrap it in fabric.  But the fabric needed to be rustic, too, so we dyed it with coffee.

 

Remember how I told you this project blossomed in scope??  Believe me now?  We worked on this baby for 5 days!

 

And today was GO DAY!  We headed to the beach to bury the booty.  David did the digging, and then made the sand around the area look normal again.  We plopped the X stone down and we were ready to go!!

 

Burying the fabric wrapped chest

X marks the spot.

But how to choose the children to treat??  That was a tricky part!!  We knew we wanted:

-          A kid or kids young enough to still believe in magic

-          Parents who would be ok with us involving their kids

-          Parents or an older sibling who could assist in hunt

 

We looked around the beach a bit before finding a group of 4 kids.  2 were young – probably 5 and 6, and 2 were older – probably 11 and 12.  When they were busy splashing in the water we checked in with the parents, who okayed our request.

 

Then we got to work!

 

We put the green glass bottle into the water and then “found” it.  We walked it over to the kids and explained that this just washed up “over there - near the mast” (trying to help them with a clue they would soon see 😊 ).  I held it out and asked the little girl if she would like to open it to see what the note inside said.  She shook her head no, and I wondered if all of this work was going to be for naught…  Maybe WE were the only ones who thought a treasure hunt sounded fun??

 

Oh my- a note in a bottle?  What might this be?

But then her older sister took the bottle, and the magic began!!

 

We walked away to let them hunt (and we settled into a spot to watch!).  Oh, they were so cute!!  They loved the green bottle.  One kid was filling it up with water as another read the note aloud.  They seemed to take a while to read and study the note, but once they began following the instructions they were all in! 

 

They RAN the 20 paces!

They hollered “AHOY MATEY, WE ARE ON A TREASURE HUNT!” with glee.

They spun around 4 times (that part made me smile – they were very committed!).

They splashed as instructed.

Splashing (see the map in her hand??)
Faces blurred for privacy.

They drew fish families. 

Drawing fish families in the sand (following the map directions perfectly!)
Faces blurred for privacy.

They found the “mast” in the water.

They walked the required number of paces towards to dune.

Then they started looking for the blue sail…

 

Oops…  Another family had a blue sunshade set up, and that was a bit of a red herring.  They went to the sunshade and stood in front of the unsuspecting family 😊 .  We waved from a distance until they saw us, then pointed UP to the blue “sail” we were standing under.  And they came running!

 

On the way to the “sail” they hunted for the X that was marking the spot.  They were looking in the sand for it and luckily, the tiniest girl spotted it and squealed.  They rushed over, lifted the X stone, and the little one knelt down and started digging with her hands. 

 

We hadn’t buried it too deep (we weren’t sure if the hunters would have a sand shovel or not).  After moving away some sand she was excited to see the fabric, which we had tied closed with twine.  She grabbed an end of the twine and untied it, then pulled the fabric and box out of the hole. 

 

Those gems decorating it shone brightly in the sun.  It was so pretty!  They RAN back to their parents with the box still sealed and quickly plopped down on the sand to see what treasures awaited them.

 

Oh, they looked excited!  They dug through the shells and gems and necklaces and coins.  It was so sweet!  They found the little bottle inside with another note.  After they had examined it a while, the 3 biggest girls went back into the ocean (the smallest of the 3 now sporting a necklace from the chest).

 

Meanwhile, the youngest treasure hunter kept digging thru the bounty.  So.  Many.  Things!  Then she had the brilliant idea to dig a hole and re-bury everything 😊 .  After a bit of swimming she returned to dig it all back up again, show her mom a very special shell inside, and put on a necklace to adorn her swimsuit.

 

Oh my goodness this was a fun project.

 

It took a ton of time.

It took a lot of effort.

 

But it made us feel like kids again and I think it really delighted the children involved.  I can imagine that littlest girl starting school on Monday, ready for show and tell.

 

We have not added up the receipts yet to see how much Kindness money was spent making this magic happen, nor do I know how many hours we painted and glued and giggled and created.

