We’ve written about it in Sprouting Hope, our eNewsletter, and on our website, but I just have to say a bit about our project in the annual United Way Day of Caring this year – IT WAS GREAT. We’ve always done something on the Day of Caring, partially to support our neighbors and colleagues at the United Way and partially because we like getting our hands dirty. But usually, some of our staff were off picking apples with pre-schoolers and some were painting a group meeting room and others may have been weeding the garden at a senior center.
This year our staff decided early that we wanted to do a project together and we wanted it to be something significant. So we contacted our friends at the Lorain County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services and they told us that they really needed a room where new mothers could learn to bond with their children while dealing with recovery from their addiction. Perfect! Our staff was good with painting and minor rehab and absolutely shined when it came to shopping, but we needed a hole cut in the wall and a two-way mirror installed, not to mention some major disconnection of plumbing. No problem, our friends at the Business Industries Association came through to make the project complete. And what better inspriation for our work and the final product but The Giving Tree by Shel Silversteen. I see the talents of our staff of ten day in and day out, but I learned that each has hidden talents that I haven’t yet experienced. I’m confident that in some small way the fruit of our labor will help break the cycle of addiction for a few families in Lorain County, but I know that the labor itself has made our team appreciate each other just a little stronger. If you’ve got 5 minutes check out our video chronicle of the day.
