Living in Contra Costa County

The Kindness Project - Some Stories Part 1

Some of you might know that about a year ago I won a contest for a Kodak Printer on what I would do with $220.00 in Saving.

Here is the Post that won the contest.  Some other things I have posted on this are at the Kindness Project.  

It has taken my some time to get moving with things.  Only about half the money has been given out on this project.  I have actually had some people refuse to take the money or do the project.

However, there are have been some other interesting developments.  One person told me how him and his wife could easily spend $30.00 on dinner, and compared that to using $30.00 to bless 3 people.  

I have gotten some stories in from people and want to start sharing those with people, maybe one a week.  One of the issues is that frequently these people are very good people with very good plans - but not writers or deviate somewhat from the rules.  I will do my best to share their stories.  You decide if this is a good use of small sums of money to bless people.

My friend Jim is a mid level manager at a large bank.  One of those banks we love to hate.  I point this out so we can all understand that some of these people are really decent people just providing for their families.

Jim shared with me something he has been doing for some time.  He told me about this having no idea about this project - just to share.  

Jim sees homeless people.  Not the way we see them, as something to avoid and pretend they are not there.  Something that is too big a problem for us to deal with - so just ignore.  Jim looks past that to what he can do. Jim tries to see them as lost people needing hope.  Jim wants to bring hope to these people.

Jim like many of us on occasion would give money to these people - knowing that the odds were it would go for drugs or drink and not the food or something they really need.

One day he gave his lunch to a man.  Then he had an idea.  Jim started making lunches for homeless people.

Jim makes sack lunches (lots of them) and carries them around in a box in the trunk of his car.  When he sees homeless people he stops and gives them lunch.  But Jim gives them more than lunch.  He talks to them or at least tries.  

Many homeless people have given up.  They feel about themselves the way we tend to feel about them - like untouchables.  They avoid people and social contact.  Jim tries to engage them in conversation.  Sometimes this takes time.  There are some people he only meets once, but there are some regulars that he gets to know a bit.  He provides Bible Tracts in the lunch.  He will try and direct them to a shelter or help.  But what you need to understand is many of these people need to see they have value before they will seek help.  This program helps to give them value.

Jim buys foods on sale and in bulk.  He buys things that will keep and store.  Packages of crackers, Box Juice, canned meats, sealed single serving foods like chips and fruit cups.  He spends a buck or two on each meal.

I gave Jim $30.00 as part of this contest.  I suggest he might do something special for 3 of his regulars.  Jim keeps apologizing for not writing something up for me.  I think the money was just spent on food.  I suspect this $30.00 ended up buying lunch for about a dozen homeless people.  But I also think Jim made it personal  by engaging them.

Another update next week.

Things have been really crazy and I have not had much time to work on this. I also do not want to get this project mixed up with Christmas.  I love Christmas and think it is important to show Kindness this time of year.  But this project is about Kindness at any time.

For those of you in the Dark I won the ActiveRain & Kodak Contest: What Would You Do With the Money You Save on Ink?

To understand this you need to read my winning entry What I would do with $220.00 in Savings!

My First Project was my wife.  I wanted to surprise her but I also had to explain where this Kodak Printer and check were coming from; so I needed to do this quick before they came.

I went out and got here:

1. A few flowers that cost about $4.00.
   
   
2. A bag or Sugar Babies (she is a caramel freak) for about $1.25.
   
   
3. And a Caramel/coffee drink from Starbucks.
   
   

The Total Cost was $10.25 close enough to our $10.00 goal to make me happy.  There was a final part to this.  I had to write her a letter telling her why I appreciate her.  Normally this is something I would not share, but here it is:

Dear Dineen,

I often tell you that I love you, but sometimes in the business of life I might not show you how much that I really care or the reasons I appreciate you.

Before I met you I was alone and rejected. I did not know if anyone could ever love me. I thought I would spend the rest of my days alone as a single dad. I prayed to God and asked him if he had set aside anyone for me! I asked him if anyone could love me! Then he sent me you!

You have loved me when I do not deserve to be loved, you are kind even when I am not, you are patient when I am stressed, and you never speak ill of me to other people. (Proverbs 31:12)

You love my kids and have made them yours; you love our kids and help them in so many ways. You have shown wisdom in understanding their wants, needs, and how to raise them. You have given me wisdom in those areas too and even at times when we have thought different you have respected me while tempering my stricter impulses. You make our house into a home; the little things you do don’t go unnoticed.

I have three things for you: 1) The coffee because you keep me going; 2) The flower because you are so beautiful; 3) and the caramels because you are so sweet.

They are small gifts and are not enough to show my love for you, but are simply tokens and shadows of how much I really do love you.

Love your Husband,

Gene

It did bring her to tears and made her very happy.  I think she even liked the letter better than Her new Kodak Printer! 

One of the goals of the kindness project is to encourage others.  My four youngest kids were about when I gave her the gifts (I think they helped with the candy too).  They wanted to know why I gave her those things.  They thought they were Christmas presents, so I got the chance to explain to them that is was just because I loved their mom. 

I have also noticed the 7 and 6 year old starting to focus on the needs and wants of others this Christmas.  They keep showing me things I should buy for thier mom - stuff she actually wants and not for them. 

Please feel free to post your own Acts of Kindness or just tell us why someone is special and deserves recognition.

More information on the rest of the funds for the project is coming.

The Kindness Project

I do not want to toot my own horn too much here as I really believe the best Charity is on that is given without expectation of reward or self aggrandizing. 

However, I won the Kodak Contest on What I would do with $220.00 in Savings.

To understand why I am making this post you need to read my winning entry post.

People want to know the results of how I distribute the money.  The other purpose of the follow up Posts is the way this plays out is supposed to encourage and uplift people.  I am a Christian and that is always my main motivation, but anyone can appreciate the concept and anyone can particpate.  The secular term often heard is "Playing it Forward." 

We are going to be "Playing it Forward" here.  I am going to need some help from my Active Rain pals to get the money spent.  I need to run some stuff by the Powers that Be and then I will get back to you all on that.

I have created a group called the Kindness Project for those that want to follow or particapte. 

I want to Thank Kodak and Active Rain.  I must tell you I needed a new printer pretty bad, but it is one of those things that seems to get put off every month by other demands for our money.  My wife is excited about printing her photos on a new Kodak printer as we know they are a quality company that understands photography.

I will let you know how the printer works.

But I really look forward to "Playing it Forward."