September 5 - The Pull of the Hurricane
Of course this will not surprise you if you know us very well.
We are feeling a definite draw to all the volunteer efforts going on with respect to the people being evacuated out of the hurricane ravaged South. There are evacuees being moved into all corners of Arkansas...funneled through Fort Chaffee just south of where we currently are located.
At the Baptist church services we attended on Sunday they spoke of a church camp where up to 900 may soon be "housed". Jim and Linda Buckner knew we were interested so they drove us out to see the camp. Very sad facility but due to the extensive need it may very well be put into service.
Today we learned of another retreat site here in Fayetteville where they already have evacuees in residence with more to come. We went to visit that one today and registered in their volunteer database. The frustration is in that these things are moving very slowly and we want to do something NOW...again I am sure that sounds like us.
Tonight I was on the internet sites checking out opportunities here and in Fort Chaffee and just about ready to just throw up my hands and say to Gary that we should just move on in our "affluent" tour of the states and virtually ignore those in need.
About that time I pulled up my e-mail and a blog post of my daughter Cindy. I have cut and pasted it here for you to read but wanted to share with you also here blog site address, as I am so proud of all she is doing and has done. As Linda Buckner just reminded me...it is obvious she has a big heart like I do...so without bragging I will ask you to read the following quote from her blog (cindysblog.blogspot.com):
So I am sharing this experience in humbleness because it worked out so perfectly...
I am on a freecycle list where people offer up things they no longer have a use for for free... There are lots of OFFER ads, and lots of WANTED ads...
Well one on Friday caught my eye that a gal was asking for help for her friend that didn't have the money to buy her girls' school supplies... (single working mom that doesn't get any child support from her husband that left two years ago)...
Well it struck a cord with me and I responded to ask what was needed. And committed myself to the whole lot of school supplies...
Some of the stuff I already had in my stockpile of "it's a good deal, lets buy lots" other things like three ring binders I had in storage from pharmaceutical reps getting rid of them...
Still others I raided my kids' collections of backpacks - they really don't need more than one each right?
Since I was going to the store to get the rest of the school supplies anyhow, I asked about underwear sizes. I stocked up on those for the girls as well...
There was a need for a winter coat for the 8 year old & I looked through our closets and found one of those with matching gloves, washed it up and added it to my growing pile of stuff...
I compiled it all into each girl's backpack. One for the 8 year old, with as much pink stuff as I could find (she loves pink). And one for the 12 year old...
Then when I was ready to go over there today to drop the stuff off, something told me to stop at the grocery store for some staples for them...
I called her and let her know I was going to be a bit late...Got bread, milk, cheese, eggs, peanut butter, mac and cheese, spaghetti noodles, brownie mix, butter and a few other things.
When we got there and handed the things to the Mom she told me "bless you heart" about the groceries she wasn't expecting...
The 8 year old took the milk in and shouted out at her mom "Look mom MILK! We don't have to drink water anymore!"
It brought tears to my eyes... Somehow I just knew it was needed...
I love lessons like this to bring the kids along on... I love explaining to 9 year old S. that not everyone in America (or even in our own city) has enough to eat and drink, or to survive. It puts a bit of perspective on life and why I get so upset/disappointed when she worries so much about who has more hair barrettes or something silly like that.
Reading what my daughter had done made me swell with pride that she has such a big heart and is reaching out to share what she has with others...even when she really does not have a great deal of extra funds to do it with. So why am I even hesitating at going out of my way to help the evacuees in their time of need and my time of "plenty".
So I pledge here to my daughter, I WILL find a way to make a difference in some way for these unfortunate people who have lost so much...how could I do otherwise when I just happen to be in the neighborhood at the moment and have some time on my hands. Keep doing what you are in your corner of the world, my sweet Cindy, and I will live up to my part as well.
Hugs to you all but especially to Cindy (Big Smile through tears in my eyes !)
We are feeling a definite draw to all the volunteer efforts going on with respect to the people being evacuated out of the hurricane ravaged South. There are evacuees being moved into all corners of Arkansas...funneled through Fort Chaffee just south of where we currently are located.
At the Baptist church services we attended on Sunday they spoke of a church camp where up to 900 may soon be "housed". Jim and Linda Buckner knew we were interested so they drove us out to see the camp. Very sad facility but due to the extensive need it may very well be put into service.
Today we learned of another retreat site here in Fayetteville where they already have evacuees in residence with more to come. We went to visit that one today and registered in their volunteer database. The frustration is in that these things are moving very slowly and we want to do something NOW...again I am sure that sounds like us.
Tonight I was on the internet sites checking out opportunities here and in Fort Chaffee and just about ready to just throw up my hands and say to Gary that we should just move on in our "affluent" tour of the states and virtually ignore those in need.
About that time I pulled up my e-mail and a blog post of my daughter Cindy. I have cut and pasted it here for you to read but wanted to share with you also here blog site address, as I am so proud of all she is doing and has done. As Linda Buckner just reminded me...it is obvious she has a big heart like I do...so without bragging I will ask you to read the following quote from her blog (cindysblog.blogspot.com):
So I am sharing this experience in humbleness because it worked out so perfectly...
I am on a freecycle list where people offer up things they no longer have a use for for free... There are lots of OFFER ads, and lots of WANTED ads...
Well one on Friday caught my eye that a gal was asking for help for her friend that didn't have the money to buy her girls' school supplies... (single working mom that doesn't get any child support from her husband that left two years ago)...
Well it struck a cord with me and I responded to ask what was needed. And committed myself to the whole lot of school supplies...
Some of the stuff I already had in my stockpile of "it's a good deal, lets buy lots" other things like three ring binders I had in storage from pharmaceutical reps getting rid of them...
Still others I raided my kids' collections of backpacks - they really don't need more than one each right?
Since I was going to the store to get the rest of the school supplies anyhow, I asked about underwear sizes. I stocked up on those for the girls as well...
There was a need for a winter coat for the 8 year old & I looked through our closets and found one of those with matching gloves, washed it up and added it to my growing pile of stuff...
I compiled it all into each girl's backpack. One for the 8 year old, with as much pink stuff as I could find (she loves pink). And one for the 12 year old...
Then when I was ready to go over there today to drop the stuff off, something told me to stop at the grocery store for some staples for them...
I called her and let her know I was going to be a bit late...Got bread, milk, cheese, eggs, peanut butter, mac and cheese, spaghetti noodles, brownie mix, butter and a few other things.
When we got there and handed the things to the Mom she told me "bless you heart" about the groceries she wasn't expecting...
The 8 year old took the milk in and shouted out at her mom "Look mom MILK! We don't have to drink water anymore!"
It brought tears to my eyes... Somehow I just knew it was needed...
I love lessons like this to bring the kids along on... I love explaining to 9 year old S. that not everyone in America (or even in our own city) has enough to eat and drink, or to survive. It puts a bit of perspective on life and why I get so upset/disappointed when she worries so much about who has more hair barrettes or something silly like that.
Reading what my daughter had done made me swell with pride that she has such a big heart and is reaching out to share what she has with others...even when she really does not have a great deal of extra funds to do it with. So why am I even hesitating at going out of my way to help the evacuees in their time of need and my time of "plenty".
So I pledge here to my daughter, I WILL find a way to make a difference in some way for these unfortunate people who have lost so much...how could I do otherwise when I just happen to be in the neighborhood at the moment and have some time on my hands. Keep doing what you are in your corner of the world, my sweet Cindy, and I will live up to my part as well.
Hugs to you all but especially to Cindy (Big Smile through tears in my eyes !)
posted by Linda @ 8:29 PM
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