Creating change through kindness: Andrea Alexander’s Concord Kind Facebook group reshapes volunteerism
Published: 01-19-2025 7:55 PM
Modified: 01-31-2025 3:29 PM |
When Andrea Alexander hit the “post” button in her new Facebook group, Concord Kind, back in September, she had no way of knowing that the virtual space she created would yield widespread impacts for so many in her community.
“Kindness acts can be something so simplistic or something greater, and it’s all at the cost of ‘free’ and created by YOU and US,” Alexander wrote in that first post. “Even though kindness does exist and I see it daily, there is still so much room for improvement and growth. Now more than ever people are struggling, not only financially but also mentally and we need one another.”
Through Concord Kind, she spearheads efforts to spread kindness and support the unhoused community in Concord by organizing supply donations and connecting people to resources.
“I know that my purpose in this world is just to take care of people,” said Alexander, who divides her time between working at New Hampshire Home Care Providers and as an independent caregiver.
In the past few months, Concord Kind has grown from a few people to a group of nearly700 individuals who pitch in to purchase warm clothing, supplies and food for the unhoused in Concord or help provide transportation as they’re able. Especially with the recent cold snap and the city’s lack of a 24/7 warming shelter, Alexander’s work has become all the more pressing. From hand warmers, winter boots, base layers, sleeping bags, coats, scarves, hats, propane vouchers and more, she collects and hands out materials on a regular basis. If a person has a specific need, she’ll issue an open call to obtain something if she doesn’t already have it.
“It’s not just like we get stuff from her,” said Michael Alan Tuerk, who first met Alexander after she approached him about his supply needs in the cold. “It’s the genuine care and them tracking us down and understanding our needs. We get clothes or granola bars or whatever, but it’s the fact that we know we have a support that truly cares. She’s amazing. I don’t know how she keeps doing what she’s doing, but it just keeps snowballing, bigger and better. I’m proud of her.”
She created an Amazon wishlist for people looking to donate, and she keeps supplies at a donated storage unit in Bow.
“I let people know where their donations are going to,” Alexander said. “One of the biggest things about having the Facebook page is engagement and being able to connect. Even if somebody can’t donate, maybe they can share the post to their network and we can just keep expanding and growing.”
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The inspiration for Concord Kind came from the Hooksett Kind group. Alexander and her family were briefly unhoused in 2022. The show of support she received from her community led her to search for ways to give back.
“Like many, the house that we were renting was going to be sold because the market value was booming,” she said. “We completely understood what was going on, but we had nowhere to go. We were paying such a low rent, in a fixed income due to my fiance being disabled, and there was no way we could find a place.”
They were able to keep their stuff in a storage unit and live out of a pop-up camper at a campground until the weather turned cold. A friend took them in to her house for a month until Alexander and her family found a new place to rent. This experience stayed with her and has shaped her efforts with Concord Kind.
“We’re homeless. We’re not bad people,” said Darlene Derby, who admires Alexander’s commitment to uplifting those in need. “Everybody falls, but we just got to get back up again. I just wish some people would just walk in our shoes and see what it’s like, trade places with us for a day.”
As part of Concord Kind, Alexander constantly listens to people’s stories and their desires. She does her best to fill any need she can while recognizing that change also has to come from a more systemic place.
“The biggest ask is right now is a warming station,” Alexander said. “They just want a place to go that they know it’s going to be open and available, like the Friendly Kitchen. Sometimes they stay open if they have the volunteers, but not always, so we need a place that is going to be open. It can be volunteer-driven, and if it needs to be funded somehow, maybe we can find a way to make that happen. But it needs to happen.”
Concord Kind volunteer Brianna Heath drives for Door Dash in the evenings and gives members of the unhoused community rides if they need one. She also responds to Concord Kind messages about individuals in the cold who need assistance. She and Alexander have taken emergency trips to the Bow storage unit where she stores extra blankets to make sure people spending time outdoors won’t freeze. Community members post in the Facebook group if they meet someone who needs help, and then volunteers go meet that person as soon as they are able.
“I want to be a part of making a difference and them seeing that we care about them directly,” Heath said. “Going and actually touching on these people is a lot different than having them come to us. They can feel that we care more.”
Alexander hopes that as Concord Kind continues to grow, so too will the resources available. She dreams of starting a nonprofit thrift store that would offer employment opportunities to people trying to get back on their feet.
“I want to be able to build a trust with as many individuals as possible and help them transition back into the working world,” Alexander said. “I want some sort of ‘hub’ or safe space for people to come, and ask for any and all help in potentially extremely difficult situations.”
She visits the Friendly Kitchen, which provides free hot meals to those in need, to check in and see how people are doing. Whenever she sees someone she knows, they greet her with smiles and hugs. Recently, Alexander also organized a card-making session for a member of the unhoused community who was in the hospital.
“They always say if you treat the universe with kindness and respect, it always comes back tenfold,” Derby said. “I love Andrea and the others, and I love Concord Kind. … If I don’t have something, they’ll find ways to get it.”
Concord Kind operates solely on donations – both materials and volunteered time. Alexander balances multiple jobs with her family life and the countless hours she spends responding to Concord Kind requests for help and building relationships within the unhoused community in Concord. While she aspires for more resources, she continues persisting along the path she’s forged, one that keeps growing as others join her endeavors.
“As long as you put everything into it, you just have to have the heart,” Alexander said. “That’s the biggest thing, just heart. When I become committed to something, I stay committed to it.”
Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com