Yesterday I took two sock packages with me. I found a small group of people to the side of a street who looked like they might be homeless or needy. I pulled over and stopped. I rolled down my window. A couple of them came over and I asked if anyone needed socks. They said yes and another man came over. Then a second man was also indicated as in need of socks. I handed them the socks and explained there were some items inside that might be useful for them. Then I left. I don't know what their reaction was to the items inside or if they shared any of the items. It would be helpful to have some feedback on what items are most useful and which are not useful and suggestions on what items might be a better option.
Also yesterday I picked up some more toothbrushes. I originally purchased 10, but I am putting those in sock packages. I found some for 50 cents each. So I bought 10 more yesterday to take to a homeless shelter. Today I took some items to the local food bank/homeless shelter. I was able to donate all 60 razors at once. That was good. I really need to find more acts for my list. So far I only have about 1/3 the number of acts of kindness I need.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
First Entry
So, here I am planning 60 acts of kindness. It's not as easy as it sounds. My 60th birthday is still several years away and I thought this would be a good way to celebrate. I have some simple guidelines. I must remain anonymous. I will not support organized charities or do fund raising. I would like each act to be somehow connected to the number 60. While I want the acts to be acts, so far most involve money. That's not what I have in mind but for now it is the best I can do.
If anyone reads this, I hope you will make some suggestions for me if you have any.
Right now I am going through some tough times. Many people are. I won't elaborate. But it has been my practice, when someone does something mean to me, to try to "balance the scales of the universe" by trying to do something nice for someone anonymously. I know people sometimes celebrate a milestone birthday by doing something physical like bungee jumping or parachuting. I decided I'd rather celebrate a milestone birthday by trying in some small way to make the world a better place. And it may "balance" some of the hateful things that have been done to me lately.
Here is my list so far:
1. 28 gift boxes to armed forces members
2. 60 trees
3. 60 toothbrushes to homeless shelter - Done!
4. 58 bags of dog food to shelter
5. 59 coats to homeless shelter
6. 19 books to a school or shelter
7. visit 54 shut-ins
8. 41 stuffed socks to homeless
9. 53 bags of cat food to shelter
10. 56 bags of cat litter to shelter
11. 43 pairs of shoes to a homeless shelter
12. 59 prepared food dishes to homeless shelter
13. 55 boxes of bandages to homeless shelter
14. 58 towels to animal shelter
15. 60 hours of volunteering at animal shelter
16. 58 toys to battered women’s shelter
17. 51 bags of rice to food bank
18. 56 bags of beans to food bank
19. 42 tarps to homeless for sleeping mats
20. 57 blankets to homeless
21. 60 razors to a homeless shelter - done!
22. 42 quilts to charity (baby, lap, twin, etc)
23. 53 tote bags to charity
24. 53 jars of peanut butter with bread to homeless on weekends
25. 52 pillow cases to homeless/women's shelter
26. 37 bottles of shampoo to homeless/women's shelter
27. 50 books left in random places for anyone who wants to read a book
28. 59 vases of flowers to residents of care homes
29. 58 sweaters to a homeless shelter
30. 60 hours of volunteer ushering at local center for the performing arts - Done!
31. 58 snacks to emergency workers (ie firemen, highway patrol)
32. 58 prom dresses to local high school (given free to high school girls)
33. 51 bags of potatoes to homeless shelter/food pantry
34. 59 packages of feminine hygiene products to a homeless shelter
35. 48 pounds of garden vegetables to shelter
36. 59 bottles of electrolytes to a shelter
37. 59 boxes of laundry detergent to a shelter
38. 59 bottles of cooking oil to a shelter
39. 59 bags of masa to a food bank
40. 58 lbs of lentils to a food bank
41. 60 lbs of chickpeas to a food bank
42. 23 loaves of bread to a food bank/shelter
43. 60 hours of volunteering at local museum - DONE!
44. 52 cans of vegetables to a food bank
45. 59 bags of salad to a food bank
46. 56 pounds of oatmeal to a food bank
47. 50 hair ties to homeless
48. 56 rain panchos to homeless/shelter
49. 49 tubes of toothpaste to a shelter
50. 59 bags of corn husks (for tamales) to food bank/shelter
51. 55 pairs of shoe laces to homeless/shelter
52. 10 yards of fabric to charity quilting
53. 56 lbs of tvp to food pantry
I haven't yet figured out what trees or who to give them to. I'm hoping for fruit trees that will be used to help feed homeless and poor people. Whenever I make a donation, I will deduct it from the number of that item. I figure the only way I can do this is by chipping away at it. I don't have to do each item all at once.
I picked up a few items today that I haven't donated yet. Until they are donated, they don't count. A few items were inspired by an article I found online. There was a suggestion that homeless people need plastic to sleep on to keep dry.
Yesterday, Christmas, I took a large roll of plastic and a blanket and went looking for a homeless person or persons who might want the plastic and blanket. I found two men sleeping on the wet grass in a park. It was a bit scary, but I parked and got out of the car. I cut up the plastic into two pieces large enough to sleep on, put them on the grass, put a blanket on one, and put a wrapped biscotti on each. As I was leaving, another man came up on a bicycle and started talking to one of the men. I told him the plastic and blanket were for the two men. I was sorry there was only one blanket. He got the man he was talking to to lay on the plastic and covered him with the blanket.
Today I went shopping. I had read a suggestion somewhere to take socks and put one inside the other, then fill them with health care items for the homeless. I bought 5 pairs of long, thick socks today. I filled one with things like soap, granola bar, bandages, antiseptic cream, toothbrush and toothpaste, chapstick. I will make at least one more sock package tonight. I will put them in the car and whenever I see a homeless person that looks like he/she could use the care package, I will hand it out.
