A Muffin

Today started, then ended, with a muffin. 

 And in between – oh in between! In between there was singing and twisting and laughing… 

But first – the muffin. 

This morning as I was rushing to get ready for work, I saw a young woman walking down the sidewalk. I noticed her coffee cup – wasn’t sure if it was from Starbucks or the local coffee shop down the street. I watched as she paused at the Little Yellow Free Pantry, opened it, stood a moment, then closed it and left. I was curious… I didn’t see anything in her hand – maybe she didn’t take anything? 

Before jumping in my car, I went to peek at the pantry. The woman had left a muffin. A beautiful, fresh muffin from the coffee shop. I marveled at how such a simple act could make me so happy. It wasn’t like she put $100 in the pantry. It wasn’t like she had cooked some fancy meal and left it. But she had actually done more than that… She had THOUGHT AHEAD. She had planned. When she ordered her coffee, she ordered a gift for a stranger – a muffin. And she placed it lovingly in the pantry so that someone ELSE could find it and have the treat. That, to me, is kindness. 

Fast forward a couple of hours. I rushed home from my assignment to find David outside in the sunshine hanging the handmade posters about the Little Yellow Pantry’s 1st birthday party all along our fence. They looked glorious! But there were chairs to move. Plastic animals to blow up. Cookies to plate. Drinks to bring outside… It was a bit overwhelming… 

Then our friends from Afghanistan showed up early! They were coming for the pantry birthday party, but came early to help us prepare. Ahhhhh, perfect! Bubble machine filled. Blanket on lawn. Big piano you play with your feet (like in the movie “Big”) rolled out. We. Were. Ready! 

Hareer and her mom hung a lot of posters!

And once the birthday guests started coming, they never stopped. It was a never-ending stream of partiers! And many brought gifts for the Little Yellow Free Pantry, too! She will be well stocked for a month or so! We played Twister. We rode the see-saw. We ate. We drank. We hoola-hooped. We made chalk art. We sang “Happy Birthday” to the pantry about a dozen times (as guests came and went). (We sang in 3 languages, and I am sure if I had asked we could’ve heard it in at least 4 more.) And we sat in the glorious sunshine and took it all in. It was SO NICE to see friends and neighbors outdoors again, laughing and singing. 

Things got a wee bit messy...

As we talked, I noticed a man at the pantry. He was squatting down, looking in the bags and boxes under the pantry – the gifts. I greeted him and explained that we were celebrating today, that the pantry was exactly 1 year old. He had put a few items in his bag, excited to see so much to choose from. I went through choices with him and he carefully made selections. “No, I have enough of that already, thank you. Oh yes, I could use that”. He told me he had visited the pantry and gotten food before. It was nice to have someone come and use the pantry quietly while the party was happening. 

People came and went. Horns were blown. Hats were worn. Chalk got everywhere. And fun was had. 

When the celebration was over and we were picking up, one young man came walking down the sidewalk. I said hello, and when he saw the signs and streamers, he asked, “Whose birthday is it?”. I pointed to the Little Yellow Free Pantry and said with glee, “That pantry’s! That pantry is one year old today!!” “Wait, what?” he said incredulously. “You threw a party for a PANTRY??”. “Of course!” I smiled and pointed to the pantry. “Would you like a snack?” “Wait, there’s FOOD in there??” he said as he opened the doors and the motion detector lights went on, illuminating his choices. He smiled as he looked, then picked up his choice. “I think I will have this muffin!”. 

Ahh yes. The muffin. A gift from a stranger, to a stranger. 

Full circle. Happy birthday Little Yellow Free Pantry. Thanks for bringing joy into our lives.

FRIENDS at the pantry

"Check Out" This Kindness

A local grocery store, Harris Teeter, mails out coupons to bring people into the store.  They recently sent one that said if you spent $100, you would get $20 off.  So, instead of using it on our groceries, we decided to use it on an unsuspecting stranger’s groceries!!

Like with all Kindness Activist acts, I was psyched.  I really love spreading kindness around!  But one thing I always wish is that I could bring some of YOU along so that you could experience the joy, too.  But since it would be logistically difficult to bring a bunch of people along, we did what we hoped would be the next best thing and streamed it via Facebook live 😊 .  

