Amazon Kindness

Here’s the thing; I believe that people really WANT to be kind.

I think it is an inherent thing, maybe baked into our DNA.

We want to be kind.  But sometimes, we don’t know how.  We don’t see the opportunities.  We feel there is nothing WE can do.  We are too busy, too tired, too overworked, too OVERWHELMED with life to seek out ways to be kind.

But when presented with opportunity, many, many people jump at the chance to be kind. And that fact warms my heart and keeps my work as a Kindness Activist going.

Case in point: over the last 18 or so months I have been working on the skill of delegating.  This is a tough one for me.  I have always unconsciously been of the “the only way to do it right is to do it myself” mentality, but I’ve been working to unravel that thread in my head.  One way I have done that is by outright asking for volunteers. 

That is hard to do…  It is admitting you need help.  Admitting that you CAN’T do it all yourself.

But in the ASKING, you are also OFFERING.  You are offering an opportunity for others to be kind!  And that might be just what they are looking for!!!

This week I asked for help laminating a big pile of signs (signs that I had previously asked for help making and a lovely neighbor took on the task!).  A volunteer popped up right away for laminating – she came and picked up the signs and returned them perfect and lovely - all laminated - the very next day!  I also asked for help breaking down a big donation of rice into smaller sealed packets for the pantry.  Several people volunteered for that task and a mom and her son came over and did it. 

See, people want to be kind.  Kindness can be a gift of support, of help, of time.  I am going to keep trying to improve my skill of offering those opportunities to be kind to the world.

I was fortunate to witness a great act of kindness today!!  You may have seen me mention the Amazon man who bid in the online Kindness Auction.  If you haven’t heard of him, here is the story in a nutshell (then the act of kindness after I catch everyone up on who he is!):

We are hosting a huge community-wide yard sale October 14 and 15.  It is a fundraiser for Kindness Activist, an organization whose mission is simple – SPREAD KINDNESS.  Many, many people in the community donate items to be sold at the fundraiser and shoppers pay what they wish, with the understanding that all money raised will be used for kind acts.

The yard sale was supposed to be in September but got postponed due to rain.  That postponement means another month of our porch being full of boxes and donations.  Another month of having to put ropes up in front of the porch to “subtly” tell passersby that even though it may look like our porch is a yard sale, it is not open yet.

We get a lot of Amazon deliveries because kind people all over the country order from our Amazon wish list and send items to fill the Little Free Pantry outside our home.  So, it is not unusual for Amazon delivery drivers to be on our porch. 

But recently an unlikely interaction with an “Amazon man” happened.  The doorbell rang and my partner David answered.  An Amazon man was standing on the porch and had peered through the front door and spied a Messe Football/Soccer jersey hanging in our dining room.

“I want to buy that!” he told David.  David explained to him the sale was not on yet, and that the jersey in question was not for sale, but it was up for auction in an online auction.  He told him how it all worked and the man gave David his phone number so that we could send him the auction link.

We texted back and forth with him a couple of times, but he never bid.  I thought maybe he lost interest, but then he called us.  He needed help figuring out the system of the auction, so we walked him through it. 

As he was registering, he told us that he had played soccer his whole life and Messi is his favorite player.  He really “needed” that jersey!  He was so excited at the possibility of getting it!

When he finally got into the auction he placed his bid - $14.  Then he quickly placed a second bid - $15.  “You just outbid yourself!” I explained, laughing.  “I know!  But I WANT THAT JERSEY!  I am going to put $20!!” he exclaimed as he upped his bid again.

“Ohhh, there are MORE THINGS in the auction!!” he said.  He started to scroll as we talked and expressed interest in some jewelry.  “I am from Ethiopia, and I am going home soon to get married.  This jewelry would be very nice for my fiancé!”.

We enjoyed chatting with him a bit, then wished him a good night.  The concept of an auction seemed new to him, so David reminded him to keep an eye out for messages to see if he got outbid and needed to bid again (though secretly David told me he was going to keep bidding for the Amazon man if someone outbid him, because we were squarely in the TEAM AMAZON MAN corner by that point!).

The auction ended – Amazon man was the winner of the jersey.  We were really psyched for him.  When we woke up the next morning we found a text that had popped in at 1:48 am.  It was from him and simply read, “Halleluiah”. 

Now, here comes the first act of kindness in this story (well, really it’s the second, because the jersey itself was donated by a kind person!).  Anyway, another bidder, a friend, had seen my mention of the Amazon man in a post.  She contacted me and said, “If it was the Amazon driver who won the jersey for $20, I would like to pay for it”.

Isn’t that so sweet and KIND???

