Bicycle Kindness

Phoenix Bikes

I saw a post on Facebook written by A-SPAN – Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network.  It mentioned that Phoenix Bikes (which I had never heard of) had given a bike to A-SPAN client Mr. Johnson, who could now use those wheels to get himself to job interviews.  I was impressed that a bike shop would donate a bike and decided check it out.  What I found was not what I expected.

The gift of INDEPENDENCE - the ability to go to interviews and work!

First, there was ART.  Like, really cool ART.  Art made of bikes and bike parts. 

Before you even step foot inside - something is different...

Isn't this guy adorable?

Beautiful art against a blue sky. 

Then, there was COMMUNITY.  You could tell right when you walked into Phoenix Bikes that they are a community.  They were so welcoming!  And they seemed genuinely proud of the influence they have on the people whose lives they touch.  And they SHOULD BE PROUD!  I can’t believe that this gem of a place has been less than 2 miles from my house for almost a decade and I had never heard of them…

Phoenix Bikes in action

I thought Phoenix Bikes would be a BIKE SHOP.  You know, clean, fancy, rows and rows and spandex shorts, shiny helmets, and expensive water bottles for sale.  But I was wrong.

Now that I went in and looked around and talked to Maddie, the head of the Youth Program, I realize that the bike I read about them donating to A-SPAN was quite literally the tip of the iceberg.

Maddie at work

Phoenix Bikes is all about building a community and being a part of that community.  It is a non-profit bike shop.  People donate bikes (and get a tax deduction for doing so!) and Phoenix fixes them up and sells some of them.  And the profits from those sales go into doing fabulous things, like their YOUTH PROGRAM!

Any kids age 12 – 17 can go to Phoenix and learn to build a bike.  FOR FREE.  Like, no charge.  Isn’t that amazing???  Maddie told me that around 300 youth per year start that program (not all finish)  – learning all about bikes and what makes them work.  As part of the program, they make a GIVE-A-BIKE.  “Huh?  What’s a “give-a-bike”?” you may be wondering.  Well, a GIVE-A-BIKE IS A GREAT BIG BALL OF KINDNESS if you ask me!!

A give-a-bike is a bicycle put together by a young person and then donated to one these organizations:  A-SPAN, AFAC (Arlington Food Assistance Center), Alternative House, Linden Resources, OAR, or Phoenix House.  So you see, a GIVE-A-BIKE is what graced Mr. Johnson’s life (the man in the photo I had seen on Facebook, which started my curiosity about this bike shop!), giving him much needed transportation!  So some young person not only got to learn all about how to build and repair bikes, but they gave someone some much needed independence on wheels!!

A whole bunch of Earn-a-Bikes!

Once a youth has made their GIVE-A-BIKE, they can start building their EARN-A-BIKE!  Just like it sounds, the Earn-a-Bike is a bike they build for themselves!  They get to keep it.  AND THE WHOLE THING IS FREE.  It’s awesome! 

Phoenix Bikes also does some other cool stuff, like having “open shop night” the 1^st Thursday of every month, where people can bring their bikes in and use the tools and equipment in the shop.  I mean, WHO DOES THAT?  Like, what bike shop says, “Here, come use our tools to fix your own bike.  You don’t need to pay us to repair it.”  J   And every 3^rd Wednesday they host “All the Cycle Ladies” – a women’s only free bike repair workshop.  (I can only imagine the Beyonce music playing in the background during this workshop – all the cycle ladies, all the cycle ladies…)

Inside the shop

But if you DO want to pay someone to repair your bike, they will do it at a much cheaper price than a traditional bike shop.  They told me that a tune-up at a normal bike shop would cost around $130, PLUS parts.  But at Phoenix, they do tune-ups for just $76, and that includes $20 for parts!!  Now, some of the parts they put on might be used, but from what I could see they take great pride in their work and are going to make sure the bike you leave with is in tip top shape.

It is a small space (they are hoping for a larger one someday) with a small staff – 4 full time people and 1 part time. But they sure seem to have a great time working there!  It just looks like they are doing what they love. 