Anyway, a super sweet looking young woman walked into the self-check area just as we were ready to start.  I approached and asked if it would be alright if we paid for her groceries.  She was a bit startled, but said OF COURSE!

And we started ringing!  She had a cartful, and our limit was $100.  The cashier really got into it, too.  She was loving it!  The subtotal kept creeping up as we rang more and more of the items.  But guess what???  When everything had been rung, we need about $3 dollars more!!!  Hahaha.  I encouraged her to go get candy – no didn’t need candy.  How about a greeting card for your mom?  Nope.  David suggested 2 apples.  No…  Then she thought of something and rushed to get it.  It was a little healthy shot drink – I am not sure what they are called.

Ringing groceries for a sweet stranger

But after we rang that, you will not BELIEVE the total…

LOOK HOW CLOSE WE GOT TO $100!!

YES!  $100.51!!!  We couldn’t have gotten it that close to exactly $100 if we tried!!

The woman was so appreciative.  She was taking photos to show her mom 😊 .  And after we paid, she took out $50 in cash and tried to give it to us to support Kindness Activist.  But in THIS case, a donation didn’t seem right.  So, I asked her to please share that by doing something kind for someone else.

What a fun act!  We have another coupon for the same store that is for the second half of March.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we do this one again!  Who knows who will be in line next time…

(You can see the video of the live feed here: "Check Out" This Kindness

Kindness Activist money spent - $80.76 (after the coupon and with 5 plastic bags)

 

 

 

Junior Kindness Activist - ROSIE

One of the things I love about my Kindness Activist work is the opportunity to engage with CHILDREN.  I really like hanging out with kids!  They are funny, energetic, and inspiring.  As Kindness Activist, I’ve spoken to a small troop of Girl Scouts, had neighbor kids over to volunteers, and am going to go work with a group of elementary school kids in an afterschool program next week.  It’s so fun!

Like most things that can positively change the world, starting with kids is the answer.  Understand that climate change is real and destroying the planet?  CALL IN GRETA THUNBERG and her young cohorts!  Want a country where racism doesn’t mean an unequal playing field for people of color every day of their lives?  TEACH THE BABIES TO BE ANTI RACIST!  And want a society where kindness is the norm and permeates everything people do?  START WITH THE CHILDREN.

That philosophy is why I began engaging JUNIOR KINDNESS ACTIVISTS.  Kids get it – they know kindness.  They have seen people be KIND, and they have seen the opposite.  So, I thought, what would THEY do to change the world and make it more kind, if they had the financial resources? 

Meet my friend Rosie, almost 12, and the newest Junior Kindness Activist!  Rosie has been very helpful with Kindness Activist before.  In fact, this winter she and another neighbor put up and decorated the Community Tree of Celebration on our front porch, and it was beautiful!  This time I challenged Rosie by giving her $75 of Kindness Activist money and asking HER to spend it, then write a story to show where it went.  (And her parents chipped in another $25, giving her $100 to use to spread kindness!)

Here, in Rosie’s own words, is how she decided to add more kindness to the world.

“I was chosen by Susan to spend some kindness money to better our community.  The money that was spent was from the Kindness Yard Sale.  That took place last summer.  One of the two things I decided to spend the money on was a local organization called Doorways.  Doorways provides shelter and help to the homeless, domestic abuse survivors, and those who are struggling and need somewhere safe to stay.  I chose this organization because having a safe place to stay is so important to live a happy life and I just love what they are doing for people.

The second thing I spent the Kindness money on was that I bought food like applesauce and granola bars to fill Campbell Elementary School’s food pantry.  I decided to spend the Kindness money on this because every time I had seen that pantry it seemed very empty and I wanted it to be really used.”

Rosie and her friend with groceries for the food pantry at a local school

I love how intentional Rosie was with her funds.  She chose how to use them carefully, and I think she found very impactful ways to spread kindness!!  Way to go Rosie!