We didn’t tell the Amazon man that someone was treating him until he showed up this morning to pick up his jersey.  I brought it out to him, and he had the biggest smile!  “It is REAL!  It is FIFA!” he exclaimed.  I showed him that it was brand new, and he held it up proudly.  As David snapped this photo of him, the driver of a passing car honked and said, “Hey, I want one, too!” and we all laughed.

Then I told him the news that someone else had already paid for him.  He was stunned!  I explained that the auction was raising money to be used to spread kindness, and someone had given him an act of kindness by covering his cost.  He couldn’t believe it and was so thankful.

We talked a bit.  He showed us photos of his beautiful fiancé, who he will bring to America from Ethiopia this November. 

And before he left to start work for the day, he said, “May I still donate the $20??”.  I told him he did not need to, that his purchase was paid for already.  But he wanted to.  He wanted to help spread kindness, too!

So, this sweet man, this man who works very hard for a living driving and hauling heavy boxes, this man who is probably saving money to pay for his fiancé’s airline ticket and wedding expenses, reached into his pocket and donated $20.

And if that isn’t kind, I don’t know what is.

Salmon and Honey

When people stop to peruse the Little Yellow Free Pantry, because of the way it is situated, often I can only see their legs and feet.  Some legs and feet I recognize, others I do not.  So, today when I saw some unknown legs and feet, I popped outside to see who was there.

It turned out to be someone who hadn’t been to the pantry before.  I kept my distance so as not to frighten her and said, “Hello!” cheerfully.  She stepped to the side of the box and we could see one another.  She was a young-ish woman, very thin, who looked a bit scared and confused.

I approached with a smile and welcomed her.  She had a bag of chips in her hand that she had found in the pantry.  I asked her if there was other food she would like and explained that I would run inside and get it for her if there was.

She was shy and a bit overwhelmed I think.  “No, no, this is ok,” she said, showing me her tiny bag of chips. 

Then she asked what she must have been wondering, “WHAT IS THIS?  Why?  And why so GENEROUS?”.  Her English had a tell-tell accent that let me know this was not her first language, and that made it clear that culturally she had never seen a sight like the Little Yellow Free Pantry.

Her questions were not easy to answer, really.  Not to a skeptical soul.  But I tried.  “Because in this neighborhood, we believe that EVERYONE belongs, and that we all should have good food,” I tried.  Her eyes showed the trust had still not been gained.  “This food is not from ME,” I explained, “It is from EVERYONE,” (I gestured largely, though could never gesture large enough to explain to her that food arrives from strangers around the entire country who support this massive project).  “Everyone together gives.  Many people here do not have food to eat.”

This fact seemed to surprise her.  I could see the wheels spinning in her head and the lightbulb go off – YOU MEAN I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE?

“People visit all day, every day.  In the night, too!  If you come at night, the light will turn on so you can see the food,” I told her.  “Really???  But WHY?” she asked, her head still swirling with this strange concept.

Her “why” was not a question of “why do people need food”, but WHY DID THEY FIND IT IN THIS STRANGE YELLOW BOX ON A BUSY CORNER??

I smiled.  “Because.  Because here, in this community, we work together.  If we have food, we share.  If we do not have food, we come here to get some.  We work together.”

Eventually we built up enough trust that she was willing to tell me that she needed some canned fish.  I ran inside and returned with a basket full of items for her to choose from – an American mistake…  The trust that had been delicately built cracked when I handed her a bag and explained that she could put the items inside it to carry.

“No, no no!!!  Too much!!” she quickly objected.

Damn, why hadn’t i just gotten a couple cans of fish and started out slowly?  Sigh. 

I held up the can of salmon.  She smiled and let out a quiet “yes”.  Tuna?  Smile.  “Enough!  Enough!” she exclaimed. 

I quietly raised the bottle of honey.  “Honey??” I offered.  “Well, I do like honey…” she said quietly as a bit more of her guard dropped.

In the end she let me put a few items in the bag, including a can opener that she needed.  She said that she wanted to help me – what help could she offer?  She explained that she and her son are living in a hotel room but she is hunting for an apartment.  That hunt is proving difficult though, because the places she has checked will not let the two of them share a studio, which is what her budget would allow.  And in the meantime, the hotel is eating away at their funds.

I hope to see her again.  I am bad with names, so I have jotted hers down to try and remember it.  I told her I would love her help and that next time I see her walk by I may have a task for her to do.

In the meantime, she and her son will have fish tonight.  And honey.  And perhaps a bit more trust in this strange new world they are calling home.

