Volunteer Orientation: Tree House Humane Society

Location: Uptown

Date: Sunday, February 23, 2014; 3:00-5:30 pm

My first interaction with cats was when I was visiting my Grandma as a kid and saw a litter of 4 kittens, which had been brought in through a window by their mom on one rainy night.  For several years after that every time I visited them, the kitties were there and I saw them grow up into 4 adult cats with 4 very distinct personalities.  Then they slowly started leaving home one by one, till one day there was no trace of them.  I never quite understood how someone who had been a part of a family for so many years could just abandon them.  I guess that’s why I never trusted cats, and while I did not resent them, I never quite warmed up to them either.  Dogs on the other hand are the epitome of loyalty and I have always loved them.  But recently, having been to PAWS and after talking with some of my friends who are cat lovers, they have begun to grow on me.  So when an opportunity presented itself about being a volunteer with ‘Tree House Humane Society’, an organization that rescues cats, I was interested.  According to their website, “Tree House is a humane organization that promotes the inherent value of every animal and strives to educate the public about proper and responsible animal care, with a focus on the care and placement of stray cats with special physical and emotional needs. We are committed to finding every healthy and treatable animal a home and to helping lead the way to a No-Kill nation.”

The brave Max

My friend Amanda had forwarded me a link to their volunteer page and I had written to them saying I was interested.  After some to and fro emails to figure out scheduling, Amanda and I managed to schedule a visit to their uptown facility this Sunday afternoon.  We arrived at what looked like a residential house, and thought that this was just a space for office and we wouldn't be seeing any cats there.  Boy, were we wrong.  It was a house all right, but a house for cats!  We were led into a living room, which had been converted into a reception area.  We saw several cats over there, most of whom were in middle of their afternoon siesta.  There were cats napping on tables, under the chairs, or curled up in their beds.  There were two white kittens that were awake and staring at all the humans who had invaded their place.  One of them started walking and no sooner had he taken a step, then he lost his balance and fell over.  He continued doing that after every other step and I asked the receptionist what was wrong with him.  She told us that this one - called Max - and the other cat - called Jax - were brothers. Their mother was vaccinated when pregnant and this led to them having cerebral damage, which causes them to be wobbly.  I felt sorry for the little fella who was having difficulty going even a few inches without toppling.  However, we were told that this is the only life they have known and were used to this; anything else being strange for them.  The one who was walking was a feisty fellow and determined to get around at any cost, while his brother has even more difficulty in moving.  These two were quite popular with the other cats who frequently groomed them and had adopted them as their own.  I was taken by these two and the staff told us that the eventual hope was that someone patient would adopt them as a pair; because there was no way that they would be split up from each other. 

Other potential volunteers had gathered and so we were led to the third floor attic where the orientation was to be conducted.  Since the cats were roaming everywhere, we had to be careful while entering and exiting corridors, closing a door before opening another.  This was especially challenging on staircases, but we managed to reach our destination without picking up additional passengers.  The attic had several cats as well and we were told that they were FIV positive – same as HIV, but for Felines.  Since that can only be transferred from cat to cat through bite wounds, they had to be kept in isolation.  Katie, the staff member who was conducting the orientation, asked us to introduce ourselves and state why we were there.  I told them the story from my childhood and how despite being a dog person, I was starting to get fond of the kitties.  Many others were cat owners, including a mom and her son, who have a dog and a cat at home.  I asked them how they get along and it seems that while the dog wants to be friends and play, the cat prefers to be alone. 

Katie started with an overview of Tree House and what they do, emphasizing that they were a “no kill shelter”.  Besides this uptown facility, there is another center in Bucktown and while the training was being conducted here, the need for volunteers would be at both locations.  After the introduction we learned how to go about handling cats, which was especially useful for someone like me.  Katie demonstrated on a stuffed cat and I realized how moody cats can be, and how we have to be careful while petting them.  Dogs are definitely much friendlier, but some of these cats were so cute!  Next, we saw how to play with a cat using wand toys.  Cats are predators by nature and so chasing the wand is akin to them hunting.  Just as you do not want to come between a predator and their prey, you also do not want to come between a cat and their wand.  It was interesting to see that many cats were actually following along as Katie demonstrated this trick.