Do YOU know a kid who would like to be a part of this kindness revolution?  I am looking for the next Junior Kindness Activist…  The requirements are they must be kind, must be willing to write a story of how they used the money, and to share a photo or two so others can “meet” them.  If you think you know a good candidate, message Kindness Activist on Facebook and introduce me!

Kindness Activist money used:  $75

The Tuna That Changed the World

I live on a very busy corner in South Arlington, VA in a house we refer to as The Big Yellow House.  Arlington is home of the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery, and if you stood on my porch and counted for a few hours, what seems like a whole of buses. 

I know that most home buyers would shy away from purchasing a home on one busy street, let alone TWO busy streets!  But we invested in this house in 1999 and have never looked back.  We love the constant motion, noise, and activity that surrounds us here.

About 10 years ago I started doing what I call “projects” outside our home.  Projects vary in nature and scope, but they have a unifying intent: to provide a prompt for community engagement.  You see, I am the type of person who could NEVER walk by a prompt without engaging!  I see a hopscotch board drawn with chalk by a neighborhood child while I am out on a walk?  I PLAY hopscotch!  I see a painted rock hidden in a flower planter??  I pick it up!  I notice the first rose of the season has bloomed?  You can bet I bend over and take a long whiff.  I walk through my world looking through a lens of engagement and activity.  And I don’t know that I realized how unique that perspective was before I began my “projects”.

It turns out that many (if not most) people seem to navigate the world in a bubble.  To me, it is as if they have blinders on.  They can walk by a prompt, a blatantly OBVIOUS prompt, and either ignore it or not see it.  It used to baffle me so much!!  I would set up a project and be super excited about it.  For example, I hung around 75 brightly colored Easter eggs (which I call “Springtime eggs” because we live in a diverse community, and I want to be respectful of all) on our chain link fence.  Each egg hung from a silk ribbon, at varying heights.  Big signs encouraged passersby to choose an egg and take it.  I would stand inside the house and peek out the front door and see people WALK BY WITHOUT STOPPING.  Some didn’t glance at the eggs swaying in the breeze, others peered out of the corner of their eye but kept moving.  Or, for another project, I hung a digital camera on our front gate with signs that explained people could use it to take photos of things that represented INSPIRATION, BEAUTY, and JOY to them.  Once again, I was incredulous at how many people could pass by such an interesting experiment and choose not to engage.  HOW?? 

I view these projects as community art.  Community building.  Social experiments.  They bring me joy and energy and I really value doing them.

So, when I started the Little Yellow Free Pantry project on March 6, 2021, I think my lens on it was that it was like all of the other projects I have hosted: it would be a chance to engage the community, and even help a few people out.

What I did NOT foresee was that this little pantry, designed to mimic Little Free Libraries, made from an Ikea storage cube, would add a dimension to my life that I hadn’t realized was missing.

The Little Yellow Free Pantry has re-energized me.  It has introduced me to new neighbors.  It has given me a renewed purpose in life.  It has helped me set higher goals for my work.  And it has brought a community together.

All with a can of tuna!

Of course, it is much more than tuna, but tuna is a definite pantry staple. 

When I started the pantry, I used Kindness Activist funds to buy materials to make it and fill it with food the first time (a $217.64 investment).  Then I introduced the pantry to the community, and the rest is history. 

Opening Day of the Little Yellow Free Pantry

The Little Yellow Free Pantry has taken on a life of its’ own!  Not only does it help feed neighbors and passersby who are experiencing food shortages, it gives purpose to neighbors who have enough food for their own tables and now have a place to share.  Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t bring a donation over for the pantry or contact me asking what is needed.  And because we live in such a diverse area, the donations are unique and exciting!  People bring Hispanic food, Indian food, Asian food, sometimes food I have never ever seen or tasted!! 

I LOVE THE PANTRY.  I treat it like a little shop.  I love to fill it and organize it.  I have a system – not sure if frequent visitors notice it or not.  The top shelf is typically canned goods of all types.  The bottom shelf can hold taller items – so shampoo, cake mixes, oils, etc. go there.  Rice and dried beans have homes on the bottom shelf, too.  There is a special box with note cards and a pen inside so that visitors can write down items they need and their contact information, and on top of that box I make sure there are plenty of snacks.  And I always try to keep 2 beverages in the pantry so thirsty passersby can get a drink.  I am careful to make it PRETTY – all labels facing front, so that visitors can see what is on offer and so that it looks respectable.  My partner David even installed motion detector LIGHTS that come on when people open the doors after dark, so they can see what is available.

