ABOUT US
We are the Field family and acknowledging people living on the streets of Philadelphia has always been important to us. We regularly hand out granola bars, buy a coffee or fast food meal, or simply make eye contact, smile and say hello. A couple of years ago, then 17 year-old Macy Field started taking classes in the city, and she was deeply moved by how many people in need she passed while walking to and from the train station. She started carrying supplies and allowing extra time for conversation. She proposed the idea of filling backpacks with supplies during the cold winter months and delivering them to people as an act of kindness. Continue reading to learn more about how and why we got started.
STEPPING IT UP
Last year we decided to act on Macy's idea and purchased and filled 25 backpacks with gloves, socks, scarves, hand sanitizer, basic toiletries, snacks, water bottles and notes of encouragement (you are loved, you are remembered, you matter, etc.). As we were making our plans, we lost a loved one and received a heartfelt request. Part of our extended family includes a man named Thomas Fox (1948-2019). As told by his sister Betty (Fox) Field:
"My brother Tommy was very special. He was born with a lifetime mild intellectual disability. He was smart enough to know he had issues and understood all too well the unkind remarks that were said to him or about him. When we were growing up he would tell us that he prayed that God would "make him better - like everyone else". He was a far better person than "everyone else". He was courageous as he met and overcame the numerous challenges of his life, and despite the way he was sometimes treated, he was always kind to everyone he met. When he passed we felt the best way to honor his very special life was to request acts of kindness in lieu of flowers."
The request in honor of Tommy was perfectly timed with our plans to distribute the backpacks. A group of us went into Center City in late December and handed them out, and we were overwhelmed by how quickly we found people in need and how grateful they were. We delivered bags to people of varying ages, races, genders and backgrounds, including a young pregnant woman and a group of veterans. As we walked back to our car, our sense of accomplishment quickly disappeared. We passed so many more people in need, but we didn't have anything to offer them.
We started a non-profit dedicated to supporting our fellow humans in need and named it BeKind in honor of Tommy. This year our goal is to provide a minimum of 100 backpacks and include additional supplies and a list of local resources and hotlines. When our extended family heard of our plans, they were anxious to help. We have 20+ people committed to treating people with dignity while handing out backpacks this winter.