We were then told about the various duties that are expected of a volunteer, including being caregivers and playtime companions.  While she was doing so, we saw a volunteer come in to feed the cats in our room.  We then went on a tour and saw the various rooms, all equipped to handle kitties.  The entire house was designed for cats and was meant to be an open space for them, not a caged setting.  Downstairs, near the volunteer offices we saw a bulletin board with all the cats that were currently in foster care, and also a memorial wall with names of those who had passed. The staff really cared about the cats and were not treating this like a job.  In fact, we were told that all staff members have cats sitting on them when working!  This is a great place for these creatures that are possibly coming from a previous environment of neglect and abuse.  No cat is abandoned, and in case a family does not want the cat they have adopted; Tree House takes the kitty back.  I don’t know when I would be able to help out or in what capacity, but I was extremely glad to have come and learned about them.  Not all stray kittens find a welcoming home on the other side of a window during a thunderstorm.  That’s where Tree House comes in.  

West Suburban PADS Annual Have-A-Heart Gala

Location: Union League Club of Chicago

Date: Saturday, February 15, 2014; 5:30-9:30 pm

I had volunteered for them via a Meetup last year, but this time they were on the One Brick calendar.  I signed up as an EC to Wilson’s EM.  I arrived at the location, which was different than the one we had been to last year, but one that I had volunteered before at an ‘Esperanza’ event. Wilson was already there along with a few other volunteers, including Kathy, who travels from Indiana for volunteering.  There were the usual faces but also some new ones, like Tom who had also come from Indiana and Jacqui, who is a Professor from Cambridge and is on sabbatical at Argonne National Laboratories.  Talk about people coming from faraway places!  With quorum achieved, we went upstairs and saw that Me. Jeff was waiting for us – another person driving from the suburbs.  Really, it must be the lure of working with me that is compelling people to travel great distances!

We were shown to a grand looking boardroom where we had assembled for the Esperanza project.  Terri, the organizer from PADS, came in and she immediately recognized me from last year.  I must have made an impression.  She gave us an overview of PADS and also told us about the new initiative that they are implementing, where their staff and volunteers are literally taking to the streets to ensure that homeless people are coming into the shelters and participating in their programs.  She then introduced us to one of her staff members, who had chased someone for months before convincing them to join the program.  This is what I had liked about them when I had volunteered last year. They really believe in making a difference and go great lengths to ensure success.

The grand ballroom that we had to guard

Terri told us our tasks for the evening, which was mostly being at the ‘Silent Auction’ tables.  We were to help people bid – the good old fashioned paper and pen way, not the electronic thing that I had seen at other places.  We were also required to answer questions about the products and announce when the sections were about to close.  There were 6 of them and 2 would be closing every 10 minutes from 7:10 to 7:30 pm.  Then she said that the floor above us was where the dinner service was being staged and she needed 2 volunteers to help guests find their tables when they came upstairs at 7:30 pm.  She said that we should also post people there right now so as to stop someone from going inside and re-directing them to the floor below.  It seemed straight forward enough and so after sending 2 people upstairs, the rest of us spread out all over the auction room. 

Hmm, looks like art

Being the EC, my job was to walk about and ensure that our volunteers were comfortable and performing their duties as assigned.  Mr. Jeff was at the ‘Fashion & Jewelry’ section and I told him to familiarize himself with the items on display, especially since I expected a lot of ladies to be coming that way.  Also in his section was a good looking ‘Fedora’ made of suede and one of the female volunteers said that women usually run in the opposite direction if they see a man in ‘Fedora’ approach them.  Well, I’m not sure they would do the same if the man happened to be Humphrey Bogart, but we would see how this item fared at the auction.  There was an ‘Arts’ section and some of the pieces were, well, interesting.  I remembered the brilliant piece from last year, made of plastic tubing and nothing this year matched that.  The ‘Kids’ section had a tricycle on display and it was no ordinary tricycle.  This one had left and right indicators, complete with the ticking sound! I mean how cool is that?  I certainly wish I had one of those when I was a kid many moons ago and was riding my tricycle.  It’s funny that of the few things I remember from my toddler days, I remember me riding my tricycle in a park and then at a tricycle race at a party with my parent's friends and their kids.  Another section was called ‘Gateway’ and this one had all the vacation packages, as well as a giant smoker for outdoor picnics.  The next section was ‘Sports’, with its usual signed paraphernalia.  The final section was called ‘Luxury’ and that’s where Jacqui was stationed.  I asked what her area of research was and was pleasantly surprised to learn it was ‘Dye-Sensitized Photovoltaics’, a familiar terminology from my past professional life.  We indeed had a lot to discuss, but I had to keep moving.