And the items in the pantry must be GOOD.  My theory is, if I wouldn’t use it, I won’t put it in the pantry.  That doesn’t mean everything has to be things I enjoy eating, but nothing can be expired or junky looking.  I firmly believe that pantry visitors should have the same experience at the pantry as I do at the grocery store – enjoy looking at the choices and making their selections.

It is always special when I see a visitor stop at the pantry.  I love going outside and chatting with them.  The first couple of weeks I was a bit overeager and would rush out to talk to visitors, sometimes I probably scared them!  But now I let them peruse a little, then I pop out and greet them.  I asked what else they would like and explain that I have more food inside that I can bring out to them.

And the food inside the house…  Oh, there is food inside the house!!  There is a bin marked for donations on our front porch, and just about every day there are items left in it.  I carry them down to our basement in the “pantry storage area”, which keeps growing and growing…  Whenever friends who have not seen the pantry storage area see it the first time, their eyes get really big. 

Because what I have learned is that you cannot keep a little pantry FULL without having a lot of food on hand.  So, there are big shelving units in the basement stocked with items – peanut butter, jelly, cake mixes, tea, cereal, toiletries, pasta, canned meats, vegetables, and fruit…  All items are sorted by type of food so that it is easy to find what is needed to put outside.  When I started this project I had no concept of how much food would be needed to maintain it.  The pantry itself looks tiny – but keeping it full takes a LOT of food.

Peanut Butter is a pantry staple

Canned vegetables 

It also takes a lot of TIME.  That is something I hadn’t much considered when I started, either.  I mean, how hard can it be to put cans of veggies into a little pantry??  But checking the pantry is one of the first things I do every morning (sometimes in my pj s) and one of the last things I do each night (and many times in between). 

I have also realized that people depend on the pantry now for nourishment.  There are regulars who come and “shop”, and many people drop in when they need to.  And because they depend on it, I can’t let it go unattended.  That means when I go on vacation and am out of town, I need to find other people to maintain it.  That’s where the PANTRY CREW comes in!   The crew is a group of very sweet, trusted friends who take turns filling the pantry up when I am not around to do it.  Some of them have children that they bring along to assist.  I love that – those kids are learning kindness firsthand!  And they are great helpers.  In fact, two of them (and their mother) came over this week and split 40 pounds of donated rice into smaller seal bags for distribution. 

And not only neighbors are generous with their pantry donations.  A local pie shop has donated gift certificates for PIE, and the local Trader Joe’s has been very, very supportive in donating much needed items!  What I find so amazing is that I didn’t even ASK Trader Joe’s to help.  Mind you, I love Trader Joe’s and that is where we do the vast majority of our grocery shopping, but THEY reached out to ME when they saw the pantry and asked if they could do anything to help! 

Trader Joe's Clarendon's most recent donations!  Crackers, honey, coffee, and almond milk

Eventually I may work up the nerve to ask some other local businesses if they would like to donate.  It would be amazing to have gift cards for a couple of local restaurants or the local coffee shop to give to pantry visitors.  But for now it is NEIGHBORS who generously fill the pantry needs.  One of my favorite things about this project is that it allows EVERYONE who wants to to be involved.  It is easy to pick up an extra bag of sugar to give to the pantry while you are doing your shopping.  One neighbor baked bread for the pantry.  Neighbors who are on limited incomes and receive food from a local food bank sometimes sort through their cupboards and donate the items their families will not eat.  And when I put out a call for specific things the pantry is low on, neighbors respond en mass with bags and boxes of whatever was asked for.  It.  Is.  Beautiful.  And so inspiring. 

So yes, this project turned into more than I ever imagined.  It takes much more work than I expected.  It takes loads of time that I didn’t anticipate.  But even more so, it brings more joy, focus, and clarity to my life than I have had in a while.  It give me, and the community that supports it, a purpose.  We have something tangible to rally around. 

