Beach Party, Welcome to America, and MORE

I have been SO busy with preparing for the next Kindness Activist fundraiser, the 3^rd annual yard sale, that I have been remiss in sharing how some of previously raised funds have been used!  Let’s fix that right now, shall we?  I am going to take a break from sorting and hanging and such to share some KINDNESS STORIES!  Here we go!

Instead of “saving the best for last”, I am going to start with the story of a Kindness event that I really enjoyed!  Of course, one is not “better” than any other, because kindness of all forms makes the world a better place – but this one was super sweet.

After my mom died, my dad remarried.  He has passed away now, too, and his wife now lives in a memory care home in Omaha, Nebraska.  I have always enjoyed talking with seniors, they have good stories to share!  And I like that places like where she lives have activities and events for the residents.  So, I decided to host a VITUAL BEACH PARTY for them! 

I was in Florida at the time and naively thought, “This should be easy!  I can just “bring them to the beach with me” somehow.  Long distance.  Piece of cake!!”.  I actually thought that maybe this event could be a trial run and I could somehow host virtual beach parties with other Alzheimer’s patients or hospice patients – people who may have a hard time getting to the actual beach, but would enjoy it.

So, after speaking with the activities coordinator to set up a time and date (she sounded as excited as I was!) I set about ordering beach supplies for the home.  I wanted the residents to be able to see the ocean (virtually via Zoom) but also somehow feel as if they were there.  So, I ordered funny sunglasses.  Leis.  Pretty straws with pink flamingos on them.  Seashells.  Small beach balls.  A kiddie pool.  Tiny water guns.  Bubbles.  Beach buckets and shovels, and KINETIC BEACH SAND for them to play with in their buckets! 

I had thought of everything, right??

Except, these were people with Alzheimer’s and other memory issues.  GOING to the beach in real life would be one thing, but doing it VIRTUALLY proved to be a bit confusing for them! 

My sister, partner, and I got to the beach early to set up and figure out the technology (thank goodness we had a cell signal at the beach).  We waited a while and finally the staff member at the home connected with us on Zoom.  But the technology was far from perfect…  They could see US, but we couldn’t see THEM!  Haha. 

So here we were on the beach – ready to build a castle “with them”, go in the water “with them”, dip our toes in the sand “with them” – but we could not see them!  Nor could we HEAR them over the sound of the waves crashing…

Time to improvise!!  We just went on with the event with the assumption that they could see us.  “Hi, welcome to the beach!!!  Would you like to follow me to the ocean and we can dip our toes in??”.  We built a sand castle, watched it get destroyed by a wave, swam, found some shells (shhh, we had “hidden” them so we could easily find them on camera…), and generally chatted.

It was fun, but a bit stressful.  I later got an email from the woman at the center who said, “It was great!  Thank you so much for doing this!  Our residents had a blast… The ones who didn’t understand still loved all the goodies you sent!  😊 “

So that was a relief!  And they posted some adorable photos of the residents “at the beach” so we finally got to see that YES, there were people on the other end of the Zoom call. 

The ladies having fun "at the beach"

Something tells me that may be a VIRGIN pina colada...

Ahhh, a relaxing afternoon at the beach

They also repurposed some of the decorations and sand that we had sent by making them into decorations!  Isn’t that great?

Reduce, reuse, recycle!
This clever table decoration was made reusing
the kinetic sand, pretty straw, and shells from
the beach party!

All in all, the money was wisely spent.  But am I ready to replicate it at other care facilities?  Let’s wait until next summer to think about that…

Beach party from our vantage point - "Which way do I turn my 
cell phone??  I can't HEAR them over the waves!!"

 

Amount spent: $236.39

A neighbor posted in a Facebook group that she was looking for coffee pods for the coffee maker in the teacher's lounge of the school she teaches at.  Well, let’s be honest.  Teachers have to spend their own money for way too many things already – mainly classroom supplies – so the least a school can do is provide them with good coffee, right? 

But, sigh, in this instance the teachers were supplying the coffee.  AND THAT’S WHERE KINDNESS ACTIVIST COMES IN!  This is just the kind of need that Kindness Activist funds are good for!  Teachers deserve to be applauded and spoiled a bit, right?