I went upstairs to check on the two people stationed outside the ballroom and they were standing by themselves with absolutely nothing to do.  The ballroom was one of the best that I have seen at these events, but even with that splendor, I felt that we were wasting our resources.  I went downstairs and said so much to Terri, who agreed, but deferred me to a colleague who had placed them there.  When I pleaded my case to her, she refused in a very passive aggressive way and insisted that I sent the 2 volunteers back upstairs to do nothing.  Well I guess this is the one night for some of these staff members to feel empowered, and I was not going to deny her that feeling. So I let it be. 

The party was in full flow and the guests were mingling in the auction room.  Our volunteers, especially Mr. Jeff, were doing an excellent job of encouraging people to bid. I walked around and saw Megan, with whom I had arranged the ‘Silent Auction’ area last year.  At 7:10 pm, the first couple of sections closed and we went about telling everyone so.  This process was repeated each time the other sections closed.  As I glanced at the bids, I was pleased to see that the ‘Fedora’ had received a lot of attention.  Looks like the female volunteer had a lot to learn about fashion!  Now that the auctions were closed, our job was to herd the people in to the dining room, which is a task easier said than done.  Finally, everyone had left and we could go back to the board room for our dinner.  While it wasn’t quite the spread like ‘Esperanza’, it wasn’t dry sandwiches like last year either. 

Why does it always have to be wine!

After dinner we all went back to the auction room - now empty - and wrote down the winning bid number's on a sheet, along with the price.  Some of the handwriting was a challenge to decipher – it was after all an open bar – but we managed to get everything sorted out in a timely manner.  Next, we were to package some of the products on display and as usual I seemed to end up with the wine bottles; the one thing that I could potentially break!  Fortunately we finished without any damage and then it was a lot of waiting since people were still partying.  Our shift was at an end and while Terri could have used us for the checkout, we said that we couldn’t ask our volunteers to wait beyond the advertised time; especially since some had to drive to another state. I left with Wilson in the snow and wondered if the previous year had been more productive in terms of volunteer’s time.  While this still remains a great cause, the unfortunate answer is “Yes”. 

Valentine’s Day Special: Lakeview Pantry West

Location: Lakeview Pantry West

Date: Friday, February 14, 2014; 10:30 am-12:30 pm

It was ‘Valentine’s Day’ again and while it was not going to be a multiple project run like last year, I had taken a day off and was looking to do at least one project.  The problem was that Chicago Cares does not have any projects on Friday and neither did One Brick or Make-A-Wish or any other organization on ‘Volunteer Match’.  So I approached someone with whom I had started my day last year, ‘Lakeview Pantry’. I wrote to Carrie and she got me in touch with the person who schedules volunteers and after a few tries, we managed to get me appointed for a morning shift.  Wilson was going to be in attendance as well – of course – and so he picked me up in the morning, and we arrived to find that there were a lot of people there; including a group of special needs kids.  They were volunteering with their teachers and it wasn’t their first time there, this being a regular program to help with their social skills.  It was going to be great sharing this day with them.

If only the flowers were this pretty

Under the watchful eyes of their caregivers, the kids were helping with sorting fruit, stocking shelves and getting food out from the refrigerator.  It was crowded in there and Carrie asked if I could help organize the counter space.  There were several bags there that needed to be consolidated and other cardboard boxes that needed to be cleaned out.  I asked if she wanted me to break-down these boxes, but she said that it was one of the tasks that the kids enjoyed doing and so I should leave it for them.  In fact they all looked happy doing their tasks and had huge smiles on their faces.  The teachers were doing a great job of ensuring that all of the kids got a chance to work and while doing so, were following instructions.  Next, Carrie asked me to throw out some roses that had been donated, but now looked like they were drying out.  I found a bunch that still looked good and gave it to Carrie’s assistant Caitlin.  Hey, after all it was a day to do these kinds of things!

I went over to help out a kid who was sorting Oranges and he was very good at picking out the bad ones and throwing them away.  After that we did the same for limes and lemons, consolidating crates to ensure that all of them were full and efficiently packed.  One kid kept coming up to me and speaking in Spanish and as much as I would have loved to have had a conversation with him, I do not understand a single word of the language and so was just smiling.  The kids were waiting for the ‘GCFD’ truck to arrive so that they could help with the sorting, but it was running late and they had to leave at 11 am.  As they left, Wilson was encouraging everyone to pick up a banana from the crate by the door.  One kid took a couple of bananas, an orange and some potatoes, and his teacher gave him a talking to regarding not taking something that didn't belong to, or was offered to him.  To his credit he listened closely, apologized and then returned everything back.

