Kindness of strangers

Just when you think the last ounce of genuine kindness left in this world would fill a thimble, you see a promising post on your neighborhood website:

“What is the one thing you NEED that you cannot afford right now? Let’s check and see what others say. Maybe you have it and don’t need it or have a connection to get it.”

Joanna D. is our Nextdoor.com neighborhood lead and founding member. A local real estate agent, she added that she had seen this on another community page and was amazed at some of the kindness shown.

“No selling,” she continued. “If you’re offering something on here to someone, it means you’re GIVING it to them for FREE!”

Her post has received more than 60 “Likes” and nearly 250 comments.

Truth be told, I have often thought of unsubscribing to this popular neighborhood app, if only because it had become a political cesspool before the mid-term election. It’s supposed to be a trusted site to buy and sell items, get local tips, and more. Sadly, trolls fed my notifications.

In this particular case, I hesitated to read the comments as sometimes well-meaning folks on this site take sarcasm to a new low. I can abide well-deserved snark but not intentional meanness. But I read them anyway.

The first response to Joanna’s querie was from Ryan W., who lived in a nearby neighborhood. He said he could really use some silverware and a decent kitchen knife to chop vegetables.

Jennifer M. offered this reply: “I have you covered on the knife. Just get ahold of me.”

Jeez, that was almost as easy as ordering on Amazon, without paying $139 for a subscription.

Turns out, Jennifer M. is a former baker who used to make dozens and dozens of cookies, breads and candies every Christmas. But a severe back injury cut short her long baking days, which she really missed.

A related post popped up from Angela, who offered Jennifer a KitchenAid stand mixer. “I never used it and have all the attachments … Pay it forward, I say.”

Wow. Those mixers cost hundreds of dollars! I know because I have/had a red one that got fried from my overzealous mixing at last Sunday’s annual cookie day. Mea culpa. (Just FYI, Santa: The 2022 KitchenAid Color of the Year is … beetroot.)

Back to the neighborhood posts.

Some folks said they were downsizing and already had boxes of stuff they could no longer use: crystal glassware, dishes, pans … Gone.

Others were in the process of moving into new homes and needed extra bins for storage. Gone.

A craft glue gun. Gone. Yarn for making scarves. Gone. Pampers still in the unopened package. Gone.

Everything from afghans and pans to dog beds and carpeted cat ramps. Unfinished furniture and requests for help tidying up a garage. One poor soul was in need of a place to live. Joanna D. offered to use her real estate contacts to help them find something.

Susan F. offered a punching bag and boxing gloves: “Trouble is, the bag is attached to the studs in the basement ceiling. We can’t remove it, but it is for the taking if you can.”

Michael S. said he’d get it down for her if she found someone to take it. The guy didn’t even want it, but he was willing to help remove it. “That is an awesome thing for someone to train or work out with,” he wrote.

One father said he could use a winter coat for his husky 8-year-old son who wears a men’s small. “He does have allergies and asthma, so my only request would be that it’s pet-free and smoke-free.” Karen L. said she had one that fit the bill.

The gratitude and kindness of these complete strangers filled my sinus rhythmic heart with joy.

From what I could see there were only a handful of smarty-pants responses, including this one from Giuseppi P: “I’m looking for a vacation …”

One woman wrote back, “How about a staycation?”

As more and more neighbors posted asks and offers, the leader decided to call it the “Troy Buy Nothing” group. Not to be confused with the “Buy Nothing Troy” group.

Apparently, there is a national organization called the “Buy Nothing Project” that started on Facebook. Dubbed a worldwide gift economy, the project has become a community-building social movement all its own with a singular mission. From their website:

“We exist for the sole purpose of building community. We believe a gift economy’s real wealth is the people involved and the web of connections that form to support them.”

So I also commented on the Nextdoor thread: “Wonderful idea, Joanna. This post has helped restore my faith in humanity. We’ll look around the house for some good stuff.”

Joanna D. replied: “This makes me so happy!”

Anyway, it didn’t take long for me to locate something we couldn’t use. I found an oscillating floor fan in the basement and posted a photo of it on Nextdoor.

Hope some kind stranger can use it.