 

But it was all worth it.  Because it was time and money well spent to create magic and spread kindness.  It gave us a purpose on some hot summer days, and it gave 4 kids a fun experience and a story to tell.

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.

The Power of Kind Children

Mackenzie, aka June Bug, held her 2^nd (she decided today should be annual) Hot Cocoa Stand today.  June Bug is 6 now – lost her front teeth and the adult ones have peeked through.  She is a bundle of positivity, energy, kindness, and love.

The event was 2 hours.  Guests were greeted by several young volunteers and told to start at the MUG TABLE.  There, they could choose whichever of the donated mugs they would like.  Next up, the cocoa table, where young helpers would fill the cups with hot, tasty chocolate.  Then over to the topping table where the amazing Lori presented people with very fancy and unique toppings to complete their cocoa.  Most guests also made their way to the snack table, which featured all kinds of delights, including some homemade hot cocoa cookies and Rice Krispie treats from Lisa and her amazing daughter Marin.  And Mac (of the infamous Mac’s Donuts) brought loads of fresh donuts.

Choose your mug

Snacks, snacks, and more snacks

Did someone say - toppings?

The sun was shining.  The rain that had threatened only dropped about a dozen drops as we were setting up.  And the wind – well that was steady enough that the planned fire in the fire pit had to be scrapped (but not before some enterprising youngsters got their marshmallows toasted and made smores).

It was so busy!!  People started coming at exactly 2 pm and kept flowing through until after our planned closing.  So many were there to support not only Kindness Activist, but JUNE BUG.  Her neighbors.  Her friends.  Her TEACHER (which she was very excited about). 

Kids ran around.  They played on the teeter totter/see saw.  They held up signs that other children had made to coax passing cars to honk and/or pull over for cocoa.  There was laughter.  There were smiles.  And there was kindness.  So.  Much.  Kindness.

During gatherings like this I often feel guilty, because with all of the setting up and managing and chatting, the pantry gets ignored.  It is simply impossible to do it all.  But a pantry crew member who attended, Teresa, kindly came up to me and asked if she could fill the pantry after she finished her cocoa.  Even while celebrating the beautiful day, she remembered pantry guests.

Kind drivers saw kids holding signs, including one that said HONK FOR COCOA.  And they responded.  They smiled and waved.  They honked.  Some parked and joined in.  And a few even rolled down their windows and gave cash donations, no cocoa involved.

I didn’t witness this kind act, but two people who did told me the story as we were finishing up and I got goosebumps.  They said that a guest came and donated $50.  But it was not for her cocoa.  No, she paid for that separately.  This was a $50 bill she had found on the sidewalk.  She explained that she had picked it up and hollered to the person she assumed had dropped it, but they assured her it was not theirs.  So, she decided that she would use that found money to do something kind.  And she did – by donating it to Kindness Activist today.

And people HELPED.  Kids made great signs.  Neighbors donated 113 mugs for us to use. Lisa and Marin worked very hard to clean chairs and then in the basement kitchen to keep the cocoa flowing.  Kasey and June Bug helped set everything up.  Kids helped serve cocoa and take donations.  Kids stood proudly with signs to greet passersby (including little John, who held a sign he had made that was illegible.  He was SO PROUD to hold it up to cars and holler, “Cocoa for sale!!!”).  People stayed to help clean it all up.  So.  Much.  Help.

Look at John's sign!  He made it himself

One man came up and told me he pulled over and came to join in because he saw these two sweeties

Mid-event, I stood on a chair and announced that it was going to be one young helper, Oliver, birthday tomorrow.  And with no hesitation that whole crowd lifted their voices and sang Happy Birthday to him as he stood and smiled, taking it all in.  Then another little boy came up and told me quietly that it was his birthday in one month…  So, I got back up on the chair and asked if we should sing to Nate, too, and the answer was YES.  Cue another round of the song.

I recognized one young guest, but was not sure who he was.  You know the feeling – you know that you know the person, but how??  I found out soon enough when he came over and started talking about that time he gave me one of his gifts from Santa Claus – a Chuppa Chuppa Melody Pop.