Everyone left and then it was just Carrie, Wilson and me waiting for the truck to arrive; which it did in due course.  There was approximately 3000 lbs of food that needed to be transferred and so we got to work.  Typically it’s just the driver who helps Carrie and it isn't even his job to do so.  I told Wilson that he needed to get on Meetup and recruit people to help her out.  I started by transferring a lot of eggs, which was followed by huge boxes of milk, which were extremely heavy.  I stored them in the refrigerator and then it was frozen meat that went into the freezer.  Finally there were canned goods – a staple of this place.  It was definitely faster with the 4 of us and I could only imagine how difficult it must be for Carrie without anyone else.  The driver left and then Wilson and I started storing the canned goods in the shelves behind the counters.  This was taking time and allowed us to chat with Carrie, who is a delightful company to converse with on any topic.  Today it was various accents and she mentioned how everyone’s accents are usually set by the time they turn 11 years old.  The front was looking quite stocked and so we moved to the pantry in the back to shelve the remaining cans.  At my last visit here it had been overflowing and today it looked very bare.  I asked Carrie about it and she said that it was because the holidays were over and so the food drives that people usually have during then no longer existed.  It’s funny that people think that holidays are the only time to do such activities, since hunger knows no season or no special occasion.  I commend people who help out during that time of the year, but it’s also important to remember that showing compassion is a year-long duty. 

We finished storing and came outside to see if Carrie had any other task for which she required our help.  She said that she was all set and I asked if there were any flyers that she had, for distribution to people who needed help. She said that someone had in fact printed some cards with a map to this place so that people could come and get food.  I left with Wilson after another special day.  This truly is a great program with a great leader in Carrie.  Plus, working with those kids had been amazing.  It had been another successful ‘Valentine’s Day’ for sure.

Epilogue

The 'Candygram' bags

I was asked by someone if volunteering is my idea of how ‘Valentine’s Day’ should be celebrated, considering that it was my 2^nd year in a row doing this.  Now, my views on this day have been documented and I for one have always strongly believed in its significance.  I also believe that the most important thing for this day is to show someone that you care.  That someone could be one person, or many, or even a community.  It could be a loved one or strangers.  It’s the act that matters.  I have mentioned about my Company’s ‘Culture Crew’ in another post.  One of the initiatives that we did for 'Valentine's Day' was ‘Candygrams’, where people could buy a candy for a colleague whom they appreciated and we would put a sticker with a nice message and deliver the candy to their desk. We were even going to donate the proceeds to 'American Heart Association' - get it, heart for love! There was an overwhelming response to this and our orders came thick and fast.  I had requested constant update on this though, because like one of the other appreciation initiatives, I wanted us to ensure that every employee got at least one candy…every single one of them.  I will say it again, if you are going to do an initiative like this on a company-wide scale, it has to be all inclusive.  Else in my eyes it is a failure.  Fortunately there was another person who thought the same way and while I sent candy to only those who had been left out, at the last minute he sent one to every single person in the office.  Hat’s off to you Sir.  The night before we stayed back and made individual bags of candies, and then went to every one’s desk and left their bag for them to find as soon as they came in on ‘Valentine’s Day’ morning.  As I crisscrossed the office doing this, I felt the same satisfaction, pride and happiness as I would at the pantry. 

As I said in my very first post, it’s really not the thing that you fling…it’s the fling itself.

American Cancer Society Making Strides Steering Committee Meeting

Location: American Cancer Society Office

Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2014; 6:30-7:30 pm

Previously on Making Strides…

2013 had started with strangers coming together to plan an event which has come to be a flagship program for American Cancer Society in Chicago – ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk’.  For months, we gathered in the ACS conference room after office hours and discussed how we were going to recruit walkers, get sponsorship's, ask for in-kind donations, plan the day-off events and in general, how we were going to make the day a success.  Then came the early morning kick-off breakfast, that got everyone excited and told us that yes, we would put on a great event.  A few days before the walk was an evening of final touches and getting things ready to go.  Finally, there was the walk itself.  It was a success beyond my expectations and some of the most fun that I have had while volunteering.  We had a holiday party in December to celebrate our achievement and then it hit us - very soon it would be time to start the 2014 planning process.  Sure enough, the email arrived requesting interested parties to gather this cold Wednesday evening at the same ACS offices.  A sense of familiar feeling came over me as I entered the lobby of 225 North Michigan Avenue building.  It was time to get to work…to go beyond what we had accomplished last year. For what’s the point of doing things repeatedly if you do not have ambitions of improving on your performance.  As I walked in the room I saw a group of people gathered in the same conference room that I had come to know so well.  Welcome to another season of Making Strides Steering Committee Meetings!