All because of cans of tuna…

As of today, February 18, 2022, the pantry is low on:

-         Canned meat (tuna, Spam, chicken, salmon, oysters, any meat)

-         Jelly

-         Cookies

-         Maseca (flour used to make tortillas)

-         Feminine hygiene products

-         Canned fruit

-         Bags of sugar

-         Grocery store gift cards are always welcome

Thank you to all who have supported this effort.  The people who help stock when I am gone.  The people who donate.  The people who visit and get food.  And the people who honk and wave when they see me outside filling the pantry.

And maybe a can of tuna can't change the world.  But it CAN change a mindset.  And a dinner.  And a community.  

And that’s good enough for me.

To read about the camera project mentioned in this piece, go to: Inspiration, Beauty, and Joy

To read a previous piece about the Little Yellow Free Pantry, visit:  Day 20

Clean Clothes of Kindness

Many Kindness Activist acts happen spontaneously – paying for someone’s gas at the gas station, buying lottery tickets for strangers, sitting down and ordering something from a stranger’s Amazon Wish List.

Some Kindness Activist acts take preparation – Cups of Kindness (handing out free hot cocoa, coffee, and tea), the Little Yellow Free Pantry (keeping a free pantry stocked so neighbors can get needed food), and for sure the annual Kindness Yard Sale.

But other Kindness Activist acts don’t necessarily take a lot of preparation, but they percolate a long time before actually coming to life…  And that’s what happened with Clean Clothes of Kindness!!

When the producers from the CBS show “On The Road With Steve Hartman” contacted me last October saying they wanted to do a story on Kindness Activist, they requested that I come up with a good kind act that they could follow me on and film.  My partner David and I thought long and hard about what that might be, and he came up with a terrific one – go to a laundromat and pay for strangers’ laundry!  I LOVED it, the producers didn’t, and so it didn’t get done for the tv story.

But I have been thinking about it for the last 4 months and last night we finally made it happen!  We stocked up on dryer sheets and Tide detergent pods and hit the local laundromat!

We chose to go late on a Saturday night.  There were not a lot of people there (safer Covid-wise, but not as much opportunity to help as many people as we would’ve liked).  But it was REALLY FUN!

Here’s how it went down:

 Clean Clothes of Kindness Video

Like I said in the video, we will be back and do it again!  We learned a few lessons that we will definitely apply next time:

1.     It is better if David approaches males and asks if we can pay.  Accepting help (especially in the form of money) from a female is difficult for many men.

2.     We will try at a different time of day when there might be more people.

3.     We will introduce ourselves to the laundromat worker when we go in, so she/he doesn’t suspect us of doing something weird like selling Tide Pods 😊 (No, maam, seriously, we are just GIVING them to people and paying for laundry tonight!)

4.     We might bring a friend with us who speaks Spanish.  Many of the people there were Spanish speakers and they might have accepted the gift more rapidly if it had been explained in their native language.

My favorite people that we helped were a young Hispanic couple.  Once we got past the language barrier, they smiled and allowed us to pay.  But their smiles grew bigger and BIGGER when they watched us pay for OTHERS.  They understood that the act was simply of kindness, not of pity.  It was an act of sharing with the world, and as they watched others also share, they knew they were part of a little club.  It was lovely.

This kind act reminded again how privileged I am to have a washer and dryer right in my home.  To be able to go to my basement and throw in a load of laundry at any time of the night or day…  To not have to haul huge, heavy bags of laundry out in the cold…  To be able to savor folding the soft, warm towels instead of hurry to get it done and go back home…

I am excited to do this act of kindness again.  We have lots of laundry soap and dryer sheets left, all we need to do is make time and open our hearts.

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $24.99 on supplies, $32.75 on quarters in washers and dryers.

P.S. – I used a word in the video that I am working hard to rid my vocabulary of, “crazy”.  I said, “I hope people do not think we are crazy”.  I am sorry.  Please do as I say and not as I did in this video and work hard to eliminate that word from your vocabulary. 

P.P.S. – I also mistakenly referred to CBS as NBC in the video…  My bad.  Sorry Steve! 