 

If you would like to help keep the Little Yellow Free Pantry stocked, we would be grateful and honored.  Donations of shelf-stable, unopened, unexpired food are always welcome, as are full-sized toiletries (no medicines).  We are currently very low on:

-         Peanut butter (any kind)

-         Honey

-         Toothpaste (full sized tubes)

-         Jelly (any flavor)

-         Pop-Tarts (any flavor)

-         Ketchup

-         Soy sauce

-         Mustard

-         Relish

-         Mayonnaise

-         Cans of salmon

-         Spaghetti-Os

-         Cake mix

-         Jars of pickles (any kind)

-     Boxes of Jell-O (any flavor)

If you are local to the DC metro area, donations for the LYFP can be left in the tan and green plastic bin on our front porch near the front door.  If you are not local and would like to order via Amazon, please check out our wishlist here: LYFP Wishlist  . Anything ordered there will ship directly to our home and be put in the pantry storage area, then moved to the LYFP as needed. 

 

 

 

Tiny Dancer, Phone Bill, Groceries, and More

It has been a while since I wrote about how Kindness Activist funds are being used, so this seems like a good time to do an update! 

A neighbor recently told me that she got accepted to LAW SCHOOL.  This is a big deal, and I am so excited for her!  She is a single mamma of an adorable little girl. 

Tiny dancer (photo shared with Mom's permission)

Now, being a solo parent means managing a lot – work, kid’s school, sporting events, play dates…  And adding PARENT’S SCHOOL into the mix makes it even harder to balance.  So, when I saw the mom post that she was looking for someone to give rides to her daughter one night a week from dance class to home, I knew Kindness Activist could help out.  While we can’t commit to actually doing the DRIVING at this time, we COULD donate some funds to help pay for the drivers! 

This donation will help ensure a cutie patootie gets from dance class to home safely, and that mamma can fully focus on class and get a great start on law school.

Kindness Activist funds used:  $100

 

The Little Yellow Free Pantry is a food pantry that Kindness Activist runs in South Arlington, Virginia.  In addition to taking food right out of the pantry, guests have the option of leaving a note explaining what they need and their contact information.  We then arrange to get the items, contact the requester, and either ask them to pick up or we deliver. 

Some notes that were recently left in the Little Yellow Free Pantry

Recently a woman left a note saying that she needed cereal and food for lunches for her children.  This is a common need in the summer – some kids who get free breakfast and lunch during the school year no longer have that resource when school is out.  So, I contacted the requester to get an idea what types of food the children like.  She said, “We are not picky, just thankful”. 

Usually, we pack up items that we have on hand in the pantry storage area for requesters, but this time I ordered online and had everything shipped directly to the family.  They received lots of cereal, juices, mac and cheese, fruit cups, peanut butter, ranch dressing (why do so many kids love ranch??), and pickles 😊.  Those items, supplemented with things they get in the Little Yellow Free Pantry, will help to keep the children fed.

Kindness Activist funds used:  $67.58

 

Some expenditures are very small, but the outcome of them can be LARGE.

One of those is lottery tickets.

Lottery tickets are wishes, dreams, hopes, all squeezed onto a tiny sheet of paper.  They are keys that open the imagination:  IF I WIN, what will I do…  They allow the holder to suspend belief in reality for a few minutes – to instead think “what if….”.  And that, in my opinion, is why lotteries are so popular.  People must know that the chances of them actually winning is very, very, very slim.  But everyone with a ticket gets the chance to fantasize and dream.

So, the other day when the lottery jackpot got really, really high, I bought a ticket for me and a ticket for my partner David when I was at the grocery store.  Did I actually think we would win??  Well, I hoped we would, but I didn’t logically think we would… 

Spoiler alert - David and I did not win

I used the self-check a bit later with my groceries and noticed that the store employee working in that area seemed tired and a bit sad.  Seeing that got me dreaming about her – what if she won millions of dollars!!  What would she do???

I popped back over to customer service and bought another ticket.  I handed it to the self-check employee.  “This is for you.  Good luck!” I said and quickly walked away. 

Did I think she would really WIN the big prize??  I guess not.  But I hoped that the ticket gave her license to dream a bit.  And I hope that she won something.  I doubt I will ever know.

Kindness Activist funds used:  $2

 

Sometimes we get mail delivered to our house that is not addressed to us.  Usually it is for a neighbor, and I just walk to their house and redeliver it.  But recently, we got mail for someone whose name I didn’t recognize.  I had opened it before looking at the name, assuming it was ours, but it turned out to be a stranger’s cell phone bill. 

I looked for the name online and found a Facebook account.  I sent a message to the person, but since we are not Facebook friends they did not see my note.  The bill showed that the customer was not set up to auto-pay their account.