Yes, I can

There were some familiar faces from ACS, like Ted, Carrie and Jesse, as well as some of the committee members from the previous year. There were many new faces as well, including a lady who had come with a little girl.  The entire room was decorated in pink and there were pink notepads and pens available for us to take notes.  First up was introductions and Ted noted that there were a lot of new faces, except me and a few others.  As we went around the room, as expected everyone had a personal story on why they were here, including survivors and some with family members who had been afflicted with the disease.  I said that I had a blast last year and having seen thousands of happy faces at the Photo booth, there was no way I wasn’t going to show up.

Carrie, who would be leading the team this year, started by explaining how she envisioned things being different.  She said that rather than calling it subcommittee, she would have 6 task groups: (a) Survivor and Caregivers – Caregivers being added this year, (b) Mission, (c) Advocacy –a very important task force to promote the cause, especially since Illinois Governor had cut funding for mammograms, (d) Promotions, (e) Entertainment & Activities and (f) Children’s Tent.  People could choose to be on one committee or on multiple.  It looked similar to the structure that we had last year and I mentioned it; as did a woman near me!  A rose by any other name…

Carrie was laying down the law and said that there would a minimum attendance requirement this year, with at least 70% attendance mandatory – meaning 7 of the 9 meetings that had been planned.  I said that this would depend on the schedule and the woman near me agreed again; almost giving me a high-five!  Carrie said that the schedule would be decided after reaching consensus and if we couldn't attend in person, we could still call in.  Besides this, the members would be of course required to register for – and volunteer – at the walk, become a member of ACS CAN – ‘Cancer Action Network’ – and also serve as an ambassador for the walk and recruit people.  Fundraising was optional, and definitely something that would be my weakest attribute. 

The woman near me brought up the issue of change in leadership last year, where Adam had left in the middle of the planning cycle, and which had thrown everything in chaos.  Ted said that he had been careful in hiring Carrie and mentioned how she had shown her commitment by showing up for one of last year’s event at short notice.  We clearly saw what he was talking about because Carrie’s is an extremely confident woman.  She mentioned how her goal was to get Chicago’s numbers up, with the city having fewer walkers than Indianapolis and raising less money than Detroit.  I said that it could be because we had other breast cancer walks like ‘Komen’ and ‘Avon’.  She said that this wasn’t an excuse since other cities had those as well.  I for one believe in her leadership for this program.  I left excited, though with some questions in my mind regarding the commitment that would be required.  But one thing is sure, I would try my very best to make it work since I do want to be involved.  Yep, it was going to be another great year.  

Aspire 2014 Big City Night Gala

Location: Marriott

Date: Saturday, February 08, 2014; 2:00-10:30 pm

I was free this Saturday and found this while looking at the ‘Volunteer Match’ website.  I applied for it and in days that followed, the Volunteer coordinator Jeanne did a good job of communicating.  One of her emails was a request for the volunteers to go to the suburbs for training and that wasn’t going to happen for me!  Thankfully that got cancelled, meaning that now we had to arrive at the location at 2 pm in the afternoon, a full 2 hours before the original check-in time.  Since the venue was near me, it wouldn't be a problem as far as the commute was concerned.  Well, so I thought, because it was snowing heavily, and since they wanted us in black shoes and trousers, it was challenge getting there without the proper grip of snow boots.  Even then, this was going to be an evening to support a great cause.  According to the website, “From infants to seniors, Aspire serves people with disabilities across their lifetimes. We offer a comprehensive array of support for individuals with developmental disabilities.  Our name – Aspire – best sums up our approach. We help our participants and their families to aspire to a world of possibilities.  Aspire is one of the largest human service nonprofits in west suburban Chicago. We assist more than 1,000 children, adults and families each year with services focused on achieving potential and independence. Aspire is recognized throughout Illinois for our dedicated team of 250 staff who provide personalized services at 22 locations in the western suburbs. We help infants and toddlers begin life with as many abilities as possible and encourage adults with developmental disabilities to participate as fully as possible in community life.”  Well then, on to the event.

