Kindness Activist

05/14/2026

Edit - lemonade stand volunteers have been found!!

But we still need more kind kid vendors! Does your kind kid like to paint rocks? Do they make perler bead creations? Do they draw pictures? Maybe tell jokes or do magic tricks?? They can have a booth at the Kind Kid Market! Message me for details.

We also still need 2 kind adults/teens to help manage the market.

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Needed:

2 or 3 kind kids to sell lemonade at the Kind Kids Market! This Sunday, May 17th, 10 am - 1 pm (would ask that the kids arrive at 9:30 am and that an adult stay with them to supervise). Lemonade and cups supplied - just need the kids! :)

2 or 3 kind adults/teens to assist at the market. Will help set up, control chaos, and pack up. 9:30 am - 1 pm Sunday May 17th.

Outside at our home in South Arlington, VA. Should be a fun time!!

(Photo from a previous lemonade stand :) )

05/13/2026

I'm sitting out on the front porch after a long day at work. I'm starting a new project (yes, before I've completed all of the other projects...).

Anyway, a neighbor gave me a page a day calendar she didn't want. It's a calendar of BADASS AFFIRMATIONS. Each page has a badass affirmation, then a quote from a famous woman. Just found this one and I love it.

05/12/2026

It often feels magical meeting new pantry guests, but it doesn't usually end in ACTUAL magic.

This morning it did. A cup of coffee. A conversation. And some magic.



Story at link:

I got to chat with a new pantry guest early this morning. Well, they are not a “new” guest I guess. I mean, I have seen them before. But...

05/12/2026

A very kind human named Kate donated several beautiful floral bouquets to Kindness Activist. We planned to put them one by one in the pantry, but then another idea struck...

The first bouquet went to a kind kid who came to pick up the gift he made for his mamma for Mother's Day. He told his mom they HAD to come get it on Mother's Day, not a day sooner (even though it was ready earlier :) ). Grandma came with them for pick up. I asked him quietly, "Did you get a gift for your grandma??" and he shook his head no. "Hold on one minute!" I said and ran inside. I came back and asked Grandma to please turn around, and while she was not looking, I slipped the flowers to the little boy. He was quite proud to present them, and Grandma looked very happy.

Then we loaded the rest of the bouquets up in the car and off we drove, searching for women waiting at bus stops! It was very fun to surprise them with flowers. I was careful not to say "Happy Mother's Day" as I presented the gifts, sensitive to the fact that the holiday is sad one for some people. Recipients at 3 bus stops were pleasantly surprised and delighted to receive such lovely gifts from a stranger.

Spreading kindness is easy. It doesn't take a lot of money. It doesn't take a ton of time.

It just takes an open mind, an open heart, and a smile.

05/08/2026

Lest you get the impression that hosting a Little Free Pantry is easy, may I present this morning's view:

A single can of potatoes.

And a whole shelf of BOOKS.

The single can of potatoes is normal for my first visit of the morning, but the 15 books in a PANTRY is odd...

Oh, and here's a pic of yesterday's small toiletry haul - many of which are half empty, all of which were shoved into nooks and crannies of an already full pantry.

Not shown: the half-eaten bag of dried beans that was left, not knotted or tied, just open on the shelf.

All within about 18 hours.

GRANTED - during that same time period, many amazing donations also came in! Cookies. Crackers. Heat and eat meals. Fruit. Soup. Things that will get put out and eaten soon.

But ugh - sometimes it is a wee bit frustrating (and a lot of work). Even with clear signage and instructions, we still are gifted items in rusty, dusty old cans that expired 6 years ago :( .

OK Susan.
Deep breath.
Bit of sunshine on your face.

Ahhh yes.

Annnnnd - we begin another day.

P.S. - anyone interested in a book? :)

P.P.S. - I hope I do not sound cranky or ungrateful. I just like to keep it real, and that means sharing the good with the bad.

05/06/2026

Shout out to the woman who took the time to greet me this morning.

I was out in the rain with no umbrella (nearly impossible to hold an umbrella while filling the pantry, and hunger doesn't stop just because rain drops are falling).

She rolled down her car window and said, "Good morning, good morning! God bless you for EVERYTHING you do".