Now, I could have driven or walked to the address on the bill and handed it over…  But I decided that paying it would be a fun act of kindness!  I added an additional message on Facebook explaining about Kindness Activist and letting them know that their bill was taken care of for the month, but again, the message went undelivered.

I wonder what they thought when they got their statement the next month and saw a payment… 

Kindness Activist funds used:  $73.30

 

We were at WalMart recently getting groceries.  As we were finishing up, I noticed a man at the self-check who was struggling to use the system.  I love ringing up groceries, so I asked if I could assist him.  He explained that he didn’t know how to ring up his jalapenos (they didn’t have a SKU to scan, he needed to pull up the produce screen and find them).  I showed him how to do it and he smiled and thanked me.

Then I explained that I (Kindness Activist) would like to pay for his groceries.  He was stunned.  He asked me a couple of times if I was sure, and I returned the smile and assured him that yes, I was sure.

His bags were full of meats and canned vegetables and salsa.  It looked like he was finishing a hard day of work and stopping to get food for his family.  I paid, and he thanked me repeatedly.  He wore a cross necklace, and as we all walked into the parking lot, he said, “God bless you”.

What he didn’t know is that the interaction with him had “blessed” me.  You see, he reminded me of Hector, one of my dad’s roofers.  I am not sure if I ever met Hector in person, but I remember my dad talking about what a great guy he was, such a hard worker.  My dad died in 2018, and Hector died tragically this summer (2023).  They suspect that his metal ladder hit an electric line and he was killed. 

So, this act of kindness made me think of Hector and my dad.  Dad was a shining example of kindness in my life.  He would give you the shirt off his back (and I am sure that Hector benefitted from Dad’s generosity and kindness many times). 

My dad - surrounded by his daughters

Like so many acts of kindness in life, the giver sometimes gets as much (maybe more?) than the receiver.  The stranger got a cart full of groceries, and I got memories of my dad.  And you can’t put a price tag on those.

Kindness Activist funds used:  $151.49

Clean Clothes of Kindness AGAIN!

There are some things in life that HAVE to be done, regardless of your lack of time, lack of motivation, lack of energy, or lack of funds.  And one of those things is LAUNDRY.  There is only so long you can wear that pair of jeans or sleep on those sheets before, well, they simply must be washed.

Now, I live a life of privilege, and having access to a washer and dryer in my own home is proof of that.  I can simply carry a basket of dirty clothes to my basement, put a load in the washer, and go about my business.  I am even privileged in the DETERGENT category – I have a membership to a big box store, so I can buy a BIG box or jug of detergent, saving me money. 

But many, many Americans do not have the same privileges that I do.  For lots of people, the laundromat is a way of life.  So recently, for the second time, Kindness Activist hit up a local laundromat to pay for some strangers’ laundry!  And it was fun!  We had one item that needed a big commercial washer to clean (a duvet), so that was just the excuse we needed to go into a laundromat and treat people to free cleaning.

We started by cashing a $20 bill into quarters.  Then we realized we needed another $20 for this mission.  We were going for it!

Now, when we did this kind act last year in Arlington, Virginia, it was an interesting social experiment (link to that story at the bottom of this post).  Several people that we approached declined our offer to pay for their laundry.  Maybe it was our approach?  Who knows.  But I went into this mission in Ormond Beach, Florida steeled for a bit of rejection. 

But honestly, not much rejection happened!!  People were surprised and happy when we approached them and offered to pay for their laundry.  We paid for a mom and daughter’s several loads.  We paid for 2 elderly women’s drying (they had started their washers before we arrived).  We paid for a young man’s drying (again, the washing was going when we got there).  We paid for several loads a couple brought in.  And we had a good time!

Three people we met stood out.

1.      A man probably in his late 30s was loading up his dryer.  My partner David approached him and explained what we were doing.  He said, “It’s ok, I’ve got it.  Please use that money for someone who needs it more than me”.   After he got his machine going, he walked over to us and gave us a $5 bill.  “Here, get some more quarters so you can help more people,” he told us.  Heart.  Melt.

2.     A woman had a big basket full of dirty clothes and I approached and told her that the laundry was free tonight.  She couldn’t really believe what was happening until I showed her the quarters…  She was so delighted!  After the washers were going, she came over to talk with us.  “I don’t want to be nosey…  And if you don’t want to answer that’s fine.  But…  Are you Jehovah’s Witnesses?” she asked quietly.  We explained that we were not, then I asked her if she was, and she smiled and said yes.  She thanked us several times and told us the story of her car having trouble just today when she was driving across town.  She has an appointment to take it into the shop tomorrow, so not having to spend money on clean clothes was perfect timing.

