It is almost the end of BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!<\/span><\/p>\n In 2022, my partner David Well, we were at WalMart But guess what?\u00a0 <\/span>We didn\u2019t approach any of them and ask if That probably sounds –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So honestly, it is a hard It is a bit like double dutch So, we have not treated A neighbor posted online Well, because of the –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For information on the AHC Kindness Activist funds Wish for the college bound I saw a mamma post on Kindness Activist funds \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A teacher was hunting for Magnatiles I had never heard of Kindness Activist funds \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And finally for this But here\u2019s the deal: No.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Yet teachers are expected to outfit their own So, this teacher was I reached out to him and confessed Sir, THANK YOU FOR YOUR
\nsummer, and you know what that means\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n
\nand I went to WalMart and used Kindness Activist funds to buy school supplies
\nfor LOTS of families.\u00a0 <\/span>It was so
\nfun!\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe other day, and saw several families, lists of required supplies in hand,
\nscouring the school supply aisle.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nKindness Activist could treat them with an act of kindness\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n
\nstrange.\u00a0 <\/span>But here\u2019s the thing:\u00a0 <\/span>offering acts of kindness to strangers can be
\nreally tricky.\u00a0 <\/span>There are so many factors
\nto consider:<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>You don\u2019t want to
\nscare them (after all, you are someone they have never met approaching them
\nwith an offer that sounds too good to be true\u2026)<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Sometimes you do
\nnot share a common language, so how will you explain this situation<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>How do you choose<\/u>
\nwho you will treat when there are multiple families shopping for supplies?<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>And, to us, most
\nimportantly \u2013 how can you offer to buy their school supplies without making them
\nfeel like you think they need<\/u> your charity, that they are poor, that
\nthey are \u201clesser than\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthing to do.\u00a0 <\/span>You have to be feeling quite
\nbrave, open, vulnerable, and willing to be told no (multiple times) to
\nsuccessfully navigate this one.\u00a0 <\/span>And this
\ntime we failed.\u00a0 <\/span>We just couldn\u2019t get the
\nright combination of courage, heart, and determination.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\njump roping!\u00a0 <\/span>If you have ever tried that
\nbefore you know it is really tricky and timing is everything.\u00a0 <\/span>You have to stand outside the ropes as your
\nfriends twirl them.\u00a0 <\/span>One, two, three\u2026\u00a0 <\/span>One, two, three\u2026\u00a0 <\/span>You might try jumping in and get the pattern
\nwrong.\u00a0 <\/span>You might get your feet tangled
\nin the ropes.\u00a0 <\/span>But it\u2019s ok.\u00a0 <\/span>You just get yourself together and make
\nanother attempt.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nanyone to impromptu school supplies yet this year, but we DO have other Kindness
\nActivist activities\/expenditures to share!<\/span><\/p>\n
\nabout a young woman that she mentors through the AHC (Affordable Homes and Communities)
\nCollege and Careers Readiness Program. The woman was preparing to go off to college \u2013 the first
\nperson in her family to accomplish this amazing feat.\u00a0 <\/span>Her mentor had set up an Amazon wish list
\nwith items that the teen\u2019s program, the Virginia Tech Marine Cadet Program,
\nrequired new students to have for their dorm room.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\ngenerosity of Kindness Activist supporters, we were able to give the soon-to-be
\nCadet MANY things from her wish list!\u00a0 <\/span>We
\ndonated these things she needed:<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>2 spray-on bottles
\nof sun screen<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>2 travel size sun
\nscreens<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>2 sun screen lip
\nbalms<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>2 USB C adapters<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Benadryl<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>USB flash drive<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Moleskin<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Markers<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>And an umbrella\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgLC6TC3MBUeWb8pGGlC1SGzXdxGguv0huacX0EUcjq66V0xs1ZUZPu2rrR-rQDyR2nAdPZWlQbwC8KTPt97Llh0vON9RV5HE7rBjtbRpv8Hy1VNw37FNTtgcnR1v38viYD8vCVk55Uti7BKDXnvWia9ReuDPu_b1s3XvYeWMzulMYhq70lIwQP04JmIE_s\/s852\/%E2%80%8CKindness%20AHC%20College%20Readiness%20Program.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
\nCollege Readiness Program and to find out how YOU can be a mentor, see this
\nlink:<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0AHC College Readiness Program<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\nspent – $99.55<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nstudent \u2013 OOHORAH!<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>You go girl!<\/span><\/p>\n
\nFacebook looking for the book \u201cHow To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen\u201d.\u00a0 <\/span>She has 3 little boys (one is an infant), so really
\nhas her hands full.\u00a0 <\/span>That was an easy
\nwish to grant.\u00a0 <\/span>I just hope she can find
\nenough quiet time to sit down and read it!<\/span><\/p>\n
\nspent – $12.14<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nof animals.\u00a0 <\/span>She has an autistic student
\nwho loves them and knew that they would be a great reward.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nMagnatiles until a child asked for some a couple of years ago in his letter to
\nSanta.\u00a0 <\/span>Santa bought them, I saw them,
\nand was an immediate fan.\u00a0 <\/span>Those things
\nare great!\u00a0 <\/span>Educational, artistic, and
\nFUN!\u00a0 <\/span>They are everything a toy should be
\n(in my humble opinion).\u00a0 <\/span>Kindness
\nActivist was happy to shop for and donate these!<\/span><\/p>\n
\nspent – $42.39<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nupdate \u2013 a teacher posted that they would like bean bag chairs for their
\nclassroom.\u00a0 <\/span>They were not fussy, said any
\ncolor would do.\u00a0 <\/span>They were posting in a
\ngroup (Buy Nothing) where people give away used things.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nteachers in America are over worked and under paid.\u00a0 <\/span>They often use their own money to buy supplies
\nfor their classrooms, which is unfair in my opinion.\u00a0 <\/span>Do doctors have to buy the examination tables
\nfor their offices?\u00a0 <\/span>Do bankers have to
\nbuy the filing cabinets for their documents?\u00a0
\n<\/span>Do car sales people have to buy the chairs that their customers sit
\non?\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nclassrooms.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Heck, I have seen teachers
\nask for coffee makers for the breakroom (and Kindness Activist has kitted out a
\ncouple of school breakrooms\u2026).<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It just
\nisn\u2019t fair.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nbasically asking for used bean bag chairs for his students to sit on.\u00a0 <\/span>I did some snooping on his Facebook profile
\nand found his Amazon wish list for his classroom from last year.\u00a0 <\/span>It had a bean bag listed, but also had some
\nreally cool stools\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n
\nI had peeked at his profile.\u00a0 <\/span>I explained
\na bit about Kindness Activist and asked if he still wanted the stools this
\nyear.\u00a0 <\/span>He DID still want them, but seemed
\na bit embarrassed or shy about asking for them.\u00a0
\n<\/span>They were more expensive than the bean bag chair, he explained.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nSERVICE.\u00a0 <\/span>You deserve the stools, all the
\nstools.\u00a0 <\/span>And the set of posters you had
\non last year\u2019s list to help make your classroom look amazing.\u00a0 <\/span>And a Starbucks gift card (just in case your
\nteacher\u2019s lounge coffee maker is broken\u2026).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n
\n <\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n I love the colors!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n