There are some reasons for some of my guidelines. I don't want to "enable" anyone with addictions, so I won't give money. I don't want to give anything that violates my personal value system. But I want to acknowledge that all of us humans need to be given respect and compassion. I want to do what I can to meet the needs of others, even though I am just one person and very limited, especially financially at this time.
While it would be nice if I inspired others to show compassion in some way, I don't want to take credit for anything like that. I am in need of more acts of kindness for my list, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Peace out.
If anyone reads this, I hope you will make some suggestions for me if you have any.
Right now I am going through some tough times. Many people are. I won't elaborate. But it has been my practice, when someone does something mean to me, to try to "balance the scales of the universe" by trying to do something nice for someone anonymously. I know people sometimes celebrate a milestone birthday by doing something physical like bungee jumping or parachuting. I decided I'd rather celebrate a milestone birthday by trying in some small way to make the world a better place. And it may "balance" some of the hateful things that have been done to me lately.
Here is my list so far:
1. 28 gift boxes to armed forces members
2. 60 trees
3. 60 toothbrushes to homeless shelter - Done!
4. 58 bags of dog food to shelter
5. 59 coats to homeless shelter
6. 19 books to a school or shelter
7. visit 54 shut-ins
8. 41 stuffed socks to homeless
9. 53 bags of cat food to shelter
10. 56 bags of cat litter to shelter
11. 43 pairs of shoes to a homeless shelter
12. 59 prepared food dishes to homeless shelter
13. 55 boxes of bandages to homeless shelter
14. 58 towels to animal shelter
15. 60 hours of volunteering at animal shelter
16. 58 toys to battered women’s shelter
17. 51 bags of rice to food bank
18. 56 bags of beans to food bank
19. 42 tarps to homeless for sleeping mats
20. 57 blankets to homeless
21. 60 razors to a homeless shelter - done!
22. 42 quilts to charity (baby, lap, twin, etc)
23. 53 tote bags to charity
24. 53 jars of peanut butter with bread to homeless on weekends
25. 52 pillow cases to homeless/women's shelter
26. 37 bottles of shampoo to homeless/women's shelter
27. 50 books left in random places for anyone who wants to read a book
28. 59 vases of flowers to residents of care homes
29. 58 sweaters to a homeless shelter
30. 60 hours of volunteer ushering at local center for the performing arts - Done!
31. 58 snacks to emergency workers (ie firemen, highway patrol)
32. 58 prom dresses to local high school (given free to high school girls)
33. 51 bags of potatoes to homeless shelter/food pantry
34. 59 packages of feminine hygiene products to a homeless shelter
35. 48 pounds of garden vegetables to shelter
36. 59 bottles of electrolytes to a shelter
37. 59 boxes of laundry detergent to a shelter
38. 59 bottles of cooking oil to a shelter
39. 59 bags of masa to a food bank
40. 58 lbs of lentils to a food bank
41. 60 lbs of chickpeas to a food bank
42. 23 loaves of bread to a food bank/shelter
43. 60 hours of volunteering at local museum - DONE!
44. 52 cans of vegetables to a food bank
45. 59 bags of salad to a food bank
46. 56 pounds of oatmeal to a food bank
47. 50 hair ties to homeless
48. 56 rain panchos to homeless/shelter
49. 49 tubes of toothpaste to a shelter
50. 59 bags of corn husks (for tamales) to food bank/shelter
51. 55 pairs of shoe laces to homeless/shelter
52. 10 yards of fabric to charity quilting
53. 56 lbs of tvp to food pantry
I haven't yet figured out what trees or who to give them to. I'm hoping for fruit trees that will be used to help feed homeless and poor people. Whenever I make a donation, I will deduct it from the number of that item. I figure the only way I can do this is by chipping away at it. I don't have to do each item all at once.
I picked up a few items today that I haven't donated yet. Until they are donated, they don't count. A few items were inspired by an article I found online. There was a suggestion that homeless people need plastic to sleep on to keep dry.
Yesterday, Christmas, I took a large roll of plastic and a blanket and went looking for a homeless person or persons who might want the plastic and blanket. I found two men sleeping on the wet grass in a park. It was a bit scary, but I parked and got out of the car. I cut up the plastic into two pieces large enough to sleep on, put them on the grass, put a blanket on one, and put a wrapped biscotti on each. As I was leaving, another man came up on a bicycle and started talking to one of the men. I told him the plastic and blanket were for the two men. I was sorry there was only one blanket. He got the man he was talking to to lay on the plastic and covered him with the blanket.
Today I went shopping. I had read a suggestion somewhere to take socks and put one inside the other, then fill them with health care items for the homeless. I bought 5 pairs of long, thick socks today. I filled one with things like soap, granola bar, bandages, antiseptic cream, toothbrush and toothpaste, chapstick. I will make at least one more sock package tonight. I will put them in the car and whenever I see a homeless person that looks like he/she could use the care package, I will hand it out.
There are some reasons for some of my guidelines. I don't want to "enable" anyone with addictions, so I won't give money. I don't want to give anything that violates my personal value system. But I want to acknowledge that all of us humans need to be given respect and compassion. I want to do what I can to meet the needs of others, even though I am just one person and very limited, especially financially at this time.
While it would be nice if I inspired others to show compassion in some way, I don't want to take credit for anything like that. I am in need of more acts of kindness for my list, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Peace out.
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