3.     A man came in with a backpack and bag full of dirty clothes.  From his appearance, I guessed he might be living on the street.  David went up and explained that we were paying for everyone’s laundry tonight.  Boy was he happy!!!  He said he hadn’t been able to wash clothes for 3 weeks because he didn’t have enough money.  When David offered laundry detergent, he gladly accepted it.  “Oh great!  I just have dish soap,” he said, “And really, all that does is make bubbles…”.  Once his load was in, he set about doing all of the other things that a trip to the laundromat could include, like charging his phone and using the bathroom.  I saw him peek in a trash can and pull out an empty small bottle that had held detergent.  I wondered what he planned to do with it, but I didn’t need to wonder for long.  He added some water and used that diluted soap to spot clean his dirty backpack.  Ingenious!  The clothes he was wearing were quite dirty and I wished that he could throw those into the wash, too, but that isn’t possible when you are doing laundry in public instead of in a home.  When his load was finished, I went up and said, “OK, which dryer?  Let’s get these done!” and he explained that he couldn’t stick around to dry them, he was going to fold them up and leave with them wet.  “I am on a bicycle,” he explained, “I can’t ride after dark, I don’t have a light.  If the cops get me, that’s a $36 ticket.  And that would be TWO tickets…”.  Ahh, so he must have an unpaid ticket in that backpack.  Oh boy.  David and I looked at each other and both said, “I wish we could just buy him a bike light”.  It’s moments like that when it hurts – you can’t save the world, no matter how hard you try.  At some point, you have to accept that what you have done is enough.  The man took off his dirty shirt and replaced it with a clean, wet one.  And as he left with his heavy bag of wet clothes, he thanked us again and shook our hands.  He was very grateful.

 

Just then the man who had given $5 came back inside to retrieve his clothes from the dryer.  David went up and quietly thanked him again for the donation and said that the man now going out the door had clean clothes because of his generosity.  Well, the donor reached for his wallet and went out the door, turning in the direction of the man who had left with his big bag of wet clothes.  We don’t know what happened because we were still inside.  Maybe he gave the man some money, maybe he offered him a ride somewhere, we aren’t sure.  We do know that when we left, the man with the bicycle was still outside and the sun had gone down.  Three police cars with lights on were in the parking lot and had a car pulled over. 

 

        I hope he has a place to lay those wet clothes out to dry.  I hope he didn’t                    get another $36 ticket.  And I hope he is happy and peaceful.

 Kindness Activist funds used:  $37

Donations that came in and were used on the spot:  $5

Link to previous story about the laundromat:  Clean Clothes of Kindness

Kindness Around the World

Kindness Activist began as a simple blog in December 2015 as a way to share stories of kindness with the few people who found their way to the site.  But in the 8 ½ years since this project began, it has grown much more than I could have ever imagined and afforded me opportunities to share stories of kindness with people literally around the entire world.  

You see, this simple act of talking openly about kindness has caught on!  And it has opened doors for me with major media outlets.  But some of my favorite Kindness Activist “bookings” are talks with real people.  Talks with troops of Girl Scouts, helping them brainstorm on what their kindness project should be about.  Talks with groups of high school students.  And recently, a virtual talk to university students around the world.

Heram is a beautiful young woman from Afghanistan.  She and her family stayed with us in our basement apartment as they were getting their lives together and starting over after fleeing Kabul during the war.  Heram is now in university and was part of a program which required her to organize an event as the final project.  She reached out and asked if I could give a Kindness Activist talk, and of course I said yes!  I was honored to be invited to speak. 

The talk was early Mother’s Day morning, and there were technical glitches with the video platform, so turn-out was low.  But as so often happens in life, just the right people were present!  You see, as part of the talk, I offered to sponsor some Kindness Activism.  I said that if anyone would like to host a Kindness Activist project, I would give them $100 to fund it.  The only stipulation was that they had to agree to write a story about the project afterwards and share photos or drawings so that I could post about it here on the blog and account for how the money had been used.  And three people contacted me shortly after the talk and expressed interest in joining in the activism.  One sent me this email:

“Dear Ms. Susan,

I hope this email finds you well. This is Sitara. I want to express my sincere appreciation for the activism you have demonstrated. Your efforts have truly inspired me, and I hope to follow in your footsteps to make a positive impact in my own community.

Currently, I am in Kyrgyzstan, and I am deeply committed to helping children in need in my country (Afghanistan). I would greatly appreciate your guidance and support as I embark on this journey.

My goal is to bring smiles to the faces of as many children as possible, and I am eager to contribute in any way that I can. I would be honored if you could provide me with any advice or resources that could help me achieve my goals.

