Here at Random Acts, we like to say that kindness is easy. Often, it does not take a lot of effort, time, or money to be kind. But what happens when your act of kindness becomes a struggle? What about unforeseen circumstances that cause delays or add extra costs to your plan for kindness? Mac, our intrepid Regional Representative from Argentina, explains how things went awry with their plan to buy an electric oven for Swallow’s Home and how kindness triumphed in the end.
Mac and I started our in-depth conversation by talking about Swallow’s Home, an organization in rural Buenos Aires that provides food, shelter, and comfort for kids in difficult circumstances. “That’s why it’s called Swallow’s Home — swallows come, they stay for a while, then they go away. It’s the nature of the kids that stay there. Sometimes they stay for years, and sometimes they stay for just a few weeks,” Mac explains. Even though Swallow’s Home is located in a rural area, they help children from all over Argentina. The staff organize movie nights, take the kids to parks on the weekends, set up tutoring lessons, and cook meals for the children staying in the home. “Everything that happens here is exactly what happens in any other home. It’s a home — with lots of siblings!” Mac observes.
Swallow’s Home is a major presence in town. “Everyone thinks of them when they have something to donate or something to offer,” Mac says. A local baker donates bread for the kids to have toast in the morning. The local pasta maker donates food to Swallow’s Home weekly. Mac’s father, an electrician, has provided his services at no cost to Swallow’s Home many times to keep the building in good working order. This sense of community inspired Mac to purchase something for Swallow’s Home that would help them keep kids fed for years to come: a new electric oven. However, this is where they ran into difficulties carrying out their act of kindness.
“The difficulties had everything to do with the country that we are in and nothing to do with Random Acts!” Mac explains. Argentina is currently experiencing an economic crisis, which made transferring funds from Random Acts to Mac extremely difficult. Not only was the transaction blocked and scrutinized by the bank, but by the time the money was released, inflation had caused the price of the oven to increase. Because of this, Mac had to change her plans and pick a different oven to purchase because the one they originally planned to buy was now beyond their budget. The entire process took months to resolve.
Despite these difficult circumstances, something magical happened. When she went to purchase the oven, Mac explained to the appliance seller that they were buying it for Swallow’s Home. “He said, ‘Oh! In that case, let me see if I can give you a discount!’” Mac recalls. The seller then proceeded to give them a very generous discount on the oven. Finally, after months of frustration, many phone calls with their bank, and several changes to the plan, Mac was able to deliver the oven to Swallow’s Home. “They were delighted about it!” Mac says about Swallow’s Home finally receiving their new electric oven.
When asked if they had any advice for people who are facing difficulties in completing an act of kindness, this is what Mac had to say: “Always approach people with respect and kindness. Be proactive but exercise patience. Have patience and be kind to yourself. Get people on the phone because the power of the spoken word is high! People will try to help you. Rest assured that it’s going to happen. Don’t quit!”
Thank you for your perseverance, Mac!
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