So, I talked with the woman who posted and she chose which types of coffee pods to get.  Amazon to the rescue – and now the teachers have a bit of coffee.

Amount spent:  $29.51

In a related story, instead of coffee, this one is about TEA.

Many of the Afghan refugees who had to hurriedly leave their homeland are being relocated to the metro DC area, where we live.  The communities they are moving to are being so supportive!  Apartments are being secured.  Furniture and clothing are being donated.  These people are arriving with nearly nothing but are being welcomed with open arms.

A woman in our community contacted a charity and was assigned a refugee family to help.  She crowdsourced the neighbors and boy did they come through!  The new family arriving must’ve felt overwhelmed by the warm welcome!  Their entire apartment was furnished with donations, I think, and food from the Little Yellow Free Pantry helped to fill their shelves. 

But as I thought about the concept of being forced to leave a homeland, I realized that no matter what material things were waiting for you in the new land, it would never be like HOME.  I tried to think of something I could do to bring a tiny bit of the comfort of home to families arriving, and I settled on TEA.

Tea plays an important role in many cultures.  It is not only a drink, it is a tradition.  So, I asked around to people in the area that are from Afghanistan to find out which tea would be reminiscent of home for the new arrivals.  Turns out it is this one:

I ordered 8 fancy tins so that it could be shared with 8 arriving families.  I hope that they will drink a cup and smile remembering what used to be, and be happy for all that is to come here, in their new home.

Amount spent -  $125.26

Ok, last story for this entry.  I didn’t plan it this way, but I guess it relates to the story of welcoming new immigrants to America, too.

We noticed to a flag flying in Florida was in rough shape.  It was faded and ripped and did not seem vibrant enough to reflect the patriotic spirit that we know that home owners have. 

Sad, tired old flag

But, like their flag, the homeowners ae going through a difficult time.  They are both out of work and one is suffering through a very hard period of grieving.  So I thought that Kindness Activist funds would be a perfect way to brighten their spirits and their flag.

We purchased a nice, brand new flag and left it with a note on their porch.  And, lo and behold, the next time we looked at that flag pole, the battered flag had been replaced by the clean and crisp new one. 

Beautiful new flag

Amount spent - $24.98

$4 Of Kindness

This post is not an accounting of how Kindness Activist money has been spent, but rather an amazing tale of how some money was raised.

A Deaf family lives in our neighborhood.  I don’t get to see them often, but I love it when they stop by.  They have two little children who are adorable and I enjoy chatting with them.  I am an ASL/English interpreter, so use ASL often, but only with adults.  I mainly interpret in corporate settings, which means big words and lots of acronyms.  But these little kids come over with their bright smiles and teeny tiny hands signing and it just makes me smile SO BIG! 

Both children have cochlear implants (devices to help them use the hearing they have).  Given that, they usually do not sign but rather use spoken English.  But when they come visit us, I sign with them!  Last year they could sign some but were much more advanced in English than ASL.  But last week when they came to visit, they were signing with me!  They could understand my signs even when I did not speak English and would reply in ASL instead of spoken English.  It was so fun chatting! 

Which leads me to the main point of our conversation…

Meet Brian.  Isn’t he adorable???  He is 6 years old.

 

He knows all about the Kindness Activist work.  He came to the Summer Pop-Up for Kindness this summer and blasted everyone with water guns and played in the sprinkler.

The other day Brian’s mom Katie told the kids that they were going to clean out their toys and donate some to the Kindness Yard Sale to raise money for kindness.  They set about to work.  But Brian ALSO put some money in his pocket (or fist?  I am not sure)…  And not just any money, not money he had gotten for doing chores or allowance.  This is money he EARNED. 

 His mom told me that he had come inside the house recently and told her that he had, “Started a business!”.  Here is what the little entrepreneur did:

HE SET UP A STAND TO SELL COLORED POPSICLE STICKS!  Brilliant!