Shhh - Secret Kindness

It is always fun and rewarding to spread kindness, but I was recently asked to help share some SECRET KINDNESS!  That was a first (that I can remember…).

A neighbor contacted me and said that she really wanted to do an act of kindness, but wanted to remain anonymous.  Well, if you know the concept of Kindness Activist, you will know that “being anonymous” isn’t in the (unwritten…) principles!  My philosophy is that you should not hide your “kindness light” under a bushel!  You should LET THAT LIGHT SHINE BRIGHT!  Because your “kindness light” might be seen by others, who then spread that light of kindness even further.

But the person who contacted me had a valid point…  What she wanted to do was give a special gift to a husband and wife that work at one of their favorite restaurants.  The servers were going through a rough patch, and the diners wanted to secretly help them out a bit.  But the neighbor was afraid that if the servers knew who the gift was from, it would be awkward, and they would not be comfortable accepting anything. 

The neighbor asked me if I would consider helping with Kindness Activist funds, and of course I said yes.  As we texted, we decided that Kindness Activist would purchase a gift card, and the diners would purchase another one.  That way the hard-working couple would get DOUBLE KINDNESS!

Only, then another family wanted to support the couple too, so it turned into THREE GIFT CARDS!  When funds from the 3 sources were put together, there was $525!!  That money was split between gift cards for Target and 2 local grocery stores. 

One evening I stopped by the restaurant and asked for the servers.  One of them was working, and they brought her to me.  I explained that I run a project called Kindness Activist, and someone had asked me to surprise her with a gift.  Then I handed her an envelope with the 3 gift cards inside and a Penzy’s Spice KIND button.  She looked a bit confused but had a big smile on her face. 

Shhh - before the delivery of surprise kindness

And then, just like that, I turned and left! 

I bet she was super happy when she opened that envelope.  I wonder if she waited until the end of her shift and took it home to open??   I wonder if she is wearing the KIND pin to work now?

I will never know the answers to those questions.  But it was sure fun being a secret KINDNESS SPREADER!

 

Kindness funds used:  $125

Kindness Accounting - January 2022 Edition

I am back with another update on how Kindness Yard Sale funds are being used!!! 

Oh how I wish I could include you all in the activities when the money is spent.  It is so fun to be able to share the kindness with the world.

Ok, first up! 

I used Kindness Yard Sale money to buy Starbucks gift cards.  We bought 20 $5 cards, then headed over to our local grocery store.  Grocery store employees have worked SO HARD during this pandemic, and lately the grocery shelves here in the DC metro area have been bare.  There was a bad snowstorm, leaving delivery trucks stuck on the highway.  Plus, people PANIC shopped and hoarded items.  And some store employees are sick with Covid and cannot work.  The end result is hard working employees and cranky customers.  So that’s why we treated them to Starbucks cards!  It was very fun to hand them a card and thank them for all they do to keep the community nourished.  We gave out 10 cards, will do the other 10 the next time we shop.  

Ready to go in and hand out gift cards!

Kindness money spent:  $100

One thing I really respect in people is the ability to be VULNERABLE.  It is difficult!  Really putting yourself out there, being honest, especially when things are rough, can be hard.  That’s why when I read this post from a neighbor, I new it was the perfect way to use Kindness Yard Sale funds:

“Would anyone be able to pick up some food from the Salvation Army on Glebe Rd for us?   Our car was repossessed the other day, I have been unable to get groceries and other necessities as I didn’t know our car was taken.”

I was so moved by the request.  The woman was not asking for a hand-out.  She didn’t ask for money.  She didn’t even ask for FOOD.  All she wanted was someone to pick up food for them at the Salvation Army.  And the post was made 2 days before THANKSGIVING!

I contacted the poster and explained about Kindness Yard Sale funds.  I asked her to give me a shopping list and we set out for the store!  It was very fun filling the cart with food for these deserving strangers.  And they were so appreciative when we delivered it.  Turned out they were new to Virginia, there were chronic health issues too, and the family was just in a hard spot.  Other neighbors also pitched in, and the kids in the family wrote letters to Santa and got gifts through that project, too. 