Ahhhhh – it was Gianni!  I wrote a story about him when I met him that day back in December.  He came to pick up his gift from Santa and sat right down on our front steps to open it.  He was so happy!  Read his letter from Santa straight away.  Shared the whole experience with me, and I loved it.

He was so happy to be here today.  We talked about his Christmas gifts – I asked if he had made the bubblegum in the science kit Santa gave him.  Yes he did –the flavors were watermelon and orange, and it worked great!  He also used the invisible ink pen he got from the North Pole.  And he used it to WRITE A THANK YOU NOTE to Santa!  Isn’t that the sweetest?  Gianni and I held signs by the road and had a great time.  Once, as I was walking around chatting with people, he came up to me and said very quietly, “I am going to talk to YOU the rest of the time that I am here”.  Heart.  Melt. 

And the kindness didn’t stop when the event was over. 

We offered the leftover cocoa and donuts in our local Buy Nothing group.  As we sat outside and waited for people to come, a pantry guest who I suspect does not have housing that I had seen walk by earlier in the day came by again.  I offered them cocoa, just as I had earlier.  But this time they accepted, and explained that they had been in a rush to get to the library before it closed the first time they came by.  After we talked a bit, I went downstairs and brought up food for them from the pantry stock that I know they like.  And because of recent donations, we had great things to give them.

The woman who got the leftover donuts from Buy Nothing, Jessica, came to pick them up.  She was excited because she had always wanted to try Mac’s donuts but never had.  After she left, I found out that she passed the pantry on the way back to her car and saw a mom and daughter there getting food.  Jessica did the kindest thing – she stopped and shared those donuts with the girl. 

It just felt like kindness begat kindness begat kindness all day today.  It was amazing.  My feet are tired, but my heart is full.  Very full.

June Bug and I will meet to brainstorm ways to use the money she raised today.  One thing is certain – she wants to buy some fancy stuffed animals (I think they are called Pets Alive) for kids at Children’s National Hospital.  I am sure we will find other creative and fun ways to spread kindness.

I will share the total collected here, but today was about so much more than fundraising.  It was about community.  And diversity.  And togetherness.  And support.  And KINDNESS.

Today was about love.

Total raised:  $1063.79

Isn’t that amazing?

Thank you to everyone who helped out.  To everyone who drank cocoa.  To everyone who donated.

And thanks to JUNE BUG.  Who inspires us all to be more inquisitive and thoughtful people.

A Bit of Hope in the Cold

If you ever had any doubt whether donations to Project Warmth are needed or not, let me set the record straight.

We just had a guest who made me cry.

They are houseless.  They live in a tent.  They told my partner David the general vicinity of where it is once, and one day we went to check it out and say hello.  They were not home, but we got to see it.

It is a small tent.

Down a steep embankment.

Next to a stream.

In a little “forest” if you will.  With homes on the other side of the hill.

In the summer it might be a beautiful little setting – the creek splashing, birds singing…  A get-away from the hustle and bustle that is all around us.

But it is not summer.  It is bitterly cold here.  It’s so cold that the local public schools started 2 hours late today so the kids didn’t have to stand outside waiting for the bus in the worst of it.

I hadn’t seen this guest since Christmas day.  We gave them one of the holiday gift bags I think, I hope we did anyway, it’s hard to remember now.  I hadn’t seen them since December, but I certainly have thought of them.

“I hope they have gone into the shelter and are not still in the tent…” I thought.  “Surely they have gone indoors for THIS – the ground is covered in ice and snow.  They can’t possibly still be in the thin tent…”.

But they can still be in the tent.  And they are.

I saw them at the Little Yellow Free Pantry today and ran out to see if they needed anything.  They had finished and were walking down the sidewalk, so I had to yell to get their attention.

When they turned around, they smiled.

“I have not seen you in a long time – HAPPY NEW YEAR!” I greeted them.

Then, in their quiet voice with the beautiful French accent, they said, “Yes, I have not seen you.  I came many times, but you were not here.  I changed the times of my visit to see you, but you were gone.  I thought maybe a holiday?”.

Yes, my friend, a holiday.  To someplace warm. 