What she didn't know is that just yesterday, not once but twice I had heard people yell really hateful things out their windows. Not at me, but at others. Both instances included the "f bomb", one was directed at an elderly woman with handicapped license plates. I had just been mulling those moments of hatred over before this kind woman greeted me.

So I guess what I wanted to say this morning is this: be the human who choses the kind path. It's not hard. I promise it will make you feel good.

Now go out there and be kind today. Please.

05/04/2026

Ohhhh it's a good night to take a walk if you live in South Arlington....

Not only is the weather gorgeous, but we've declared it CUPCAKE NIGHT!!!

Our little friend Hanora had 125 mini cupcakes left over from her birthday party and she gifted them to us!!! Guests at the Mother's Day event ate lots of them, but we are handing out the remaining ones tonight! They are one bite of heaven!

Walk by!

05/04/2026

Full report on Mother's Day 2026 kid gift making coming soon (when I am not so exhausted), but the short version is:

IT WENT GREAT!

Kids streamed in 11 am to 3 pm (and a couple of stragglers after that) and all survived and finished the gifts!! 🙂

For the first time this year, we had a "pamper the mothers/grandmas/mother-figures" event in the backyard while the artists worked out front. It was lovely! We had henna (thank you Charlotte Menard). We had fancy glasses to drink from (thank you Duffy Winters). We had outdoor reiki (thank you Jessica Browne-White). We had cookies, cupcakes, cheese, crackers, fruit, bellinis, and David's famous punch (thank you David Gaines).

And the kids enjoyed snacks, too, only not quite as fancy 🙂 .
I can't share much yet most of the gifts won't be given until next Sunday on Mother's Day (except for the few kids that were just too excited to wait and handed them to their moms right as they were picked up - so sweet).

Thanks to all who helped out - Manali, Marie, Ixi B Blandon, Charlotte Menard, Cindy Santner, David Gaines, Jessica Browne-White, Duffy Winters, Catie Drew (oops, you were supposed to get getting pampered and I called on you to help crafters...). Sorry if I missed someone to thank here.

Can't spoil the surprise and show photos of the amazing gifts that were created, but here is a beautiful henna-ed hand holding a lovely decorated glass filled with tasty punch. What a great combination!

IF YOU HAVE PHOTOS FROM TODAY, CAN YOU PLEASE SEND THEM TO US AT [email protected]? I was so busy I didn't take a single picture.

05/02/2026

Here's a reminder to PUT YOUR FEELINGS IN WRITING and share them with the humans you value. They will appreciate it lots, trust me.

Here's an example of an amazing human who did just that. Eileen was doing an important presentation and the library didn't have one of the books she hoped to use for it. Kindness Activist found it online and it got to her in time to include it at her event.

Then she made the effort not only to write this inspiring thank you note, but to hand deliver it to our home. This act of kindness was so appreciated! The message in the card made me smile and re-fueled my emotional "gas tank", giving me the energy to spread even more kindness.

Do we do this work for the thank you s?

Noooo, we do not.

But do we appreciate it when kind humans take the time to write us a beautiful note?

You know it!

So here's your reminder to send someone a card, give them a call, or pop over to tell them what they mean to you. It doesn't have to be a holiday to share the love!

04/30/2026

Heeeeelp!

Ever thought about jumping in and helping out with some kindness? Now is your chance, because we need HELP!

This Sunday, May 3rd, Kindness Activist is hosting Mother's Day gift making. All slots are full - 20 kids have signed up to make a gift for their mother (or other adult figure) in their lives. But it will only work if we get some helpful volunteers!

What is needed:

10:45 a - 2:00 p - we need a couple of adult volunteers any time in that period to help us SPOIL THE MOTHERS! While their kids are crafting, the adults need to be spoiled! Can you spare an hour or two (or the whole time??)? You would be helping outdoors at our home in South Arlington, VA.

12:45 p - 3:00 p - we need 2 craft assistants. Age 13 and up will work for this job - you will be helping kids create their gifts and eat snacks. You will be helping outdoors at our home in South Arlington, VA. Can you spare a couple of hours to help out?

If you need a volunteer form signed for work, school, scouts, etc., we are happy to sign it.

And remember - if you volunteer 50 hours at Kindness Activist, you score a cool Kind is Cool shirt!

P.S. - flags shown are NOT the gift the kids will be making. That, my friends, is a secret!