Once I have helped the children in my community, I would be more than happy to share their stories and photos with you.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

See???  This movement is spreading around the world!!  Here was a young Afghan woman, now living in Kyrgyzstan, reaching out wanting to do a Kindness Activist project!!

I replied, and her next message said this:

“I hope this email finds you well. I apologize for the delayed response, as I was occupied with my final exams. Firstly, I wanted to express my admiration for your idea of having genuine conversations with children. It truly resonated with me, and I have actually put it into action.

Recently, I initiated a hybrid project for high school girls in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, due to current circumstances, they are unable to attend regular schools. However, I discovered that engaging in small conversations, actively listening to them, and understanding their perspectives creates a profoundly positive experience for both parties involved.

While I am currently not in Afghanistan, I am fortunate to have my sister who consistently supports me in implementing projects back home. With the potential funding you may provide, I plan to channel it towards assisting children under the age of 15 who are working on the streets. These children have never had the opportunity or resources to indulge in simple pleasures such as toys and candies.

Thank you for considering my proposal, and I eagerly look forward to discussing it further with you.”

Of course, I said yes to this amazing proposal and we set about getting funds to her.  Only, how does one get money to Kyrgyzstan??  Turns out, you do it via Western Union!  I decided that a project of this scope needed more than the proposed $100, so I doubled it and Sitara picked it up at a bank in Kyrgyzstan and set about spreading kindness!!

And, just as she had promised, when she had completed her project, she wrote to me and sent photos (which are beautiful).  Here is the report she sent of her amazing act of kindness in Afghanistan:

Bringing Smiles and Joy: Kindness Activism Program in Balkh, Afghanistan

“On May 28th 2023, Mazar staged an exceptional Kindness Activism Program – meant to make poor street children happy and spread joy amongst those in need at Balkh province in Afghanistan. With a budget worth approximately $200, diligent volunteers put together various entertaining toys coupled with delicious goodies enough for about 30 worthy recipients aged between 4 and 13 years old. This report provides a comprehensive narrative around this impactful event showcasing its effects on beneficiaries' grateful expressions especially among its main stakeholders: vulnerable street children within the locality. 

The Kindness Activism Program rose from committed volunteers who shared an intense yearning to bring forth transformation within underprivileged children's lives. The communal initiative kicked off early in the morning, at a central location, with volunteers organizing various assortments of exciting toys – from dolls, cars, puzzles to sports equipment coupled with pleasantly flavored snacks that truly delighted their young beneficiaries.  The team ventured out on a journey through the city streets seeking deserving kids living in tough conditions or those often witnessed on city streets. 

It was an eye-opening experience for both beneficiaries and volunteers since they met numerous youngsters who endured hardship beyond their age but still sustained remarkable resilience and optimism. Indeed, this Kindness Activism Program had profound effects; it touched almost every recipient's heart as they expressed an open flow of gratitude while sharing inspiring stories with all those involved. For instance, eight-year-old Ali cherished his first-ever toy gift profoundly and pledged always to take good care of it! Such affirmations highlight the power of kindness and how it can transform people's lives even when faced with adverse challenges.

The Kindness Activism program in Balkh province, Afghanistan, was a resounding success, leaving a small but lasting impact on the lives of a group of street and poor children in Mazar Sharif. The distribution of toys and snacks brought smiles, a sense of belonging, self-worth, and hope. The heartwarming gratitudes from Ali, Omar, and Sajjad showcased the transformative power of kindness. The program highlights the importance of collective action and partnerships. The program's success calls for continued efforts to bring joy, hope, and empowerment to underprivileged youth, creating a world where everyone has equal opportunities to thrive.”

Isn’t it so perfect??  This project touched so many lives!  It brought joy to children whose lives have been filled with war and uncertainty.  And it allowed a group of volunteers to come together with a common goal to spread kindness.  This act of kindness stretched across 3 countries:  funding from the United States of America, project management from Kyrgyzstan, and execution by volunteers in Afghanistan!

If you haven’t believed me before when I said over and over that talking openly about kindness starts kindness ripples, perhaps this story will convince you!

Two other attendees of the virtual talk on Mother’s Day will also have projects funded by Kindness Activist.  One woman, an American, would like to buy books to distribute to children in UGANDA, where she is currently living.  I am looking for someone who has an in to a website where we can get a good deal on BOOKS and make the funding for her project go further.  If you know of a good discount online book ordering site, please email me at kindnessactivist@gmail.com .  The other upcoming project is yet to be determined but will be run by two brilliant children in Virginia.  I am guessing as soon as school is out for the year they will put their heads together and decide what they would like to do.