Paul working on a bike

Thanks, Phoenix Bikes, for being so KIND to the youth of our community.  And for teaching them not only bike repair and maintenance, but KINDNESS via your GIVE-A-BIKE program.  That is a lesson sure to stick with them throughout their lives.

Maddie and team, thanks for taking time to talk with me and letting me poke around your space a bit.  I enjoyed it!  If you live in the DC metro area, make sure you check out Phoenix Bikes.  And if you live somewhere else, see if you have a non-profit bike shop in your area! 

And, as always, if you receive, give, or see KINDNESS in action, please tell me about it!  I am always looking for more Kindness Activists.  Email me at:  kindnessactivist@gmail.com

Links to resources mentioned in this piece:

AFAC - https://www.afac.org/
Alternative House - https://thealternativehouse.org/
A-SPAN - http://www.a-span.org/
Linden Resources - http://www.linden.org/
OAR - http://www.oaronline.org/
Phoenix Bikes - http://www.phoenixbikes.org/
Phoenix House - http://www.phoenixhouse.org/

As if all the other amazing stuff they do isn't enough, they apparently teach kids to ride bikes, too.  :)

Neighborly Kindness

Our neighborhood has a listserve.  And a Facebook group.  AND a second Facebook group!  You would think, given all of those online resources, that we must live in a super close-knit, well connected community, maybe one with a fancy schmancy Home Owner’s Association (HOA) or even a big old fence around the whole area.  Or you might imagine that the neighbors all know one another, play Yahtzee together on Friday nights, and invite one another over for dinner.

But those ideas about our neighborhood would be wrong.  Because even though I belong to 3 different electronic groups whose memberships are made up of my neighbors, the truth is that I do not know many of them.  Oh sure, I know a few by name, and I know some enough to smile and say “hi” if they walk by while we are working the garden.  But we are not the type of community where we all really KNOW one another.

So all of that is to explain THIS:  a neighbor named Kia has been kind TWICE to us lately, and I have never even MET HER.  J  Isn’t that fabulous??

The first time she offered her kindness was in October.  I had a grand Halloween costume idea but lacked the necessary materials to make it, namely, I needed a BIG PIECE OF CARDBOARD.  For a couple of years I wanted to dress up as bacon (me) and a big egg (David), and this year we finally had the time to make the costumes!  Only, we had no big sheet of cardboard…

So I posted on our neighborhood Facebook group asking if anyone perhaps had a big box they could give us, like from a flat screen tv or a refrigerator.  Luckily for me, someone I didn’t even know replied that she indeed had a box and we were welcome to it!  She said they had just bought a new crib and if the box was big enough for what we needed we could have it!  She gave us the address for pick up and when we realized it was only, like, seven doors down from us we walked down to pick it up.

Yup, we had never met the neighbors seven doors down.  And even after we picked up the perfect box, we STILL didn’t meet Kia!  Her husband opened the door and gave us the box, but Kia was inside feeding the kids.  (The box worked perfectly!  It was just what we needed and David’s sunny side up egg was lovely!  It was the perfect complement to my bacon.)

Hey!  It is BACON and EGGS!!  (Egg made out of a cardboard box from a baby crib!)

Wait a minute, who is that?  Could it be - EGGS and BACON??? 

Fast forward to January when we got hit with a big blizzard.  We had, like, three feet of snow and we own one (old and bent up) shovel.  Let’s just say, we had our work cut out for us…  And Kia posted a super sweet message to the neighborhood Facebook group.  She said, “Hey neighbors, someone came by and shoveled not only my driveway, but several of my neighbors as well.  We’re new to the neighborhood so I’m not sure if it’s something the county does or a neighborhood good Samaritan.  I’d love to know who it was so we can thank them.  Anyone know?” 

Proof that the snow was DEEP - this is a row of rental bikes in our neighborhood.

I replied with a comment telling her it was NOT the county J and that sooomeone must have been very sweet to her!!  Later I sent her a private message asking her to share the identity of the mystery shoveler if she found out who it was so I could recognize them in this blog.

Well, not only did she tell me who did it (they will be recognized in a future kindness entry here), she offered to loan us her family’s ELECTRIC POWER SNOW SHOVEL!!  Yes, she didn’t even KNOW US and she was going to trust their fancy new tool to us!