His mom explained that he had a sticky note at his stand by the popsicle sticks that said “$3 or $1 or $10”.  She said, “So funny… but ambitious!  He got a surprise when a mystery customer left some Euros in the cup, then a friend stopped by, bought some and said he would give them to his cat. “

So when it was time to drop off donations for the Kindness Yard Sale, Brian grabbed the proceeds from his business and brought them with him.  His mom explained to him that the sale had not started yet, they were only bringing things for the sale, which would be later in the month.  But Brian told her that he wanted to donate the money…  And he wouldn’t take no for an answer!

As he jumped out of the van he handled me his crumpled up dollar bills.  I counted out $4!!  I, like his mom, explained it wasn’t time for the sale yet.  I told him to keep his money and use it to buy things at the sale!!  But NO, Brian was here to donate money to the cause!!!  He insisted I take the money! 

So I took it, added it to the accounting file, and traded it for 2 popsicle ice pops (one for him and one for his sister). 

Isn’t that the sweetest thing ever?  He donated his hard earned money.  It is another example of ,“People give what they can”, in this case, even children.

As we chatted Brian and his sister looked around at donated items a bit.  I showed them a huge pink Crayola crayon (about as tall as he is) that is a bank.  He loved it and wondered if he could buy it at the sale.  As they got back in the van, he found another dollar (probably dropped into his car seat!) and wanted to hand it to me to donate.  “NO BRIAN!  SAVE THAT FOR THE KINDNESS YARD SALE!  Maybe you can buy that pink crayon bank!!”.  “How much is it??” he asked excitedly.  I reminded him at this sale, people pay what they would like.  He held up his crumpled bill and said, “ONE DOLLAR??”.

Yes, Brian.  One dollar.  Your dollar (and the 4 others you donated) warm my heart and remind me that children are watching.  They are learning.  And they will make our world a better place.

Brian's donation.  See the red smudges on one of the bills?  :)  I am guessing 
that is from his popsicle stick business...

 

Kindness Yard Sale 2021 - Here It Comes!

 In December 2015 I had an idea:

WRITE ABOUT ACTS OF KINDNESS.

Kindness witnessed.  Kindness received.  And kindness given.

I called the project KINDNESS ACTIVIST.

It doesn’t seem so revolutionary, does it?   Talking about kindness. 

But the thing is, in America, it kind of is…

Many of us were raised with the ideas that:

1.       Kind acts need to be “random” (hence that acronym “RAOK”)

2.      Talking about kind things that you did is bragging and “negates” that kindness, because it is presumed that you only did it to brag about it afterward.

I set about to flip those notions.  I set about to spread kindness a new way, the KINDNESS ACTIVIST way! 

The term “activist” is defined like this:  noun, an especially active, vigorous advocate of a cause, especially a political cause.

Yes!  I am a vigorous advocate of KINDNESS!  I hunt for it.  I appreciate it.  And, whenever I can, I SPREAD IT!  I also recognize others who talk about kindness by presenting them with official Kindness Activist buttons. 

I am a firm believer that spreading kindness does not require money.  Holding a door open for a stranger – free kindness.  Helping a lost child find his parent in a store – free kindness.  Sharing the vegetables grown in your garden – free kindness.

However, some acts of kindness do require money.  And that is why, in the summer of 2019, I started to fundraise for Kindness Activist.  The main source of funds has come from Kindness Yard Sales.  I have hosted 2 official Kindness Yard Sales and one Summer Pop-Up Kindness Sale.  Those events, and generous donations that have come in between them, have raised much more money than I ever dreamed they could.  And each and every penny raised is used to spread kindness. 

Money has been used to buy supplies for teachers’ classrooms.  Money has been used to treat nurses at the height of the pandemic.  Money has been used to gift a pregnant mother a fetal heartrate monitor so that her husband (who was not allowed into her appointments due to Covid) could hear their baby’s heart.  Money was used to treat 116 kids who wrote letters to the North Pole gifts from Santa and to fill a huge life-size calendar for 3 different countdowns to events.  Money has been used to buy groceries for neighbors in need and help pay rent when it was due and the people couldn’t pay it.  Money was used to buy clean new socks for homeless people.  Money has been used to launch the Little Yellow Free Pantry outside our home, which helps supply neighbors and passersby food and drinks.  And on and on and on…

I am very careful in choosing the kind acts.  The money used to pay for them is not my money – it is Kindness Activist money, and has been donated by many, many people with different beliefs and values.  The one thing all donors have in common is a belief in KINDNESS. 