Here we go

I arrived at Marriott and went up to the 7^th level to find Jeanne with a group of volunteers already assembled.  I picked up my shirt and then we all took the back stairs to the 6^th level, where the volunteer break room was situated.  We left our stuff in the break room and then went back up, where more volunteers had started to assemble.  Jeanne asked if we could help direct these new volunteers to the break room and so made several trips up and down.  Finally we all gathered and Jeanne was ready to tell us about our tasks for the evening.  My duties were going to be helping out at the ‘Silent Auction’ as well as the ‘Pledge Auction’.  Jeanne told us that during the ‘Pledge Auction’, the volunteers would be spread all over the ballroom and as the auctioneer would ask for pledges, people would raise their “bid paddle”.  We were to approach the person, confirm with them their pledge amount, and then ask them to initial the paddle, followed by the volunteer’s initials.  Sounded similar to stuff I have done before.  She then asked for 8 volunteers to work the “Live Auction” and I raised my hand.  We were going to be given torches similar to those seen with ground crews at the airport and our job was to help the auctioneer by pointing the torches at people when they bid.  I was glad that I had raised my hand, because not only was that a cool looking device to be carrying about, I was now on deck for all sorts of auctions that were possible tonight!

A gentleman then asked us to gather in the volunteer break room for script session that was to be led by him and a lady named Candy.  She was the “producer” for tonight’s show, and certainly knew what she was doing, having been a producer on ‘Oprah’ for many years.  She told us that her oldest son has developmental disability and that’s the reason why she had gotten involved.  He is 11 years old now and was here tonight, along with her younger daughter.  Candy was one of the most upbeat people that I have come across and has a terrific attitude about everything.  She got the room going and her enthusiasm was infectious.  She wanted things to be said in a very precise manner and she took us through the script, including the greeting, “Welcome to the Aspire Experience”.  Try saying that fast!  The good thing for me was that the script was only for greeters and those at registration, and I was doing neither.  The gentleman also chimed in and told us about his connection with Aspire - a 50 year old sister with developmental disability.  Like Candy, he was great at this and we asked them a lot of questions and they answered most of them very well. 

The grand ballroom

Jeanne came to check if everyone understood their duties and when she saw that many volunteers had cancelled because of weather and other reasons, she moved some people around.  Next, we were going in for focused training and I went upstairs and gathered with other silent auction volunteers near the auction tables.  I looked around and saw that there were some of the usual things like signed sports memorabilia and other goodies.  The auction would be conducted on people’s smart phones and we were given login information in order to help them.  In case they did not have a smart phone, there were people walking about with ‘iPad's’, who would be able to help them.  I chatted with my fellow volunteers and saw that one of them was a One Brick volunteer and recognized me.  My next training session was with Paul, the auctioneer.  This was easier said than done since gathering all the live auction folk was a challenge.  Once we did so, he went through all of the live auction items and we practiced our pointing and waving.  Candy wanted to make our entrance into the room a spectacle, with us rushing out screaming and looking enthusiastic.  She made us practice that and kept asking us to put more energy into it.  One would have thought we were entering a football arena rather than a formal auction room!

All the volunteers went down for dinner and the spread was better than most volunteer dinners that I have seen.  It wasn’t just cold cut sandwiches, but an actual hot buffet style dinner.  I was hovering around the desserts section and picked up a conversation with another volunteer and learned that like me she loved all things food.  Then she told me that she was a model, specializing in swimsuits.  Over 18 months of volunteering and I was now introduced with a swimsuit model.  What was that about patience being a virtue!  I went back upstairs and saw some volunteers at a Wine table and they were selling some expensive Italian Wine.  Some well-dressed guests had started to come in to explore the silent auction area and I positioned myself at a “gourmet table” with items such as 18 bottles of wine, chocolate cooking experience, movies for a year at ‘Cinemark’ etc.  Looked like my kind of things, plus the model was going to be working the same table with me.  Seriously, there are days when volunteering has many superficial perks!  Many people needed help with the smart phone app and we did our best to educate them, as well as encourage them to bid.  I would go as far as saying that if they did not bid, I would try to get the item for myself.  One gentleman came wearing a suit made of sequins and he loved it when we mentioned that he was by far the best dressed gentleman in the house. 

The torch!

