August 3 - Delivering Cheer

My amazing aunt Helen K Woodhouse - Kindness ambassador #15 - spreads kindness throughout her community with a meal and a smile.

Last year our Community Center, which serves senior lunches three days a week, was looking for drivers to deliver to those who can’t come to the center. I thought it would be a great way to help out and get to know people in town. 

On my first day it poured rain. I was handed a large bag with 12 lunches and a list of addresses. I had no clue where some of the addresses were, what route made the most sense, which door was, in fact, the back door. The delivery took me forever and I was soaked. I wasn’t so sure this was a good idea. Now, a year later, I can’t wait for my day to roll around. 

I get to the Community Center extra early to make sure I get my special route. There are some people I hardly see, leaving their meals in coolers or fridges, sometimes getting a cheerful thank you through the door. One woman is in a wheelchair so I must bring her meal, her heavy food bank bags and lug her mail up steep stairs. I dread the pile of Amazon boxes. But I’m always greeted with a big smile and a thank you. We have a laugh about how it sure beats having to go to the gym!

But my two favorites are the chatters! One, who is deaf, uses a wonderful device that she points at me while we chat. She always looks up when I arrive and says “Oh, good! It’s you!” That, alone, is worth the whole trip! 

Another, who is mostly blind, always asks, “Do you have a minute to chat?” and, of course, I do! 

This week I told her all about my niece, Francesca, and her kindness challenge and all the work she is doing to spread the message about the benefits of being kind for both the recipient and the giver. We had a wonderful talk and she said she’d be happy to have our picture taken.

This is a long way of saying how far I’ve come from thinking I was just doing a good deed to getting so much more in return. I’ve met new friends, seen new parts of town, and had my eyes opened to people who have so much to deal with yet are so gracious and ready with a smile and a chat. “Oh, good! It’s you” is worth every heavy bag and steep stair!

Science of Kindness: Research reveals that delivering food to those in need provides sustenance and has a profound impact on the recipient’s emotional well-being. This act of kindness fosters a sense of community and reduces feelings of isolation. The ripple effect spreads far beyond the delivery creating a cycle of giving benefiting both the giver and receiver. #kindnessmatters