Trish Kelly, left, says Penny Atkinson "is always there if you need her."

Courtesy of jeannette maré-packard

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The recipient of this week's Ben's Bell is Penny Atkinson, a much-loved woman who truly practices the utopian concept known as "random acts of kindness" throughout her Northwest Side neighborhood, where she moved only two years ago.

Atkinson was nominated by her neighbor across the street, Trish Kelly, who described Atkinson as "a gentle soul" who sets "such a good example of kindness and giving."

In her nomination letter, Kelly noted that Atkinson does such unexpected and unsolicited things as making potholders for many of her neighbors at Thanksgiving, baking cookies for Kelly's son and other children, even bringing cups of cold lemonade to schoolchildren getting off at a nearby bus stop on hot days.

"She doesn't do these things to be thanked," Kelly wrote. "It's just because that's the kind of person she is … truly a gentle soul. I haven't known her very long, but from the first minute we met I was touched by her kindness. She is always doing thoughtful things for others. Everyone looks forward to seeing her smiling face. We are blessed to have her as a neighbor and a friend."

Atkinson makes these efforts toward her neighbors even though she is a newcomer to Tucson, moving here two years ago from Florida, where she had lived for three decades. She and her husband, Joe, made the wrenching decision to try this desert city, so they could be near their son and his family, including two grandchildren, who live here.

Tucson — a Sun Belt city where almost everybody comes from somewhere else — is not known for its close-knit neighborhoods where everybody knows everybody and has for many years. Injecting that kind of spirit into this kind of city is not easy, but Atkinson is doing just that.

"When we first got here, we were totally alone, except for our immediate family," said Atkinson. "So I wanted to make friends with all my neighbors — I wanted to get to know them, to be a part of the community, and help make it a better place, in any way I could."

She did that by getting out and about, always greeting people when she walked her dog, taking people little homemade gifts or munchies on special occasions or when they were having troubles. She keeps an especially close eye on and gives a ready helping hand to a young working mother with a new baby and a toddler whose husband is serving in Iraq. Even those who were withdrawn and shy when she first reached out now come over to offer help with home repairs.

It's like pulling teeth to get Atkinson to talk about these things. But she easily mentions the kindnesses neighbors have shown to her in return.

"We had a pretty bad plumbing problem this week, and many responded to that, offering us a lot of help and suggestions," she said. "I believe so strongly that people need to get in touch with each other and stay close … be there for each other."

Atkinson was flabbergasted when presented with a Ben's Bell Thursday afternoon.

"Heavens, what a surprise, oh totally," she said. "I had no idea what was happening. I knew Trish and my husband were conniving together about something, but I surely didn't know what."

It's simply comforting to have someone like Atkinson living in her neighborhood, Kelly said.

"It's so nice to know she's there. Whatever happens, you know Penny is always there if you need her," she said.

"I wish the world had more people like Penny in it."

The Ben's Bells project began in March 2003, one year after Ben Maré Packard died of croup, just before his third birthday. His family hopes it reminds people to be kind, to help ease one another's pain.

The latest phase of the project began in September 2005, weekly "bellings" for those among us who make our community a better, kinder place to live.

If you know people who deserve a Ben's Bell, nominate them to be "belled." Go to www.929themountain.com/pages/jennie_itm.html and click on Ben's Bellings. To learn more about the project, go to www.bensbells.org, or help work on bells by dropping by the studio, 816 E. University Blvd., in Geronimo Plaza. It's open Friday 2-7 and Saturday 10-3.

And check the Star each Saturday to see the latest recipient.