Talk about privilege…  I left my warm home, the one with the soft bed and the heated blanket, and flew to Florida.  There I walked on the sandy beach.  I lie in another soft bed.  I rested.  I recharged.

While this person shivered in a tent.

They had already found food in the pantry today (they collect food not only for themselves, but also for another person experiencing homelessness that is not healthy enough to come).  But PROJECT WARMTH has begun.  Warmth. 

“Have you moved inside??” I asked hopefully.

“No, no I have not,” they replied quietly.

Their hands were uncovered.  They stood holding their bag of food with cold, cold hands.

“Do you have mittens??” I asked.

“No, no I do not,” they told me.

If we gave them a gift bag there was a pair of stretchy cotton gloves inside, but those are not really warm, and this person had probably given them as a gift to his friend. 

“Sit here on our steps!  I will go get gloves.  I will be right back,” I told them.

When I returned with the first load, a neighbor and her child had arrived.  They were bringing a tiny snowsuit to donate.  It was touching - seeing a donor and a recipient both standing in the sunshine on the freezing sidewalk.

I presented the guest some amazing gloves someone had donated - black ski gloves that looked very, very warm.  “What about these?” I asked.  “Will this work for you or your friend??”.  Those were a resounding yes.

More trips inside and back out.

Sweatshirts.  Warm socks.  Hat (we only had one good hat at the moment, the others were too small, the rest are at the storage unit and need to be retrieved).  Long underwear shirt (which I had to explain, apparently those are not a thing in their home country).  Scarves.  A neck warmer.  And COATS.  For him – a big fluffy black coat with a warm hood.  For his friend, a tan coat with a sherpa-like lining.

So today, they left with two big bags.  One filled with food.  One filled with clothing. (And wearing their new coat, hat, and gloves.)

But this project may have the wrong title.  For as thick as those items are, I doubt they can bring warmth in this weather. 

But they will bring a bit of shelter from the cold.  A bit of comfort.  And perhaps a bit of hope.

Hope that spring will come early this year.

Hope that the snow will melt and the stream begin to babble again.

And hope that someday for them as it is for me – there will be a warm house with a soft bed.

Hope. 

The Magic of Santa - 2024 Santa Project Recap

Mailing their letters to Santa!

You know an event has become a community staple when participants “graduate”. 

2024 was year 5 of the Santa Project, and some kids who have written letters in previous years graduated to “see behind the curtain” and help out with the magic. 

Two kids who have written letters and gotten gifts in previous years volunteered as wrappers.  And one family totally turned the tables – 2 of the kids came to the Countdown Calendar to get treats as we were nearing the closing of the Santa writing desk.  I reminded them to get their letters turned in soon because they needed to get to the North Pole in time.  They understood the urgency and said they would write them that evening.  A couple of hours later, the parents surprised me by reaching out to ask how the family could help.  Instead of writing, they wanted to give.  They “adopted” a family of letter writers and the kids helped shop to grant the wishes and wrap the presents.  Perfect!

Another sweet letter writer showed up at our door the afternoon we were frantically preparing for the community caroling event.  “Hi, I am here to help.  Not to SING, but to help,” the tween announced.  I panicked…  Our living room was full of gifts from Santa, and if I allowed this child into our home, she would see it all and it would spoil the magic.  On the other hand…  I was totally overwhelmed and needed to get things ready for caroling…

“Oh great!” I told her, frantically trying to figure out what to say as I stood in the doorway to block sight of the room full of presents.  “Ummm, uhhh, how do you, ummm, feel about SANTA??” I asked awkwardly.

“Ummm, I like him…” she said…

I stared at her.  She stared back.

“I mean, ummm, I don’t believe in him, but I like him and all.  I would never ruin the magic for anyone else who believes in him,” she clarified.

Well my friend, COME ON IN AND STIR THIS TWO HUGE POTS OF HOT COCOA FOR ME, PLEASE!

As she stirred and I put song sheet packets together, she explained that she wrote a letter to Santa because her dad told her to 😊 .  And because her little brother is a believer.

