Today I share a lovely story that unfolded over the past two weeks, culminating in a triple donation (and dominoing) of a piece of artwork I auctioned last week.
It went like this. This letter below arrived in the mail on February 4 from someone called Hazel. With no last name, return address or email.
I couldn’t reply to her direct, so I posted the letter on my social media in the hope it might reach her and just because it was such a sunny, funny letter. A number of people linked me to Hazel on Facebook and Instagram (good on you Cosi!) sharing their heart-felt fondness for the girl, illustrating just how good social media can be (which, in conjunction with a similar experience I had yesterday, makes me think social media is slowly becoming a true force for kindness).
We connected over email a few days later and marveled at…the connections. I hope she doesn’t mind me sharing a bit of it:
Two days later, completely unrelated, I shared my Happy Everything auction post where readers could bid on a piece of art. This idea grew when my beaut mate Paul McNeil talked about how EPIC it was that people liked his picture when I shared it on my social and how LEGEND it would be if we could use the enthusiasm to raise money for shit we care about.
So we decided to auction his artwork, giving the money to the AWESOME charity IOOSK cooking school for young mums.
But then. Hazel slid on in and made the winning bid right on deadline.
So, reading all the signs and the domino-ing niceness going on, I decided to give the artwork to Hazel, and donate her winning bid to the charity myself.
But wait! Hazel had yet another caring card up her sleeve. She asked that we both donate the winning bid (Hazel is donating her full amount and I’m matching it) to IOOSK so they get double. We’re also giving them the artwork – framed – to hang in their kitchen. Lots of wins going on here. And I’m going to keep on writing letters to Hazel.
You can get a feel for Hazel from this, a Youtube video she made with her best mate filmmaker Richard Sidey.
I’ve also learned she’s a Kiwi, just turned 35 (on Sunday!) and is 6’2″ (and “vata as fuck”).
To continue this domino (let’s!), you can donate money to IOOSK via the following bank account:
Account Name: St Canice’s KitchenThe BSB is 062 784. Account number: 535 5005Please write in description – for Organic Soup Kitchen.
To follow the Inside Out Organic Soup Kitchen on Facebook, go here.