People went inside for dinner and around 8:15 pm; it was time for me to go help out with the live auction.  I collected the torch, a sheet of paper with the 7 bid items on it – such as a trip to Hollywood and private chef cooking experience -  and a sharpie and then we assembled in a swanky lounge area, waiting for them to call on us.  We then went to the backstage and the program was running late, not least due to some technical difficulties with the guest of honor, who was joining via ‘Skype’ and kept getting disconnected.  Finally, we were on and as Candy announced us, I tried to run out with as much enthusiasm as I could muster and placed myself in the center of the room.  The auction started and my side of the room was very quiet, so much so that the auctioneer said that the people in that area were allowed to bid!  I did have to point a few times, but nobody in my section won anything.  

Next up was the pledge auction and the auctioneer started with $10,000 and went all the way down to $100.  As usual the rush started at lower numbers and I got at least 3 or 4 of the bidders.  I went over and collected their paddle after both of us had initialed it.  The goal was to raise $50,000 through this, though one couple announced that they would make up the difference.  Wow, that was a grand gesture.  As I walked back to hand over my paddles, a few people thanked me, including the CEO of Aspire!  The silent auction had been extended to 10:15 pm and so I waited by the table in case anyone had questions.  As soon as the auction closed, I started packing the items in the boxes and carried them to a room behind registration.  It was time for me to leave, though the check-out volunteers would be there for a long time; considering that the party was just getting started.  I walked back home in the snow, tired but satisfied.  I had the privilege of working for a fantastic organization and for some of the best people like Candy, who had made volunteering fun.  Definitely a standard some of the other organizations can “aspire” to reach.  Boy, I have been waiting this entire blog to use that!

Dinner At The Wells Street Cafe

Location: Breaking Bread Ministries/LaSalle Street Church

Date: Wednesday, February 05, 2014; 5:45-9:00 pm

I was waiting for it and sure enough, in the afternoon I got an email from Thomas asking if I could lead the project or should he just cancel it because of snow.  Well, I’m sure there was a middle ground here somewhere, but I agreed to lead and so that was settled.  I usually prefer to send welcome emails to the volunteers and today was no exception.  However, unlike other times, I used the Chicago Cares leadership portal to send my message.  Very soon one person dropped out, though two others signed up, including Wilson.  I printed the attendance sheet and arrived at the site a little before the start time.  Marianne, whom I hadn't seen for some time was there this evening and she even remembered me and gave me a hug.  For once Keith recognized me, though he misspoke my name as usual.  Aah well, baby steps.

Wilson was already there and soon my other volunteers arrived – Laura, Lindsey and Rahul.  There were others who were volunteering directly with ‘Breaking Bread’, including regular’s like Joe, and newcomers like a couple who had recently moved from England.  But it still looked like we were going to be lighter than usual.  I put Wilson and Rahul on chopping the lettuce and tomatoes for the salad and Laura went over to help crack eggs – dozens and dozens of eggs.  I had to learn how to use an industrial sized, table mounted can opener to open cans of fruits. After straining them, the British couple took over the task of chopping the three types of fruits – peaches, pears and mandarin oranges.  The syrup made my gloves sticker with the opening of each can and it was just making it that much more difficult to get a grip.  I chatted with the couple and we discussed British TV shows – which are the best – and football – otherwise known as soccer here.  The cans were never ending and after doing this for a while, I passed it to Lindsey and went over to check on the rest of my team.

The washing station

Wilson and Rahul and finished with the chopping and were now mixing the dressing, followed by the distribution into 21 bowls.  We finished that, as well as the fruit salad and placed them on  the racks and into the refrigerator.  Laura had finished cracking the eggs and was now helping scramble them, while a group of three women were making toast.  Marianne asked me to assign someone to the “Nurse duty” and I asked Lindsey if she would do it.  Then she needed someone to help wash the bigger pots and pans and I put Rahul on it.  This task was to be done at the back of the room, which had 3 huge basins that were the wash, rinse and sanitize stations.  We filled them up, ready for the utensils to come in. 

The guests were filtering in and now it was time for our group huddle with Keith and Marianne.  Keith started by asking how many were new and since almost everyone except me and Wilson were there for the first time, what he had to say would be important for them to listen to – though the British couple had to leave and thus missed this important part.  Besides his usual speech, he mentioned a young man who was in attendance and whom Keith had met a few days ago and had helped him get some clothes and medicine.  Then he introduced Marianne, saying that she wasn’t in the best of health and had some other concerns, but is a real trooper if there was one.  He told us how she had recently visited one of the guests who comes here, in the hospital.  I mean its one thing to serve, but it takes a far greater nobility to really care.  But that’s Marianne for you.