I write about each act of kindness in my blog and detail how much was spent so that it is transparent where the dollars go.  You can see my blog at:  https://kindnessactivist.blogspot.com/   

It has over 71,000 hits (views), meaning people are reading about the kindness and hopefully being inspired to go out and spread more themselves!  I firmly believe that hearing about, reading about, kindness inspires you to go into the world and spread it, too.  Trust me, it is true, it works!

I am now gearing up for KINDNESS YARD SALE 2021.  It’s so exciting!!!  Neighbors will hopefully fill our porches, carport, and yard with donations – furniture, sporting goods, kitchen supplies, tools, clothing and shoes of all sizes, art, toys…  No items will have price tags as everything is PAY WHAT YOU WISH, knowing everything you give goes toward kindness.  And, if the sale is anything like the others, we will be overwhelmed by the response and by the kindness.

Kindness Yard Sale 2021 – September 18 and 19 starting at 9:00 am.  On the corner of S. Fillmore and 2^nd Street in Arlington, Virginia.  Park on S. 2^nd Street, wear a mask, and be prepared to shop til you drop. 

Item donations will be accepted starting August 24^th.  Monetary donations can be sent to:  PayPal – thompsongaines@msn.com or Venmo - @Susan-Thompson-Gaines.

I look forward to sharing photos and details of this year’s sale!!

 

Kindness - in Happy Times and in Grief

It’s time for another update on how money raised at the Summer Kindness Pop Up is being used to spread kindness in the world! 

I am part of a very active Facebook group in my community called Buy Nothing (BN). BN groups are hyper local and exist so that neighbors can trade crap for free! I am sure that is not how their mission statement is written, but it is in reality what happens 😊 . If, for example, I have a perfectly good vacuum that I no longer use, I take a photo of it and post it in BN. Then a neighbor who NEEDS a vacuum sees the post, replies that they would like it, and comes and picks it up from my porch. Conversely, if I, say, have one more holiday gift to wrap and have run out of wrapping paper, I can post “Help! Does anyone have enough wrapping paper left to wrap a shirt box??”. A neighbor will see that and reply that they have some, and I will pop over to their house and pick it up for free. The system is brilliant! It not only keeps things out of the landfill, but it has been a terrific source of friendships for the members of my local BN! I highly recommend you find the one in your area and join! 

Anyway, that background on BN is so that you will understand this first use of Kindness Activist funds. I noticed in my BN group that WATER TABLES for kids were a hot commodity. Whenever anyone listed one, many people commented that they wanted it. I saw that as a supply issue – there were simply not enough water tables in my neighborhood!!! 

So, I posted this in the group: “We do not have kids, and WATER TABLES were not a thing was I was little. However, I see they are in demand here, and I would like to gift someone with one that I will purchase with Kindness Yard Sale funds. This is the one that looks good to me (good reviews and pretty colors!): (link to water table) I will not necessarily be giving to the first person who responds. Will choose by the evening of July 4th and order it to be delivered directly to the recipient. #BuyNothingRocks #ItTakesAVillage #WaterTablesLookFun “ 

Lots of people replied – some to say water tables are great, and some to put their name in the hat to get one. I ended up choosing 2 families and getting 2 tables. I love that it was all done thru BN, because I know that when the children they were purchased for outgrow them, they will be listed in the group and find their way to a new home. One of the mom’s who got a water table said this, “I told my oldest one all about you and the kindness process you have going on. He was very, very grateful! He said he will keep you in his prayers and also thanked God for this and all the people that contributed.” Isn’t that so sweet?? 

Playing with their new water table

TOTAL SPENT: $170 

If you have ever lost a loved one and been responsible for any of the post-death arrangements, you will understand this story. 