Well, she didn’t’ have to offer twice – off we went to borrow it!  But wouldn’t you know it, when we knocked on the door, AGAIN WE DID NOT GET TO MEET KIA, the sweet person who offered us the shovel in the first place!  She was feeding the baby, but her nice husband was happy to loan us the shovel.

Isn't this cool??  Because it was so deep, we had to do layer by layer with the Power Shovel, but it worked! 

And though I must confess that the snow was a wee bit too deep for the electric shovel to be 100% effective, it sure was FUN to use!  More often than not I got snow thrown back on top of my head, but it was a sunny afternoon and the impromptu snow shower was fun!!  It made shoveling silly and a bit easier.  (And that electric shovel would be perfect if you had only a couple of inches to scoop instead of a couple of feet!)

I am sure this goes without saying, but after a few hours when we had shoveled all we could shovel and went to return the fancy electric shovel, you guessed it, no Kia… J 

We survived the Blizzard of 2016 :)

So this story proves that even if you do not officially KNOW someone, if you have NEVER EVEN MET THEM, you can still be super kind to them!!  You can make someone very happy even without ever having met them.

Thanks Kia – you are a Kindness Activist.  I will walk down to your house this week to deliver your Kindness button – wonder if I will officially finally meet you????!  J

I found this photo of Kia on her Facebook page.  I am putting it here so next time I see her walk by I will recognize her!  :)

Do you know a Kindness Activist?  Or maybe, like Kia, you don't even KNOW them, but they have been kind to you?  Tell me about them!  Send me details at:  kindnessactivist@gmail.com .  Let's share stories of kindness and make the world a more kind place! 

Reading Time Kindness

We went to a party at our friends’ house in the summer of 2011.  I am not a great “party person” – I typically feel a bit overwhelmed and unsure where to stand, who to talk to, how to “fit in” at events like that.  But at this particular party, I found a pal.  Her name was Mila.  The funny thing was, Mila and I couldn’t really communicate with one another.  She was 2 years old and didn’t speak much ENGLISH, and I was 45 years old and spoke NO Russian…  But we smiled a lot at each other, and skipped a bit, and ended up snuggling on the sofa looking page by page through a coffee table book of “Doors of Paris”.  J  We didn’t any words to turn the big pages and admire the photographs.  It was lovely.

I became Facebook friends with her mom, Erica, after that party and have enjoyed following their family adventures through FB.  We run into them every once in a while at plays or at parties at the same mutual friends’ house where we met.  Her mom recently posted photos of a VERY KIND thing they did, so I asked if she would share it with me for the blog and she was happy to.  I know that Mila and Erica will inspire you.  Here is their story:

“September is Children’s Cancer Awareness Month.  We have a personal connection to children’s cancer, since my daughter Mila was treated for a rhabdoid tumor at Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) in Washington DC and continues to go there yearly for long term care.  (NOTE:  Please see the end of this piece to learn more about Mila’s story.)

Mila when she was a baby at CNMC

My friend Amanda Ellithorpe works for Usborne Books.  Usborne will match dollars raised in BOOKS, so when Amanda asked if I wanted to partner on an initiative to raise awareness for children’s cancer and provide new Usborne books to cancer patients at Children’s National Medical Center, I was immediately interested. 

I am eternally grateful for the care Mila received at CNMC and I am happy to do anything to give back to them and their patients. I knew from our time spent there how fantastic the hospital is, and continues to be, including services like free books and other resources and gifts for patients and their families. 

Mila and Big Sister Fiona

Amanda and I know each other from when we both worked at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.  She lives in upstate NY now but we keep in touch over Facebook.  It felt so great to put the fundraiser up on Facebook and see the support begin!  We exceeded our goal of raising $1000 and raised over $1500 instead.  Mila had a great time selecting the books online for the donation.  

Donating the books!



As a result of that fundraising, 6 boxes of brand new Usborne books for kids of all ages and interest were donated to CNMC.  When we made the delivery to the hospital Mila was very personable with the staff (what else is new?!).  She isn’t afraid to tell people she was sick. I think it’s important for her to be aware of her medical history and keep the dialogue open and positive about her and our experience, and this project fueled that.