Operation "THANKSGIVING!!" under way

Because of the yard sale, that family was able to have a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.  In fact, I saw that the next month, the woman even posted to invite others to join in their Christmas dinner if they would like!  Inviting strangers to the table!!  That is kindness.

After the grocery deliver and support the community gave, the woman edited her post to add:

“Thank you so much everyone, we are truly blessed. We could be going through this anywhere in the world, but we are here, and the community has been nothing short of amazing. Bless you all for the information and offering to help. We were blessed with lots of groceries and met an amazing couple! My faith in humanity has been restored to a whole new level!  Happy Holidays everyone and when you need a hand, or someone to make you a cup a of coffee and offer you an ear, you have a whole a family here who appreciates all of their neighbors!”

Kindness money spent:  $292.32

I got word of a sweet couple who were new to America.  They came from a WARM climate and bam – here they were in the middle of winter!  They use public transport, which means a lot of walking to and from busses and metros. 

Kindness money was used to buy them a cuddly blanket and a nice pair of warm boots for the man (a student).  Because of kindness funds, he can now walk to and from transportation without freezing his feet!

Kindness money spent:  $59.80

A local elementary school contacted me about a program they run.  They were arranging Thanksgiving meals for families that did not have them, and wondered if Kindness Activist could pitch in.  WHY OF COURSE!  That is exactly what Kindness funds are for!  I pitched in some Kindness money and the organizers were so thankful.  Because of the yard sale donations, many families were able to have tasty meals.

Kindness money spent:  $200

And finally for this update, Kindness funds were used to help a visitor to America SPREAD KINDNESS. 

My friend Ixi is from Guatemala, and her parents came to visit to meet their new grandson!  Her father is very active in his faith community back home, and had connected with a priest in Arlington on a previous visit that he really liked.  So even though he was here visiting and on vacation – he set up a MEAL for people around the church!  They wrote: 

“Saturday November 27 - Thanksgiving day in Virginia, USA.  Faith in Action, along with the Hispanic Church of Clarendon, shared the Bible and served 85 lunches to Central Americans living in difficult situations in this country. God was Glorified. thank you everyone who contributed God bless you and multiply.”

The JOY of spreading KINDNESS

Kindness money spent: $100

That’s it for this update.  There are MANY more stories to be told, and I promise to get to them!  These funds are not MINE, but the WORLD’S, and I pledge to be transparent, as always, in how they are used.

Thanks again for all of your support for Kindness Activist.  Let’s keep spreading kindness and watching the kindness ripples form.

Mystery Santa!!

And then there was the year Santa came on Christmas Day…

I just finished a huge Kindness Activist Project.  One in which 142 kids wrote letters to Santa, and Santa bought all of them gifts from their letters (using money raised by Kindness Activist events) and wrote them each a personalized letter.  I will, of course, write the full story and share the accounting of that project soon.  But let’s just say – I have been quite exhausted and catching up on much needed rest on a lazy vacation since the gifts from Santa were picked up… 

And, as you may guess, I am more used to GIVING gifts than RECEIVING them.  Which may be the reason Santa’s Christmas Day visit to our home caught me so by surprise! 

I woke up late on Christmas Day and lazed around our vacation home.  I noticed on my phone that someone had rung our doorbell in Arlington around 10:30 am, so I checked the video clips to see if it was a friend.  In watching the clip, I couldn’t quite make out who the man was.  But I saw that he was leaving a LOT of items in a bin on our porch marked for Little Yellow Free Pantry donations.  Usually neighbors leave cans of tuna, soup, shampoo, and other items to be put into a free pantry at our home.  Now, I couldn’t quite SEE what the man on Christmas Day was leaving, but he was dumping bags and bags of items into the donation bin…  And a couple of times he stepped back to take a photo of the bin.

So strange…  It was a Christmas Day mystery!  I forwarded the video clip to friends who are covering the pantry for me right now, and they too were confused…  But they promised to go check out the scene and let me know what the man had donated.

Sure enough, a few hours later my friend and her daughter came over to see what was in the bin.