When someone dies, arrangements continue long after picking out the casket, choosing the writing on the headstone, and the memorial service. There are cell phones to be cancelled. Cable tv to be turned off. Insurance agents to contact. The list is long, depressing, and very daunting. 

So, the other day when we were in the DMV to transfer the title of a vehicle, when I heard the young woman at the window next to us, I knew Kindness Activist money would need to be used. The woman was at the DMV to get a title for a trailer that her father, now deceased, owned. 

He must have had many vehicles and been a frequent customer at the DMV, because the employees there knew him. The young woman explained that he had died, and the employee working with her said, “I am sorry to hear that” or something similar. But after that quick acknowledgement of his passing, it was business as usual. “Do you have this form? Please sign here. We need to photocopy that…” etc. 

We had to run to the bank to get cash to finish our transaction but before we ducked out, I asked if the young woman would have to pay anything for what she was getting done. The DMV employee said that yes, unfortunately she would. “Please add that to our total,” I said. 

The young woman looked at me with tears in her eyes. I explained that I, too, had lost my father. That I understood how hard it was to keep it all together and tie up the loose ends. We looked one another in the eyes – hers watery and sad- and understood the grief that only daughters who have lost their fathers know. I wished I could hug her, she needed a hug, but Covid prevented that. But she knew she was not alone. 

TOTAL SPENT: $125.25 

A woman in our Buy Nothing group posted this simple message: 

"In search of some sort of giant tarp or plastic sheet that could be used for a water slide! Or if anyone has any unused water balloons We are doing a young adult water games day for our church so I’m trying to collect supplies. Thank you so much!!"

Well, that seemed like a Kindness Activist request if ever I have seen one! Because let’s face it, water days are FUN, and especially if you have the right supplies!! 

I jumped on Amazon and ordered a waterslide, water guns, water balloons, and bubble wands. That was a fun “shopping trip”. Everything was mailed directly to the woman planning the event. She was so excited (as was I!). 

The event was yesterday and went really well!! She posted some fun videos on Facebook of the young adults having a blast. Then she posted this thank you in the BN group: “Due to the kindness and generosity of the Kindness Yard Sale and Susan Thompson-Gaines, our young adult group at church was able to have an amazing water day event yesterday! Through this group, we were gifted a water slide, water guns, bubbles, and TONS of water balloons!!! 

The church group has been really important for young adults in the area during Covid in helping support one another mentally, spiritually, and psychologically as many young adults in the area were struggling with isolation and loneliness - especially since many are so far away from their families! The generosity and kindness shown from everyone on BuyNothing has been so encouraging, and it enabled us to have such an awesome time for young adults to connect with one another and just have fun! So blessed to be a part of this community and thankful for the Kindness Yard Sale and all the wonderful things that have come from it!

P.S. If there are any young adults who are in need of community, support, encouragement and friends, don’t hesitate to message me and I can help connect you to the young adults at Capital Life church 

“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:10-11” 

TOTAL SPENT - $149.05 

A neighbor’s refrigerator went out and her landlord was not replacing it. She found a used one (free or cheap, I can’t remember) and someone was kind enough to deliver it to her. 

But have you ever had your fridge go out and had to replace the contents? It is not cheap… So, money from the Kindness Activist fund was used to stock her up!! Doesn’t this cart of food look fabulous?? 

Of course she needed ICE CREAM - don't we all?

TOTAL SPENT - $79.91 

Another neighbor was running a bit low on groceries, so non-perishables were collected from the Little Yellow Free Pantry outside our home, and perishables were delivered to her. Having food – good food – is a critical part of life. And with so many people losing their jobs during Covid, getting food to fill your cupboards and refrigerator is a luxury for many. 

TOTAL SPENT - $58.66 

And finally, the last purchase for this update. 

We were at Target in the self-check out area. When we finished, I saw a woman with a baby in a front pack, the baby covered by a pink blanket. The woman was purchasing baby things – she had a swing in the cart she had already rung up and she was holding some outfits in her hands. 