We also had a kid try to debunk the Santa “myth” very loudly this year while visiting the Countdown Calendar.  The oldest child had somehow learned or decided that Santa was not real.  However, the youngest child is a strong believer in the magic.  I didn’t know that the eldest had “found out” but I knew he hadn’t written a letter, so I prodded him.  “Hey, did you write a letter to Santa this year?” I asked when the family came to get their Countdown Calendar treats and pick up the youngest’s present from under the tree.

“Oh, Miss Suuuusan,” he said with a roll of his big beautiful eyes.  “Santa isn’t REALLL.  I am not going to write him, because he is make-believe,” he said far too loud to just be telling ME, but obviously trying to get the hint to his little sister, too.

I panicked!!  Do not spoil the magic right here on my front porch, kid!!! 

Luckily the Countdown Calendar was in the perfect spot.  His sister on one side of the calendar, very engaged in scouring gifts under the tree to see if there was one with her name on it.  The parents were on the other side of the calendar.  And lucky for all of us, we share a common language of American Sign Language!  I quickly signed to them, “HE IS SAYING THAT SANTA IS NOT REAL!  AND HE IS SAYING IT LOUDLY!!”. 

They joined in my panic. 

They pulled the little boy onto the other side of the calendar to give him a stern look and a “shhhhhhhhhh” warning.

But…  The magic was happening…

Because you see, under the tree, little sister found a gift addressed to her BROTHER…  Yes, Santa had delivered a gift for him, even without a letter! 

“Hey!!  HEY!!!” she exclaimed very loudly.  “LOOOOK!  LOOK!  COME HERE!  He brought you one!  He brought you one!  Even though you didn’t write him a letter, he brought you a gift!!!!” she squealed.

The once rolling eyes now darted to the tree.  Proud little sister held up the gift – “LOOK!!!”.

Well now, that certainly made it hard not to believe, didn’t it?

The mom messaged me later saying: “We started to talk to him about Santa for his sister, but then by Christmas Eve he was so excited and was writing a letter to Santa Claus and helping get everything set up… So, we looked at each other and said, “Maybe tell him later/for next year”. Christmas morning he was fine, so excited and still believing/believable. Here’s a letter about your gift ! Thank you again!!!”

 

Last minute scramble - letter to Santa on Christmas Eve

P.S. - I put together the Lego kit you brought me
early so you could see it :) 

So, we eeked out another year with that kid. 

 

One of the instructions included on the letter writing desk asks that children include the name and contact info for an adult in their life.  But every year some people miss that bit and mail letters with just their name, wish list, and address.  In years past, we have been too busy and overwhelmed to deliver those gifts ourselves so have relied on kind volunteers to do that.  But this year we took time to bring the presents to the addresses, and boy am I glad we did.  It was amazing!

 

Two siblings wrote letters to Santa and included only an address.  The girl had not only asked for a gift for herself, but asked if Santa Claus might also, “Bring something my mom and dad would like to surprise them”.  I could tell from the tone of the very long letter that this child was testing the waters…  They were not sure if Santa was real and were laying down some challenges to see if he could pass muster.  (For example, she asked Santa sneak into her room and take a picture of her sleeping in her bed, print it using the dad’s printer, and leave it for her to see in the morning…  That request was tricky (and funny) on so many levels…)*

Anyway, Santa wrote reply letters to both children and also got gifts for the mom and dad (as much (if not more) to help extend the belief in the magic for the child as to give the adults something).  He wrote a letter to the parents too, of course 😊 .

 

But the address listed was an APARTMENT…  With a locked front door…  David and I drove over one evening with our car full of gifts but could not get inside since the keypad thing didn’t work and no one was coming or going.  We tried again the next day, hoping to see a resident arrive or leave so we could tailgate them.  It worked!

 

We got in the elevator with the presents and headed to the apartment.  Knocked – no answer.  Knocked again – no answer.  We thought we may have failed on the second attempt.

 

But no.  Our patience in knocking and waiting paid off because after a bit, the mamma opened the door. 

 

Turns out she was home alone so was hesitant to answer the door.  She saw our arms loaded with gifts through the peep hole, opened the door, looked surprised, and gestured for us to come in.  We tried to explain the situation but our Spanish is not great.  She seemed to understand and excused herself to make a phone call.  “Coming!” she told us after she hung up.

