Gasoline, Elsa, Quarters and More

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $46.77

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

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

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

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $117.40

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

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

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

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

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

Kindness Activist Funds Used:  $20.13

The power of connection over Elsa and Anna:  Priceless

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

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

Kindness Activist Funds Used:  $7.05

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

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

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

Kindness Activist Funds Used:  $55.46

 

Vegan Food, Flowers, and More

One thing that I find so admirable in people is the ability to be vulnerable.  It is not easy opening up, showing your “less than perfect” side.  Especially these days. It seems like everyone has filters on their Instagram photos and, if you believe people’s Facebook statuses, the whole world has happy marriages and perfectly adjusted children.

That’s why, when someone is willing to open up and be vulnerable, I take time to embrace it. 

One underused part of the Little Yellow Free Pantry is a special request box.  There are instructions on it in English and Spanish that say if you have a special food need, write your name, phone number, and what you need on a little card and leave it.  There is a pen in the box, too (though it often finds its way home with visitors and has to be replaced).

I check that little box religiously but rarely find any notes in it.  But Monday I did!  I opened it to find a card, folded in half, that said:

GUS (phone number)

Vegan.

Thank you!

(big heart drawing)

You can bet it wasn’t long after I found it that I gave Gus a call!  He was surprised that someone was actually getting in touch with him.  In fact, he was sort of speechless.  I explained that I found his note and just needed his shopping list.  He stammered, unsure of what to do.

So, we talked a bit.  I asked if he lived in the area.  Nope, he told me, he just happened to drive by the pantry when he was making some deliveries.  He explained that times are tough right now – he is between jobs.  He was almost out of gas when he noticed the pantry and stopped.  He said he is fasting for Lenten.  He is eating a vegan diet for the month and eating fish on Fridays.  I commended his efforts and again asked for a shopping list.  But he could only sputter out a couple of items.  I think that is when I told him how much I respected his vulnerability.  “You know, not many people are brave enough to put a note in that box,” I told him.  “And I am really glad you did.  I love when people are honest and up-front about what they need.  That’s what this whole project is here for.”  He confessed that it hadn’t been easy to write the note.  He said he stood squarely in front of the pantry as he wrote it, so that no one passing by could see him. 

After we talked a while more, I said, “Listen, Gus.  You need some TIME.  Let’s hang up.  You think about what you want!  Text you list back to me at this number, and I will shop for it!”.  The silence made it feel like he was pinching himself to see if this was really happening.  I asked if he had enough gas to come to pick the groceries up, and volunteered to deliver them if he didn’t. 

A few hours later his very carefully crafted shopping list popped in.  He is using an app to plan his meals, so the items he was requesting were very specific:

            Half an avocado

            A 1 inch piece of ginger root

            Half a bunch of radish

            1/8 a cup of pine nuts

And the like.  Well, Gus, you were brave, you were vulnerable, you deserve much more than HALF AN AVOCADO!  So, I loaded up 2 heavy bags of items that I had in pantry storage and we headed out to buy the rest (and more healthy things that were not on his list but he deserved).

Let me tell you, finding Nutritional Yeast Flakes was not easy!  But the 2^nd store had them, so we were good to go!  We drove over to Gus’ place and met him.  What.  A.  Cool.  Guy!  David and I both got a great feel from him.  He was thankful and kind.  He assured us if there was anything he didn’t need he would share it with others.  I sure am glad he stopped to write a note – I am glad we got to meet him!

Nutritional Yeast Flakes, baby!!

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $127.85

A neighbor recently posted in a Facebook group that she was looking for glow sticks for a “glow party” for a first grade classroom.  Well, she had me at GLOW STICKs, and I was ALL IN AT GLOW PARTY!!!  I mean, what even IS a glow party??  I wasn’t sure, but I knew I wanted to be invited!!

I told her I would hook them up then ran out shopping.  I panicked a bit when I couldn’t find glow sticks, but a clerk helped me (first she took me to the GLUE STICKS and I had to explain, no GLOW, not GLUE…).  I stocked up on all of the glow stuff I could find in 2 stores (blow necklaces, glow sticks, glow balls, glow wands – anything that had “glow” in the title went in my cart!) and dropped them off at the requestor’s home.

She contacted me after the glow party and told me that it went really well.  She said, “We really appreciate your going out and buying the glow in the dark things!  The kids voted on a “glow in the dark blanket party”, which is not something either of us teachers had ever heard of!  And of course, we were going to do the party the next day.  The lead teacher is nicer than I am, I would have either limited theme choices to stuff we could do overnight or postponed the party until Monday.  You really “saved our bacon”. “

 

1st grade GLOW PARTY!

The lead teacher sent this note to the students’ parents:  “The Glow in the Dark – Compliment Party.  Mrs. A and I were able to get some glow in the dark necklaces, bracelets, and balls.  Mrs. A. found an organization that provided our class with numerous items that the class enjoyed in the effort to celebrate their dedication to learning and kindness.  We even played a glow in the dark ball game.  How fun!  The students used their flashlights and glow sticks to read today.  Some used their blankets as tents while others held them.  The classroom looked very creative.”

Glad to do it, first graders!  Everyone should get to celebrate with a glow party (and teachers in the US should not have to spend money out of their pockets to make special events like that happen).

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $47.22

Another neighbor recently asked for an armoire in a group. 

She didn’t get the armoire, but she got a whollllle lot more.

She was looking for the armoire to solve a vexing problem, one that was delicate and probably a bit difficult to admit in public.  But it turned out when she admitted it, when she was willing to be VULNERABLE, people came out of the woodwork not only with suggestions and ideas, but with, “Us, too!  We have the same issue!!”.  All of the sudden she was not alone, plus she had creative ideas on how to try and solve the problem.

I did not have ideas to help her, but I DID have Kindness Activist funds, and time to go get her a special treat.  I left this on her doorstep:

Sometimes when you are down and having a hard day, you just need some flowers.  And chocolate.  And maybe wine.  They won’t make the difficulty go away, but they WILL remind you that there are many good things in life.

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $27.41

And finally for this report, my partner David was approached at the gas station by a woman who asked for $10 to help fill her tank.  She had an old truck, which was probably a gas guzzler.  At first David said no.  But as he filled up his own tank, he had a change of heart.  Gas is really expensive right now, and people who were already living paycheck to paycheck are obviously getting hit the hardest.

He went up to the woman and asked if she needed the gas to get to work.  She said yes, she is a security guard (her logoed shirt confirmed that).  He said he would be happy to put $10 in her tank, and proceeded to do so.

When he pulled out, the woman stayed at the pump.  She was asking others to pitch in $10, too.  I hope she got enough to fill that truck up.  And I hope she made it to work on time. 

This was such a good example to me of how when everyone pitches in, things can get done.

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $10.00

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!