I understood the “dance” she was doing – it was the “should I really get this?” dance. Sometimes that is a “This is more than I should spend…” dance, and sometimes it is a “Do I really need this??” dance. We stood quietly and waited as she made her decision (GOT THEM!) and prepared to pay. 

That’s when the fun part happened! I popped up next to her and told her I would like to treat her. She was so surprised!! And happy! It turned out her baby Chloe was turning one month old that day. Happy birthday little Chloe. 

Moments like that are so special. To be able to treat someone is an honor. 

TOTAL SPENT - $205.48 

One of the main ideas of Kindness Activist is that when we share stories of kindness – received, given, or witnessed – it inspires others to be kind. And I know for a fact it works! We saw Chloe and her mom walking out of Target and her mom was talking to a friend on the phone, telling them what had just happened. She saw us and asked how to find what we do – I told her about Kindness Activist on Facebook. And later that evening she followed the page. And we heard her tell her friend that she would like to give back. 

See?? It works! If we are not ashamed to talk openly about kindness, we can create ripples. Little kindness ripples. They can be big, or they can be tiny… But ripple after ripple after ripple will spread, and kindness will spread. 

Trust me, it works.

Summer Kindness Pop-Up - LET THE KINDNESS SPREAD! Accounting #1

It seems like the Summer Kindness Pop-Up was just yesterday, but some of the money raised at the event and after ($4430.40 and counting!) has already made its way into the world to spread kindness!!  Here is an update:

• On our drive south recently, we stopped for gas in South Carolina.  I decided to spread a little kindness right there at the gas station by handing out Powerball tickets!  I gave 9 strangers the chance to become multi-millionaires!  Two worked at the Subway restaurant inside the gas station and the rest were customers.  One person looked particularly “down on her luck” – she was at a table with what looked like all of her belongings.  Of course, I will never see those people again, and I doubt any of them won the BIG PRIZE, but I sure hope that woman who seemed to be experiencing homelessness won a few bucks.  She deserves a treat.

Total spent:  $18

Fingers crossed someone won!

• A neighbor contacted me and explained that she was behind on her rent and really needed assistance.  I so respect people who are brave enough to speak out and ask for help.  So many of us suffer – needing help but afraid to ask.  Because of the Summer Kindness Pop-Up, I was able to help her make her rent for the month.

Total spent:  $150

• During a shopping trip to Trader Joe’s, we decided to treat a stranger to a colorful floral bouquet.  We checked out with our groceries and the flowers and asked our cashier to give the bouquet to their next customer.  We went out to our car and realized we forgot an item, so I had to run back in.  I saw our cashier and asked if he had given someone the surprise yet, and he said, “Right now!” as he pulled them out and gave them to a very stunned mother and her teenager.  I rushed off quickly so they wouldn’t see me, but the mom was easy to lipread, “REALLY?  FOR ME?  Who??  Wow!!”.  Later we watched as they walked thru the parking lot, flowers in hand, smiling broadly. 

Total spent:  $7.41

• My sister Annette died of GBM, glioblastoma (brain cancer) in 2019.  When she was sick and coming to visit me in Florida, I got a little silicone ice cube tray shaped liked brains.  I thought it would be funny to have brain shaped ice in our lemonade (that may sound gory, but we tried to approach the situation with as much levity as possible…).  I recently returned to our home in Florida after a 2-year absence and saw the ice cube tray.  Only this time, it was hard to see the humor in it – it made me sad.  So, I decided to give it away to someone else who might be able to enjoy it.  I listed it as a gift in a Facebook group for people who have GBM or are caretakers of someone with it.  Someone replied RIGHT AWAY and said they loved it and wanted it!  It made me happy to see it would get used and enjoyed.  Then another person wanted it!  And another…  End result – I used kindness funds to order 12 more brain ice cube trays!  They will be so appreciated by these patients and families!  I am waiting for them to arrive, then will mail them with personal notes of encouragement. 

Total spent:  $36.16

Would you like some BRAIN with that soda?