 

We chatted a bit as we waited.  Admired their sweet Christmas tree.  She apologized for the state of the apartment (which looked good to us) and her English (which was way better than our Spanish).  Finally, after about 10 uncomfortable minutes, the door opened.

 

The brother and sister letter writers appeared and smiled when they saw the presents.  “Hi!  It seems like Santa may have delivered your gifts to our house!  Are one of you named GIA?” we asked. 

 

The little girl got excited.  “Yes!!  I am Gia!!” and we handed her her gifts.

 

“And is someone here named Matheo??” we questioned.

 

The boy raised his hand and Gia pointed, “HIM!”.

 

We gave him his gifts.

 

And that left one pretty box in our arms.

 

“Well, this is odd…” we said.  “It looks like there is one here for GIA’S PARENTS??  Did you write to Santa??” we asked the parents.

 

And little Gia’s eye LIT UP. 

 

“NO!  I did!  I asked for him to bring gifts for my parents!!!” she exclaimed delightedly.

 

It.  Was.  Magic.

 

All 4 family members had stunned grins on their faces.  They thanked us and we said our goodbyes.  I hope Santa did well at picking out things for the parents.  As he wrote in the letter to them: 

 

“Dear Gia’s Mom and Dad,

 

Hi – Santa here. 

 

I am not sure if you know this, but Gia snuck in a wish for YOU two in the Christmas letter that she sent me.  Yes, that little cutie asked me to bring something that you like to “surprise my mom and dad”. 

 

Only, it’s been so long since I have had a letter from you, I am not really sure what it is you like these days.  Awkward…

 

Mom – I went through a lot of things trying to decide what to bring.  A bag of sugar?  No – heavy for the sleigh, and really you could just pick that up at the grocery store.  A Lego set?  The ones with the flowers are really pretty, but I wasn’t sure if you had time to sit down and do Lego…  A pair of earrings!  But then Mrs. Claus reminded me that I don’t know if you have pierced ears or not…

 

So, I settled on this.  I hope you like it. 

 

Dad – same for you.  I wracked my brain thinking of the perfect gift to surprise you.  Bowling shoes were my first choice!  I love bowling.  But what size??  Then I considered a book – but what if I chose one you had already read?  I considered a skateboard…  But I didn’t really want to be responsible if you happened to fall and break a leg (you know how that goes). 

 

So, I settled on THIS.  It’s not much, but it is useful.  And fun.  Plus, it is something you can share with Gia, who started this whole thing anyway by writing to me.

 

But I guess what I am here to say is this:  your real gift is your daughter. 

 

A kid so amazing that she asked for something for YOU for Christmas.  She is one in a million, that kid.  You are raising her right.  She is lucky to have you (and vice versa, of course).

 

Enjoy your gifts.  And hey – don’t be a stranger.  I would love to hear what you have been up to the last couple of decades.”

 

We delivered gifts to another family, too.  This address was close enough to walk to, so one dark night we pulled on our winter gear, loaded up a wagon with gifts for not 2, not 3, but SEVEN kids and headed out into the cold.

 

The home was tiny and we could see a Christmas tree through a very foggy picture window.  David knocked on the door and I stayed in the driveway with the wagon full of presents.

 

An adult answered and David asked for one of the children by name.  He quickly came to the door and David explained that for some reason Santa had delivered the family’s gifts to our home and we were here to make sure they got them. 

 

One little girl held the door open as one by one I handed David a gift and he called out for the recipient.  There were giggles and cheers as each person received their present.

 

I had heard someone call the girl who was holding the door open by name so held her gift for last to up the suspense.  When it was finally her turn, oh was she excited.  They thanked us and as the door closed you could hear the celebration and see the joy through the big dripping window.  We felt like we were in a Hallmark movie.  It was perfect.