And…

The bin was FILLED with brand new TOYS!  Still in the package toys!!  Hot Wheels!  Games!  Puzzles!  A special Barbie!! 

It really feels like Santa came to visit!  It’s so exciting!!  I am not sure who the mystery donor was, and how he happened to grace us with this many lovely gifts, but I promise that they will be put to GOOD USE!  So many children will be thrilled to get them!  Perhaps visitors to the Little Free Yellow Pantry, perhaps neighborhood kids who don’t have birthday gifts, or perhaps children who write letters to Santa next year.

THANK YOU, mystery Santa.  Thanks for keeping the spirit of Christmas alive.  Many children will have big smiles (as do I!) because of you.

Christmas Shopping Kindness

You would think it would be EASY to give away kindness, wouldn’t you? 

But things aren’t always as easy as they should be…

Take tonight for example.!  My partner David and I were out running some errands, errands that included shopping.  It is December 23^rd, just 2 days before Christmas.  I knew that there would be some stressed-out, last-minute shoppers out there, and I decided I would treat them!  Here was the plan:

Find shoppers who were looking for gifts for OTHER PEOPLE, 
and treat them to a gift for THEMSELVES!  Easy, right??

 Only, I set a few rules that I had to follow…  The rules were:

1.  The shopper needed to be alone

2.  The shopper must have things in their cart/hands that looked like they were holiday shopping

3.  The shopper needed to be female (not to be sexist, but I decided I would feel more comfortable approaching a women with this offer, and also felt like women would be more accepting of it)

4.  The shopper must choose something for THEMSELVES, not for someone else

5.  The budget was $50

6.  The shopper must be wearing a mask, and wearing it properly

Rule number 6 proved to be the trickiest!  We are in Florida for the holidays, and Florida seems to be “the land where people think science is make-believe”, so many people choose not to wear masks.  And if they DO wear them, they are often down around their chin…  So yeah, rule number 6 made it hard to find potential shoppers to treat.

We tried this kindness experiment first in Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  I strolled the aisles for so long looking for someone who fit the bill to treat!  Why, I am sure I walked more in that store than most B, B, and B associates do in a day!  😊  I finally decided on a woman I had passed a few times.  She fit all of the criteria! 

As I approached, I asked if she was doing her Christmas shopping.  She confirmed that yes, that’s why she was in the store.  I then explained that I run a project called Kindness Activist, and I wanted to treat her to a Christmas gift of her choice.  Her budget was $50, and she could get whatever she wanted in the store, but it had to be for HER, not for someone else.

She was, understandably, a little startled.  She asked for the explanation again and I gave it to her.  She stammered about getting something for someone else, and I repeated that it must be for her, and that she deserved a holiday treat! 

Like most women, she seemed to be the type who thought of others before herself (again, an overgeneralization, but one I believe to be true).  The idea of splurging on herself so close to a holiday really threw her for a loop!  I suggested some things – a pillow, a blanket, kitchen ware…  But she was too surprised to think!  I told her I would look around the store a bit, then find her again and see if she had chosen anything.

So, I strolled a while, then came back to her.  She hadn’t chosen anything yet.  I explained that we needed to check out, and clarified, “Do YOU want anything??”.  She smiled from under her mask and stammered, “Yes!  Yes, I do!  I just don’t know what…”.  She was so sweet.  I showed her a really soft pillow with arms I had seen.  It was Ugg brand and very nice, and at $49.99 right at budget.  She looked it over and said YES, yes, this was the treat for her.  It was something a bit extravagant that she was probably not likely to splurge on, and it matched her décor, too.

The winning item - nice and soft!

That sealed the deal!  We checked out, stapled the gift receipt to her pillow, and put it in her cart so she could finish her shopping.  She was a sweet woman and very appreciative.

We tried the experiment again at WalMart but were not as lucky.  Very, very few people met the mask requirement, and one who did was on a never-ending phone call (and another that I asked said she was not Christmas shopping).

Which leads us to the here and now.  If a stranger approached YOU 2 days before Christmas and gave you a $50 budget to buy a treat for yourself, would you be open enough to accept it?  If so, what would your treat be?

Kindness funds spent - $53.24