• I saw this post on a friend’s Facebook wall – “This summer my partner and I are serving as camp counselors for the non-profit Go Beyond.  We will be taking groups of teens to Wyoming for 10+ days on an amazing outdoor experience!  One of our kiddos is in need of some hiking appropriate clothes and other items for the trip.  We will be taking him shopping to get the things he needs for camp.  To share a little about this teen, this will be the first time he leaves the square block he lives on.  His parents are not currently involved in his life as they struggle with substance abuse and his grandma is his caretaker.  He is full of personality, has no fear and is excited for this amazing adventure!”  I love being able to support these kinds of needs!  Sure, we could donate to the non-profit “Go Beyond”, but because of this ask we were able to help a young man directly!!  He got a memory foam pillow and sheets for his cabin bed among other things.  Happy Camper!

Total spent:  $100

• Oh, this was a FUN ONE!  We were shopping at Home Depot and I had to urge to surprise someone with kindness.  We walked around the tool area until we found the perfect people – a couple that was looking at socket sets.  I noticed that they had been examining them for quite a long time.  I approached them and told them it was their lucky day – they had $100 of kindness money to spend in Home Depot!  The only catch was they needed to do it in 5 minutes.  Their eyes LIT UP!  “Really?  Are you joking???” they asked.  I assured them it was indeed real, and whispered to them to not just get one wrench as they turned back to the sockets they had been studying to decide.  Once they made their selection, they brought it to us and explained that they had been looking for a while because they didn’t really have the money to get what they wanted and needed.  They were going to make-do with a small set because it was what they could afford.  But because of kindness, they were able to get a really nice big set of sockets!  They were thrilled.

Total spent:  $95.37 (they did so well at maximizing their $100!)

Thanks for following along on this Kindness journey.  I consider it an honor to be the keeper of these funds.  Every penny will be used to spread kindness!

Kindness RECEIVED (and an attempt at giving...)

 

Some acts of kindness can blow a person away.  And that’s just what happened to me on April 1^st.

A little boy, Miles, and his grandpa, George, showed up at our front door.  Miles, age 3 ½, had something in his hand, something they wanted to give to me.  I showed him where the mail slot was and explained that’s where the mail carrier puts our deliveries.  I went back inside, closed the door, and waited for the envelope to plop through the mail slot.

Then I grabbed it and went back on the porch with them to open it. 

It was $100.

$100!  No strings attached.  $100 cash to do with what I pleased. 

It turned out George and Miles were on their first stop of a month of SPREADING KINDNESS!  George had made a plan to give $100 each day in April to someone.  To surprise them!  Well, he sure surprised me! 

Miles and his grandpa, George

He explained that I was the first recipient of his kindness.  He had heard about my Kindness Activist projects (like the Little Yellow Free Pantry) and thought I would be able to think of a creative and caring way to use the funds. 

I was taken aback!  It was as if the roles were reversed…  Usually I am on the giving side, not the receiving side…  And as George and I talked and brainstormed about other people/places he could surprise and treat during April, I grew more excited about the possibilities! 

I decided to hold onto the $100 until the end of the month because I wanted to see what George and Miles found to do with their envelopes.  Maybe one of their missions would inspire me in how I should use the money.  It felt like such a huge decision!!!  I wanted to make sure to use it in just the right manner to honor two kind people who had been so generous. 

Well, I got contacted yesterday that George and Miles were going to make a reappearance at our house.  They came the FIRST day of their project, and Miles had chosen me to get ANOTHER GIFT ON THE FINAL DAY!!  I was so excited this morning waiting and watching for them! 

Sure enough, at the appointed time they pulled up on Grandpa’s bike – Miles in his helmet and a special seat on the front.  (Later I would learn that Miles is in charge of ringing the bike bell if someone gets near the bike.  Big responsibility for a little guy!)  Just seeing the two of them made me smile so big!!  George gave Miles the envelope, and Miles scrambled up the stairs.  We repeated the game of putting it through the mail slot, and I was honored and delighted to find another “hunnit bucks” (as Miles says) inside!!  We talked a while and soon they were off to do another repeat surprise.