Sitara, THANK YOU for sharing your story of Kindness Activism.  It was an honor to fund your grand idea.  I am so thankful that there are young people like you in the world.  You give me hope that somehow, someway, this world will become a kinder place.

Kindness Activist funds used:  $200

Flight of Kindness

Do you ever consider your INTERNAL thoughts?  The ones that seem to pop into your brain automatically, perhaps uninvited.  They are thoughts that can usually be dismissed, but I recently took time to examine some of mine, because they seemed very worthy of introspection.  They are thoughts I am not proud of, but I will share them here with you in the hopes that they may teach you the same lesson they taught me.

I took a flight on a small-ish airplane recently.  You know the kind – two seats on either side of the aisle.

(And see, saying “you know the kind” presumes from the get-go that you and I have a shared experience.  That we both have been inside just such an airplane, so that when I say, “two seats on either side of the aisle”, you immediately conjure up a mental image of the plane, perhaps even imagine yourself in that scenario.)

Anyway, I was recently on a small-ish airplane.  I got to my window seat and did my usual; window shade UP, armrest DOWN, seatbelt ON – good to go.  Then my seatmate arrived.  And this is when my internal thoughts started swirling…

My seatmate plopped down in the aisle seat and put all of her gear on the floor in front of her feet.  I wasn’t polite enough to even say hello, I kept my eyes glued to my phone screen (I warned you that I am not proud of this story…).  The flight attendant came by and said, “Ma’am, all of your items need to be under the seat in front of you…” in a rather cranky voice.  I wasn’t looking but could feel my seatmate look at the flight attendant, but not move to squish her (rather large) haul of items under the seat.  “Ma’am…” he said more exasperated, “Everything needs to go UNDER the seat.  This area (gesturing to the floor where her feet were covered with stuff) needs to be CLEAR in case of EMERGENCY…”.  Ahhh, that explanation seemed to work, she stuffed and squished her stuff up under the seat.

My internal thoughts were working overtime by this point.  “Why did she think she was so special that she could just leave her stuff on the floor?  Why does she have that big BLANKET with her?  Please lady, keep the blanket on YOUR SIDE.  And a pillow too?  And why, of all flights, is THIS the one that I forgot my mask in the carry-on they made me check planeside.  Ugh.” 

Pretty soon we started taxiing.  And shortly after that, I felt my seatmate’s arm go up, her phone point toward the window.

I tried to ignore what felt like a weird gesture…  Then I realized, wait, she is FILMING as we taxi…

“But lady!” my negative, mean internal thoughts swirled.  “We aren’t even in the AIR yet.  This is literally the tarmac – concrete…  Not gonna be the best video…  And you are in the AISLE seat.  Why didn’t you book a window seat if you want to make a documentary here???”

She kept her camera up, filming.  I kept my head down, looking at my phone.

After a while, she let out a little squeal, maybe more of a squeak.  It was SOME sound.  I must’ve let my negativity show on my face because she quietly said, “Sorry!  First time flier.  I gotta film this for my babies.  They’ve gotta see this!”.

Ahhhhh, ok.  Some of this was starting to make sense.  “Ah, that’s ok,” I told her, then added, “It’s gonna be a while before we actually take off”. 

She stopped filming for a bit and told me again that she was a first time flyer.  As we got to the end of the runway I let her know we would lift-off soon, and up came her camera again.

Her phone inched into “my space”, but it felt different now.  I understood the reason behind the excitement, the awkwardness.  This was new!  She was a grown woman experiencing flight for the first time. 

I tried to place myself in her shoes.  I thought back to my first flight – I was in high school and flew from Omaha, Nebraska to Washington DC.  I remember my parents had prepared me a bit for what to expect.  They told me that someone would come around and offer me a pop (soda) and I wouldn’t need to pay - that seemed to be the most memorable of the instructions. 

Oh, my seatmate was happy.  As we lifted off, she said on her video, “Look!!!!  We are leaving the earth!”.  Her voice was filled with joy and wonder.  As we got to the clouds, she was amazed.  “LOOK – THE CLOUDS!!!” she told her children on the video.  And she was not narrating the video just for THEM, she was gleefully expressing her thoughts aloud.  I watched out the window with her.  When I fly I often I close my eyes before take-off and am fast asleep by the time we are airborne.  Or I keep my nose buried in games on my phone.  But her wonder was contagious and I watched the magic unfold outside the window with her.  “Don’t the clouds look like COTTON CANDY???” I offered.