I can say first hand as a CNMC parent that it feels amazing to receive the kindness offered from not only the staff of the hospital, but from all of the programs that they offer, like this one, they have developed for patient services.  I will absolutely do a project like this one again. Who doesn’t want to duplicate kindness?  It feels fantastic.”

Erica's family - aren't they lovely?  You can see the kindness radiating.  :)

Isn’t that an amazing way to spread kindness??  Mila got to help give back to the very place that has been so important to her and her family.  Erica was kind enough to also share with me Mila’s treatment story, which is inspiring.  When I see the photos of Mila break dancing today it is hard to believe all she went through when she was a baby.  Here is her treatment story, as told by her mother:

“Mila is a survivor. On Memorial Day weekend 2009 we noticed a small lump on Mila's right shoulder. She was 4 months old. Within 4 weeks it had grown to the size of an egg. It was surgically removed on June 19 and we were told the tumor was malignant. The pathology results on the tumor cells indicated they were missing part of chromosome 22, known to cause a rhabdoid tumor, a rare form of children’s cancer. There are about 15 cases each year diagnosed nationally.

Tiny Mila exploring the halls of CNMC

The results of treatment were very uncertain because of the lack of statistically significant research on the type of cancer due to its rarity. From July 2009-January 2010 Mila receive 8 rounds of chemotherapy to eradicate the disease. She finished her treatments right before her 1st birthday. She received almost 100 scans to ensure the cancer hadn’t formed in other locations in her body. She was under the care of Jeffrey Dome, Chief Oncologist at Children's National Medical Center. Dr. Dome is a research specialist in pediatric solid tumors of the kidney, of which rhabdoid tumors is one. He was also Chair of the Children’s Oncology Group study for rhabdoid tumor - an international study that 200 children’s hospitals participate in.

We were lucky enough to have a facility like Children’s National Medical Center nearby in D.C. AND an oncologist on staff there who happened to be one of the national experts on Mila’s type of cancer. Lucky isn’t even a big enough word to describe it. In the weeks we spent on the 4th floor of the hospital, meeting other families whose children were in its care, we realized that some were traveling hundreds of miles each month to bring their kids to Children’s.

Mila officially RINGING THE BELL!!

Mighty Mila - a SURVIVOR

Mila has been cancer-free for more than 5 years now. In January of 2015 she ‘rang the bell’ at Children’s. She will continue to be in the care of doctors for aftereffects of the chemotherapy drugs, but you would never know in looking at her that she lived through cancer. She break dances, plays soccer, tortures her cat Tigger and studies French and Russian. She and her big sister Fiona are each other’s best friends – most of the time!

And she reminds us all every day that there is hope.”

Mila - now age 7 and cancer free

Thanks for sharing Mila’s story, Erica.  And thank you and Amanda for doing such a kind act for CNMC.  I am betting there is some little kid giggling while reading “Captain Underpants” at this very moment because of you.

MIGHTY MILA!

To learn more about Children's National Medical Center, see this link

To learn more about Usborne books, see Amanda's site at this link

Do YOU know of a KINDNESS ACTIVIST that I can spotlight?  Kindness activism doesn’t have to be a big, grand gesture – kindness comes in all shapes and sizes.  If you have seen, received, or given kindness, please take a moment to tell me about it.  Send me details at:  kindnessactivist@gmail.com .  Kindness SHARED inspires kindness.

83 Pairs of Kindness

It’s time to name a new KINDNESS ACTIVIST.  This one is easy – it is Brenda Dolinski.  Choosing her as a Kindness Activist was EASY, but figuring WHICH of her many kind acts to feature was TOUGH!  I hear through the grapevine about kind things she does for those around her very often, but she is very humble.  So when I asked her if she could tell me about one of the kind things she has done lately, she hemmed and hawed and said basically that she has been really busy with life, so hasn’t been able to do as many kind hings as she normally does…  
I call foul!  I know that statement is untrue, Miss Brenda!!  Oh sure, sometimes life gets a little overwhelming, and you might not have time to do the very involved, time consuming acts of kindness that you have done in the past.  But I know YOU and I know that even when you are BUSY, you still spread kindness wherever you go!! 