 

Oh, there are so many stories I could share.  The child who showed up about 3 days before Christmas and put his letter in a cubby of the Countdown Calendar, letting Santa know not only was it Christmas coming up, but his birthday, too.  The kids who asked for world peace.  The neighbor who scored a Barbie Dream House on Black Friday and donated it, allowing us to grant a wish that was way over budget for a child who has a very hard life.  The many, MANY donors all around the country who ordered soooo many presents from wish lists.  The lovely family (led by an amazing patriarch) who once again reached out and got involved in a major way.  The woman in her 40s who had a very rough childhood and had never once gotten a gift from Santa (spoiler alert – Santa made up for it this year).  The newborn babies who got presents and their mothers reached out to say thank you and saying how much they cried at reading Santa’s letters.  The child who asked for green slippers and was delighted that they “make him taller”.  So.  Many.  Stories.

 

A very happy gift recipient

The Santa Project is a labor of love.  It consumes well over a month of my life.  It is exhausting, sometimes frustrating, but ever so rewarding. 

THANK YOU to the children who believe.

THANK YOU to the volunteers who wrap.

THANK YOU to the neighbors who bring over casseroles and cookies and wine to ensure we are eating (and drinking) during the process.

THANK YOU to the amazing friend who translates letters and contacts parents that I cannot communicate easily with.

THANK YOU to the kind humans who support the project by donating gifts. 

Without all of you, this could not happen. 

It truly takes a village.  And as I am so often reminded, I sure ended up in a great one.

Happy holidays. 

May the magic of the season stay in our hearts year-round.

 

All together 221 letters to Santa were mailed to the North Pole (via our house) in 2024.  As always, there were some funny ones, some confusing ones, and some that made me tear up.  Each of those letters received a custom reply from Santa, along with a beautifully wrapped gift/gifts. 

Just a fraction of the many, many gifts Santa brought

To me, the Santa Project (and everything else Kindness Activist does) is not about the numbers.  It is about the magic.  But I understand that statistics are important so will share them here:

·      221 letters to Santa

·      512 packages wrapped (many kids get multiple gifts, all follow the same budget)

·      30 amazingly kind volunteer elves wrapped presents

·      106.5 hours of wrapping took place

·      Approximately $9,250 spent in total (including wrapping supplies, paper, envelopes, and ink for letters)

·      Of that, $1853.30 was funded by Kindness Activist, the rest by amazing donors

·      I have no idea how many hours of Santa letter writing, online shopping,  online registry making, and pacing I did this year

·      And countless hours of love and support from my main elf, David

Santa gets lots of great artwork every year

  

Here are some comments on the 2024 project:

“Thank you for the thoughtful gifts.  The girls were jumping up and down and squealing with delight.”

“THANK YOU SANTA!!!” – shouted at the sky, arms flung open wide, by a 4 year old child after she opened her gift on our front steps

“Thank you for bringing such magic into our lives. We cherish the Santa letters and, most of all, I cherish your friendship, kindness, and love that you’ve shared with us over the years. You truly are a bright light to even the darkest situations and make the world a better place.”

“The kids were beyond excited to open their Santa gifts this evening! Thank you so much for bringing so much joy to our families and so many others these past three years.  We read your letters from the past couple years which we saved in our book, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and the boys were giggling at the memories.” 

“This was a very special morning for both children. Thank you so much!”

“Dear Santa, while I was reading your letter I remembered again that little girl who deep down is still inside me. And sometimes I forget some things. I cried. When I read this letter, I cried like I did when I was a little girl. The difference is that this time I was a happy little girl. I am sure that I will carry that with me every day that God gives me in life. Thank you very much, I have been so happy. Like a little girl again.  Thank you very much for everything. And my loves are very happy with the gifts. You are angels in our lives. May God always take care of you.”

“Thank you for bringing so much joy to our family and so many others.”

“I just wanted to express my heartfelt thanks for everything you have done for my daughter, for me, and for all those you have graciously assisted in bringing gifts from Santa Claus.  Thank you thank you, thank you for all that you do!  Sending you lots of love and hugs.” 