After a while she pulled the big pizza box out from where she had shoved it and had a few bites of pizza.  The flight attendant brought her a Coke.  She opened her phone and watched videos of her children, and when she noticed me peeking showed them to me.  She has a ten year old and a one year old, and it was obvious she was very proud of them.  They were adorable.

She told me that she had missed her flight in Charlotte, her layover city.  “I got off the first plane, see, and I went to go pick up my bag.  I thought that’s what you do.  Only, when I got my bag, by that time my plane for Florida was already leaving…  Now, why didn’t the man tell me that?  He looked at my ticket.  Why didn’t he tell me my plane was leaving??”.  That broke my heart.  I mean, in the grand scheme of things, missing a flight wasn’t that big of a deal.  But she didn’t have someone like I had for my first flight.  No one sat her down and explained the system – that she didn’t need to claim her bag until the END of her trip.  And that lack of explanation led to her having to go through security in two airports and missing a flight.

As we started to descend, I showed her the ocean and how it looked from the sky.  We saw a ship.  When we got over land, we saw a river and a road.  “Look, see the cars?” I pointed out.  “OH!” she laughed, “They look like toys!!”.

As we got close to the airport, I pointed out the big attraction that we could see from above – the Daytona Speedway.  “Oh!  I know that place!!!  I was there!  That’s where my truck died!  My kid had to sit in the parking lot there!!”.

And that is when more of her story came out.  Earlier she had driven her truck, filled with 8 people, from Virginia to Daytona Beach, Florida.  They must’ve come to Florida for vacation.  But the truck had died…  They ended up having to rent a car to get home, and stay in a VRBO home, too.  Those expenses had not been planned, nor had the cost of the truck getting towed.  So now she was flying back alone to try and get the truck to work and bring it home. 

She told me how much the truck was going to cost to get out, I think it was something like $1,200.  She explained that renting the car had been hard because car rental places won’t take a DEBIT card, you have to use a CREDIT CARD.  “So, I borrowed money from the debit card to pay for the credit card,” she explained.  Again, my facial expressions must have given away the fact that I did not know such a thing was possible.  “Oh, you can DO THAT!” she told me, “Only if you know how to do it!  And I do!” she told me proudly.

She explained that her insurance company might give her some of the money to pay for reclaiming the truck.  “Oh, they will mix it into my premium, but that’s ok with me,” she said.  Sure, anything to get her vehicle, her freedom, back.

Then she told me, “I have nothing.  I am landing here and don’t know where I am gonna stay or how I am gonna get there.  But I am not walking, that isn’t safe,”.  This woman had flown to Florida to reclaim her transportation (which I am sure she desperately needs) and didn’t even have a room for the night…  Oh...  

As we were getting off the plane I asked if she had checked a bag.  Even though we were in a small airport, I felt a sense of obligation to help her navigate her way into the warm Florida sunshine.  “They made me check the bag.  Didn’t make sense, it is the size of a purse!  Don’t know why they wouldn’t let me just hold it,” she said.  Ahhh, so her bag must’ve arrived on the flight she missed…  This would be trickier to figure out, so I decided to stay with her.

I realized that I had never bothered to ask her name.  It felt strange doing it then – like we had been friends for a while and I had to admit I didn’t know how to call her.  I asked, and she smiled and said, “Courtney with a Q!!”.  Ahhh, Qourtney.  Cool name!  I told her mine and introduced her to my partner when he found us in the airport.  He commented on her box of pizza and she said, “This is a $13 pan pizza, I am eating every bite of it!”.  Oh yeah, airport food…

We helped her find her bag.  I told her the area around the airport was safe.  And I gave her a Kindness Activist business card and $50.  I told her it wasn’t much but that it was raised to use to spread kindness and that I hoped it would help her out a bit.  She had not asked for any money, and I hope that she understood that the $50 was out of kindness, not out of pity.

She made me think, Qourtney.  She made me analyze those internal thoughts I had when she first sat down next to me.  It hadn’t occurred to me that this might be her first time flying.  I hadn’t thought about what the reason for her trip might be.

And it hadn’t occurred to me until I sat down later to think how similar she and I are. 

You see, on my first flight of the day (just hours earlier), flying out of my hometown, a town I fly in and out of a lot, I pulled out my phone.  And I held it up to the dirty airplane window.  And I snapped these photos.  Photos of how beautiful the earth looks like from the sky.  How magical things appear when you see them from a different angle. 

 

And in those few hours between when I could see the wonder of flight and when I met my seatmate, I had become colder.  Judgmental.  Less open.

Thank you for the reminders and the life lessons Qourtney.  I hope that you found a safe place to stay.  I hope that your truck can be repaired.  And I hope that you have a safe drive back to your babies. 

We are all so much more alike than we notice. 

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $50