Comments on: Random Acts of Kindness Month

By: Nanette

Nanette — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:32:40 +0000

After I park at the grocery store I check to see if anyone close is loading their groceries into their car and I wait and take the cart back to the store. Such a little thing but people seem to appreciate not having to walk the cart back.

By: tonya

tonya — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 00:22:05 +0000

OK, I had one today that left me feeling like a super hero!!! Long line, unhappy people, and a young mom in front of me with 2 screaming toddlers. We finally get to the cashier and moms coupons were expired. Mom was scraping change out of her purse while enduring nasty comments, and a sarcastic cashier. She was very close to tears and I could see her mentally trying to figure out which thing to leave behind. I handed over the small bill she was lacking and she was shocked and thrilled. Me? I was walking on air for the rest of the day!!!

By: Pollianicus

Pollianicus — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:30:14 +0000

Reading these comments has been wonderful and humbling. I’ve been close to tears through a couple of them – and still have a ton to read.

It made me think about how often I feel sorry for myself when there are many, many people less fortunate than I.

It inspired me to do something for a very good friend of mine. She has listened to me when I have needed to talk about my problems despite having many of her own. For the last few weeks she and her children have had bug after bug after bug. Now some of the older kids are getting better while she and the baby are still pretty sick. I have just ordered for her a game/play set that I think will give the older kids a lot of pleasure and hopefully give her a break while she gets better.

As for me – RAK – there have been many over the years… The holidaying policeman who let me use his mobile when I locked my baby in the car, the woman who held my screaming baby when I couldn’t see for my own tears, the drawing pads and crayons sent by a friend when I was sick to occupy my children – I;m sure there have been many, many more.

Thank you so much for making me think about others and not just myself.

By: Julianne Bredestege

Julianne Bredestege — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:51:19 +0000

I am so lucky, I just got to do a ‘knitting RAK”. What’s that you may ask? Well, I just left a crazy middle school where I subbed today, and I am just beat down. I stopped off at Joann to get a set of sewing needles to finish off my son’s gloves. In line, as I am rushing in, I hear a younger woman saying ” I thought someone that worked here would knit!” I almost went on by, but turned and helped instead. I am so glad someone appreciated my teaching today. lol. anyway, turns out she had all these scarfs at home, and couldn’t figure out how to cast off. poor thing. She pulled out a long, large gauge needle set with a stranded scarf on it. I pulled out the stitches she needed to fix and stood and showed her over and over how the stitch went. And told her how to finish.
Then I told her about knittinghelp.com and what a tool it has been for me. otherwise, i was driving out to mom’s house for tutorials myself! I had another lady in the knitting aisle wondering aloud to her daughter about the mismatched colors for the kiddie needles. I figure it is to say to the little learners, ‘on the blue needle, or, on the red needle’. instead of left and right needles. So, small yes, but I helped out two more people be further into our world and better for it. I also told them about our local knitting circles ( that I haven’t even gotten to yet!! Maybe, I’ll see them there:) Juliblue
PS.I was also rewarded with my purchase from you waiting for me when I got home- thanks, loopy ewe!!!

By: tonya

tonya — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:13:21 +0000

As you know by the email you received, recently a young man had all his yarn stolen by a rotten room mate who didnt even knit. When I read about it, I had to try to help out!!!
I went through my stash, and packed up a large box (the shipping was part of the RAK as well-I really stuffed that box!!!heeheehee) of yarn and as the young man was also without full sets of DPNs, I made him a “sock box” (a wooden box to keep all your dpns in order as well as other notions) in his fave color and filled it to brimming with dpns, guage rulers, bobbins, markers, ect. I even insured the box, so if it gets lost he can have a yarn spree instead!!! It felt so good to give to others, and I think it did me as much good as I’m hoping it will do for him!!! As the final touch, I made sure the the box would get to him by this Weds–this way he will have a big box of yarn love to open up for christmas!!!heeheehee Now I’m as anxious as a kid, wishing I could see his face when he opens it!!!

By: aunt gerry

aunt gerry — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 04:16:47 +0000

I made a knitted hat for a young man at the Ronald McDonald House. He is from a warmer climate and does not have a warm hat. It is snowing and cold here and he has to walk back and forth to the hospital severald times each day. He was very surprised when I gave it to him.

By: Robin

Robin — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:35:18 +0000

As my husband and I were going out to clear ours and some neighbors drive-ways of snow, our neighbors were coming out to do ours and some other neighbors – so we did it together. We have a snow-blower and he has an ATV w/blade so many driveways and sidewalks were cleared on our little street. Good neighbors are the best.

By: Lisa Gifford

Lisa Gifford — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 03:02:28 +0000

My husband and I do this quite often actually, and I’m now trying to devise ways to pay for other things for people in other places. I bought a 25.00 Walmart gift card today so that I have it on hand if ever I’m at Walmart and notice someone elderly or a flustered mom or anyone that just looks like they could use a little sunshine in thier day. My plan is just to give it to the cashier and tell them to use it to help pay for whatever that person has in their cart that day. Yesterday my husband thinks he had the neatest experience at the McDonalds Drive thru, he paid for the persons behind him which ended up being a bit pricey, we have 4 children and he was getting lunch for himself and them and the other persons bill came to about 25.00 OUCH but God will reward us that 10 fold. The really neat thing though, is my husband said he thinks she then paid for the person behind her because he saw her hand over her credit card anyways. How awesome is that!!! Now I’d best get back to what I was doing that brought me here in the first place. I’m going to have some business cards made up that say “You’ve been blessed with a Random Act of Kindness, Pass it On!” and I was hoping to find a short bible verse to put on it as well. Off I go, glad to see others are out there bringing smiles to people one at a time! Keep it up!

By: Cynthia, Canadian Guild of Knitters

Cynthia, Canadian Guild of Knitters — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:03:57 +0000

Hi,

This doesn’t really qualify for an entry to the contest, but Canadian Guild of Knitters has what we call Random Acts of Knitting. They come in many forms: When Katrina hit the Gulf States, we sent yarn and needles to a woman’s shelter in Mississippi, as I recall; when we have books that we have reviewed that are surplus to our needs, we send them out in random draws to our members; we try to get some charity knitting done throughout the year; and of course, we’re try to help with knitting questions that are e-mailed to us.

The concept for Random Acts of Knitting stemmed from Random Acts of Kindness, so I thought, since this is a knitting blog, you wouldn’t mind if I shared.

Yours in knitting,

Cynthia

By: Hannah

Hannah — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 02:41:43 +0000

There’s a homeless man who sits outside of a local bookstore (in D.C.), to whom I often give whatever’s in my pocket. Sometimes more. He doesn’t have to do this, since it’s none of our business, but he always reassures people who give him money that he doesn’t drink, do drugs, or smoke. I think he has kidney disease, but I’m not sure. About two weeks ago, I came out of the store and there he was, in the bitterest cold of the season, without socks. It broke my heart.

When I got home, I immediately cast on a scarf for him (I don’t know his shoe size) and resolved to buy a package of socks, too. But he seemed to disappear (hopefully he is someplace warm). So I packed my scarf in my bag and took it with me, determined to give it away. And there, in front of the same bookstore, sat a man, “Tony,” who said he would give the scarf to the guy I’d knitted it for…It was pouring rain and very cold. I told Tony to keep the scarf for himself, not to give it away, but he wanted to pass it along to its intended recipient.

In talking with him, Tony told me about his kids, including one with spina bifida, who all live with different members of their family. He, himself, had a stroke and cannot work, and is waiting for Social Security to pay him disability—a long, long process.

When I heard about his kids, I urged him to give it to one of them if he wouldn’t keep it himself. Suddenly his face lit up and he said “I just realized…that scarf is knitted in my daughter’s favorite color!” He said she’d be so excited to get a handmade scarf, and tucked it under his soaking wet jacket (it was in a ziploc bag).

I gave him some money for a sandwich and bought him a hot chocolate before heading into the store to browse. My heart was warmed…I’d knitted the scarf for someone else, but it seemed to have found the perfect owner, one who would love the color and feel the love knitted into it, like it was always meant to be that way.

That day I came home and cast on another scarf. Who knows who this one will someday belong to!