George shared the list of places he treated during his month-long adventure.  Here are some of them: 

-          Put money in 2 baby onesies at Goodwill

-          Slipped money under an ambulance’s windshield wiper

-          Taped money next to a sleeping homeless person

-          Put money in random bags of food being handed out at a giveaway

-          Donated to several very worthy organizations

-          Treated school lunch staff

-          And gave a great tip to a server!

That is just a few of the amazing ways they spread kindness.  You can see how careful and deliberate they were in their gifts, which is why I want to make sure I use what they gave me in just the right way.

And I really thought that I found the perfect opportunity to share the kindness this afternoon!  It was the same day as the gifters had returned, and I saw just the right opportunity (I thought).  It felt like kismet!

Through the kitchen window I could see a woman stopped at the Little Yellow Free Pantry.  The bags she carried made it appear that she may be homeless.  As I do whenever I see someone browsing in the pantry, I rushed out to greet her.  She looked about my age and was very sweet.  She said that because it is the end of the month, she was low on food.  Food stamps would come Monday. I explained that the food in the pantry is donated by caring neighbors and if she told me what she wanted I would go inside and make a bag.  She had seen a small container of chocolate milk in the pantry and said that was all she needed. 

And that is when she began teaching me the lesson – but I didn’t sense it yet. 

All of my, “No, really, there is a lot of food in the house, just tell me what you would like and I will bring it out for you!” utterances were met with her assurance that the small chocolate milk was all she wanted.

We continued our conversation – talking about how great the weather is, how nice the neighborhood is, etc.  I encouraged her to smell a rose on our bush – they are the sweetest smelling roses ever.  She talked about healthcare, yoga, meditation…  We talked about diet and what food means to people.  After a while my sweetheart David came out and joined us.  It was nice, the 3 of us standing and chatting.  It sort of felt like the “old days” pre-Covid. 

At one point she told us she “lives outdoors”.  I loved that expression.  It held dignity in a way that “homeless” does not.  It made me think she was not “less” a home, she was “more” an outdoor space.  As she let us into her world it was clear that there may be some mental illness involved.  Sometimes her reality and “normal” reality (“normal” was her word, not mine) did not seem to mesh.  I was so honored that she felt comfortable talking with us.  She eventually talked about being homeless – how it is different in each city she has lived in, and how in DC it is particularly dangerous.  I asked if she wanted to live outdoors, or if she would prefer to be housed.  She smiled and told us that if we had asked her that in the cold winter, she would have said housed, at least for a night.  But now that warm weather is here she is happy being in the open air.

As we talked, I thought of the money given to me this morning.  I felt THIS WOMAN was the right recipient.  Imagine what $100 could do for her!  A hotel for the night if she wanted – soft bed, warm shower…  A nice, warm meal.  Vitamins for her health.  A better bag to carry her things.  So many options.

I told her I had a couple of things for her and ran into the house to get scissors, a clothes pin, and $100.  I told her I was going to give her the rose we smelled, and she resisted the gift.  She said to leave it on the bush for other people to smell as they went by.  But I insisted, and cut it off and presented it to her with the clothespin so she could pin it wherever she wanted.

Then I pulled out the envelope with the money.  I explained that I had been gifted this just this morning to spread kindness, and I chose her to receive it.

Her gentle eyes looked at me.  She smiled.  And she said no thank you.

“I have a rule, a personal rule, not to take money from people,” she explained.

And all of my, “But it is for YOU!” and, “Here, I put it in the pantry, now you are taking it from there and not from me…” did not work.  She would not take it.

She explained that she did not need the money.  She was good.  And I think she was right - she looked content. 

I told her I would hold it for her.  I have written her name on the envelope and hung it on the refrigerator.  I suspect she will come back to talk.  I told her she can ring the doorbell anytime and ask for her money – if she doesn’t want all of it, maybe $20 or $5.  She smiled.  She knows it is there for her. 

I hope that the bad people in her mind quiet down.  I hope that she meditates as she walks, like she learned to do in another city.  I hope that she stays safe.  I hope she gets vaccinated.  I hope that she finds a quiet, warm place to sleep tonight.

And I thank her for the lesson.  Sometimes, even when it seems like you have almost nothing at all, you have absolutely everything you could want.