Brenda with Hershey, a very adorable little pet duck :)

So Brenda sent me an example of a kindness she did recently.  This is one that she basically implied “wasn’t a big deal” because she hadn’t focused much on kindness lately.  Ummm, I beg to differ…  How many OTHER people would think this creatively to both honor a loved one and help their community???  Here is what she told me:

“Every year I try to find something that; a. touches my heart, or b. makes me think outside the box. So when Grandma Ruth said that she, “Didn't want anything for her birthday,” I had the idea to collect socks to donate to one of the local men's homeless shelters in honor of her birthday.

My goal was to collect the same number of pairs of socks as she was celebrating number of years – so I wanted 83 pairs.  Guess what?  I made the goal, plus some.

Now THAT is a lot of socks!!  Lucky guys who will get those!!

I thought, what better to celebrate turning 83 years old – with 83 pairs of socks!!  Grandma Ruth is a Southern lady with a heart of gold. She is the type of person that always sees the best in the worst, and she would give her last dime to a stranger. So I thought that this would be a great gift for honoring such a giving lady.

Some people might think the idea is sort of silly – I mean, they were just SOCKS.  And I don't know who ended up with them after they were donated to the shelter or where they are now.  And do you know what – that is not for me to judge.  What I do know is that Nebraska weather is crazy, and if someone’s feet are in wet, dirty socks it can be painful and can make them very ill.

Grandma Ruth, a real sweetheart and very giving person

Look, in the end they were just pairs of socks - something you and I take for granted when we slide our feet into them in the morning.  But to those guys who got them, I bet they were a real gift.  

Next year maybe we I will coordinate sending care packages to veterans like I did a few years ago, or make blankets for the guys to celebrate Grandma Ruth’s big day. As for me, I am grateful for what I have, and hope a little gesture (like some man getting a new pair of socks) can let people know someone out there was thinking of them.”

I hope that Brenda’s kind actions will inspire YOU to spread some sunshine in the world. Cuz the world needs more kindness, and MORE SOCKS!  Please send me an email and tell me about a kindness you have been a part of (giver or receiver) – email me at kindnessactivist@gmail.com

Thanks for all of the good you do for the world, Brenda. 

Fresh Squeezed Kindness

This example of kindness is to show that helping others need not be difficult.  Heck, sometimes you don’t even really need to go out of your way!

When we were in Florida over the holidays we treated ourselves every morning with fresh squeezed orange juice.  This was possible because there is a cute little store there that has bags of fresh oranges – an employee brings in bags of them right from her grove and sells them very cheap ($6.50 per bag).  We love ‘em!  They are super juicy so obviously make great orange juice.

Ormond Beach, Florida December 2015

When it was time for us to hit the road and drive back to cold Northern Virginia, I took a moment to post this message to my neighborhood group in South Arlington:

“Perhaps an odd offer, but putting it out there... If you are missing summer, we are heading back to Penrose from Florida. There is a store here in Ormond Beach, FL that sells 1/4 bushels of oranges right off the tree for $6.50 per bag (really cheap J ). They are not FANCY oranges - different sizes, some have spots on the outside, they are not FANCY GROCERY STORE looking. But they make delicious fresh OJ. We have had it practically every morning while we have been here. 1 small and 1 large orange usually fills 2 juice glasses for us. If YOU would like a bit of summer in the winter, we have room in the car to bring some bags back. I could even drop them by your house on Monday. Just private message me and let me know how many bags ($6.50 each). The store doesn't always have a lot of bags as they are picked right from the owner's trees, so it depends how many she has brought in. But if there are bags and you want them, we will transport.smile emoticon You must let me know by 1:00 pm Saturday if you want some. HAPPY OJ DRINKING!”

Four people messaged me and asked for oranges.  So when we loaded the car to drive home, we had lots of citrus in back!  I delivered the oranges and I like to think it brought a tiny bit of sunny Florida to people.

Here come the sunny Florida oranges to cold Virginia neighbors!!

See, it didn’t cost me MONEY, the people paid for their own oranges.  It didn’t even really cost me gas money because everyone lived in the neighborhood so I didn’t drive far at all delivering them.  It just cost a tiny bit of time, and I like to think that I have that to spare!  And for that little investment of my time, some neighbors got a bit of kindness!