 

*In case you are curious, this is how Santa responded to the request to sneak into a child’s bedroom, take a photo of said child sleeping, print it on the father’s computer, and leave it for the child to see the next morning:

“Now – to your request about taking a photo of you and printing it out.  As a rule, I try not to disturb children as they sleep.  After all, I do not want to wake them.  If they would wake up when they hear me opening their bedroom door, or hear the camera take the picture, then I would have to stay for an hour or two chatting.  And honestly, Christmas Eve is just soooo busy that I don’t have time for that you know?  I tell you what.  IF I am running early (and that is very, very, very, very, very, very rare) on Christmas Eve, I will take a photo.  I am not sure I know how to work your dad’s printer, but if I take the picture I shall try.  But please do not get upset if you do not see a picture of you sleeping because, like I said, I can only try to do it if the weather has been perfect and gift deliveries in Australia, New Zealand, and several other countries I visit before the United States of America go perfectly (which rarely happens).”

 

This is a piece I wrote and published earlier about a child who shared graciously their gift with me:

Every family does the holidays differently.

In the same way, every family utilizes the Santa Project differently.

Some parents sneak over and get the gifts for their kids then hide them away until Christmas morning, where they magically appear under their tree.

Other kids open them in the car after they pick them up.

And a FEW kids sit down right on our porch and rip into them.

That's happened with 3 children this year and it is magical.

Today it was Gianni. He isn't a child we know - doesn't come to our house often. But what a kind, gentle kid!! He was soooo excited.

First, he saw the candy cane on top of one of his gifts. Well, that in and of itself was a win.

Then he opened the bubble gum making kit he had asked for. Such delight! "I got watermelon!! And orange!!" he said happily as he announced the flavors on the package.

His letter from Santa was on that first box he opened, so he paused in ripping off wrapping paper to listen to his mom read it. He answered Santa's questions out loud as mom read them.

When Santa got to the part about the Chupa Chups Melody Pop he had asked for, oh did he get excited. You could see the wheels in his tiny head turning - "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness - one of these other wrapped boxes must have a Chupa Chups Melody Pop in it!!" you could see his brain whirring.

Then the letter from Santa said this: "I looked at your list and it made me smile. You see, I like Chupa Chupa melody pop candy, too! Not only does it TASTE GOOD, it SOUNDS GOOD, too! Double the fun, right? I was going to put one Chupa melody pop in with your present, but then I got to thinking: if I like these things, and Gianni likes these things, maybe Gianni’s friends like these things, too… So, instead of just giving you one for you to enjoy, I told the elves, “Let’s give him some for his friends, too!!”. So please understand, some of these are to share. Of course, some are for YOU, it is your gift after all. But please do not eat allllll of them Gianni. That would make your tummy hurt!"

And he squealed with delight. THERE WAS GOING TO BE MORE THAN ONE CHUPA CHUPS!! He ripped into the next package. Nope - not candy - this one was invisible ink...

Last package. The suspense was mounting... Paper off...

Wait - what is that peeking out the top of the box?? HE RECOGNIZED THE STICK OF THE POPS!!

He opened that little box to find not 1, not 2, but I think 15 Chupa Chups Melody Pops. "Gianni, do you have friends? Cuz you have a lot of these to share!!" I asked him. He assured me that he does indeed have buddies.

I laughed with him and asked how the melody pops work as he looked through to see the flavors he got.

Then he said, in his quiet little voice, "Do you want one??".

 

He was sharing with ME. I had to ask him to repeat because I thought I must've misheard him over the traffic.

"Do you want one???".

SURE!

He gave me one and I started unwrapping it.

"Here - I'll help!" he said as he took it from me.

His tiny hands worked hard to get the wrapper off. Then his tiny hands were on my lollipop. But I didn't care. Germs be damned, Gianni was sharing his Christmas gift with ME. What an honor.

He showed me how to do it and I whistled and tooted a bit. Then other kids came up for gifts and countdown calendar treats, and a pantry guest arrived that needed food for him and his friend (both living outside in the frigid winter air). It was time for me to get back to work.

I didn't get to thank you, Gianni.

But THANK YOU. Your gift of a Melody Pop was much bigger than you could ever imagine. You shared your joy. You let me witness your wonder. Magic.