Here is what one neighbor said when she posted this photo after the blizzard:

 

“Last fresh fruit standing at our home.  Going, going – all gone!  Thanks neighbor!  They were yummy!”

Going, going - all gone!

And another neighbor said that they had a house full of teenage girls at a sleepover and served them fresh OJ for breakfast. 

Being kind is EASY.  And it spreads joy.  What can you do today to be a kindness activist???  Take a minute to tell me about it – send an email to kindnessactivist@gmail.com

7 Year Old Kindness

Kemper is 7 years old.  Vito is 97.  They are neighbors.  And buddies. 

Kemper is my great-nephew, and by that I mean the son of my niece, so great-nephew, and so a terrific nephew, so GREAT nephew!  He has the most kind heart of any child ever (in my proud aunt opinion).

 

Kemper, November 2015

But it isn’t just ME who thinks he is kind!  Everyone who meets him does!  This Thanksgiving I made “word clouds” for my family.  I had everyone email me a few words that they associated with each family member.  I then put those words into a “word cloud”, which makes the most mentioned words the biggest on the page.  It is easy to guess what Kemper’s big words were – “kind” was mentioned by 2 people and “kind hearted” was mentioned by 3 more!!  (People also associated “funny”, “smart”, “open minded”, “compassionate”, “fast”, and “Legos” with him J among other words, which I think all fit him perfectly, too.)

I called Kemper the other night to ask him about why he is so kind to Vito.  Here is what he told me:

Me:  Kemper, why do you do kind things for Vito?

Kemp:  He really needs help.  He is nice!  One day I went to his house to rake his leaves. 

Me:  Did you ask him to give you money for your work?

Kemp:  NO, I didn’t ask for money.  It was just volunteer.


Kemper raking leaves for his buddy



Me:  Did you rake the leaves by yourself?
Kemp:  Another neighbor lady came over and helped, too.  (Note:  I think sometimes Kemper’s parents help him at Vito’s house, too J .)

Me:  And how did helping Vito make YOU feel?

Kemper:  It made me feel good.  I felt good because I helped him out.  Being kind makes me feel good AND it helps Vito. 

Me:  How do you think it makes Vito feel when you do kind things for him, like rake his leaves?

Kemper:  He probably feels happy.  He smiled when he saw us raking. And he thanked us. 

Vito, age 97, and Kemper, age 7.  Buddies.

Me:  Will you do more kind things for him do you think? 
Kemper:  Yes!  Sometimes I bring his newspaper to him.  Sometimes when we make cookies we share them with him!  I have carried his trash cans for him. And I will probably shovel his snow.  (Note:  word on the street is that Kemper really wants to shovel for his buddy!)


Here is Kemp when he was the ring bearer in a wedding.  I shot this DURING the wedding.  :) 
He was taking a little break from the official ceremony.

Kemper’s mom, Ashlee, talked to me also and said that sometimes Kemper might be considered a little TOO kind!  Hahaha.  One example she gave is that last year his school had “stereotypical” lunch ladies, and this year they were all replaced with really sweet, nice ones.  But when asked which group of lunch ladies he prefers, Kemper “doesn’t want to make the old lunch ladies feel bad by complimenting the new lunch ladies” (even though NONE of the lunch ladies are present when he is asked the question!! J ).  That’s Kemper, always kind to everyone!!

I love this photo of Kemper in the outfield.  I think he was only 5 when I shot this, but it just feels so representational of Little League to me.  :)  By the way, Kemper is a really good ball player!

So you see, even 7 year olds get it!  Kindness is good.  Kindness is easy.  JUST DO IT!  Your Kindness Activist button will come in the mail soon, Kemper!!! 

Do you know a kind kid??  Or a kind adult??  Please send me an email at kindnessactivist@gmail.com and tell me a little about them!  I would love to declare them a KINDNESS ACTIVIST!

Bonus photo!  This was a project Kemper did recently at school.  Let's just say, his dad (whose name "coincidentally" is PETER, just like this colorful elephant!) is very proud of it.  Doesn't Kemp have good handwriting, too?