Marianne reminded us to not give the guests any money and then assigned duties.  I usually start by distributing the juice, but since we didn't have any today, I was going to help plate.  As usual, we prayed before going out and entered the dining area to see it full of our guests.  Two gentlemen would be providing the entertainment for tonight, one on a piano and the other on drums.  The menu was ‘Breakfast Food’, which I should have guessed with all the eggs.  Keith made a sample plate of eggs, one toast and one turkey sausage.  With no desserts, it wasn’t much, but I hoped that the guests would have the salads.  Speaking of which, I asked Marianne if we could consolidate tables so as not to waste the salads and she said that while it was a good idea, they never dictated where the guests should sit.  Well, I tried. 

Tonight's menu

We started with the plating and the servers were off.  No sooner had we done that, than there was a line for seconds.  We could not find any takeout boxes, so it was going to be Aluminum foil for people who wanted to carry the food home.  The second’s line was very long, which was to be expected since the initial portions had been less.  In fact one gentleman came for a third time, trying to hide his earlier package in his pocket.  Well, I was certainly not going to call him out on that.  But, there were some considerate people, like one gentleman who said that after seeing we did not have much, he would not take more than he needed.  We started the clean-up and once again, it was disappointing to see a lot of salad being wasted.  I helped bring in the salt and pepper shakers, folded tables and stacked chairs.  We were done well ahead of the 9 pm end time and I thanked the volunteers for braving the weather and coming.  ‘Breaking Bread’ is having a ‘Valentine’s Day’ dance on Friday and which is open to anyone who wants to attend.  Wilson asked if they required volunteers and they said that it would be appreciated.  I was pretty certain this would show up on ‘Meetup’ by end of the night and have ten's of volunteers signed up before the event.  I thanked Marianne and Keith and left. It was good to have come back after missing a month. 

Lakeview Seniors Pet Therapy

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Date: Monday, February 03, 2014; 6:15-7:45 pm

I arrived early and saw that no other volunteer was there.  So I went over to the main room and chatted with Jim, Jack and Elmer.  Jim was in a feisty mood and said that he wanted to get away from this place and in his own apartment.  I have heard that being said by many residents over here but week after week I always find them there.  Elmer was wearing some keys around his neck and I asked him about them.  He said that they were keys to the chest of drawers in his room.  Both, he and Jim, said that things in Lakeview Nursing have a tendency of “walking away”.  Now, that I have heard as well.  We talked about the candles that we had made yesterday and Jim said that he couldn't have any candles around with his oxygen tank.  I agreed with him and asked Elmer if he was giving his ‘Valentine’s Day’ influenced candle to some young lady.  “Perhaps”, he replied.

Even with wheels he's a handsome creature

I went to the room where the dogs usually gather and while there were 3 other volunteers besides Fran, no dogs had arrived yet.  Soon our Volunteer leader Veronica came, but there were still no dogs.  Finally a volunteer arrived with her dog Mandy.  He was very well behaved and sat on his hind legs, awaiting instructions.  I noticed that Mandy had a ‘Pittsburgh Steelers’ leash and I chatted with his owner about Pittsburgh and my time there.  Soon, Sam and Jess arrived with their dogs, Shane and Chloe.  Being leaders themselves, they had come to support Veronica on her first day as a leader for this project; though she leads another project, ‘Game Night At Wesley Place’.  Shane, who has arthritis, was wearing a wheelchair like support for his hind legs and Sam said that they were only there so as to enable Shane to get a grip on this flooring, since he tended to slip.  Veronica assigned pairings I was going to be with Sam and Shane.  “A boys night out”, Sam proclaimed.

We started on the 2^nd floor, taking the elevator so as to help Shane.  First up was Loritta and she was expecting us.  She was in the mood to talk about Chicago’s museums and we spent some time exchanging our experiences at different places.  Typically all owners carry treats for dogs, and Sam was no exception, though he had carrots, since Shane has diabetes and these are the only things good for him.  Even then, Shane was looking forward to these and would often growl because he wanted them.  I said that I had never seen anyone so excited for carrots.  Next we went to see Gloria and seeing Shane with the wheels, asked how old he was.  When Sam said that he was 13, she said that he was getting up there.  I asked when his birthday was and Sam said that he wasn’t sure.  He had gotten Shane in January and so that’s when he considers his birthday to be.  This pleased Gloria and she said that he was a ‘Capricorn’ like herself!  I asked what qualities ‘Capricorns’ usually possessed and she said they were business savvy and made quick decisions.  To emphasize that point she said that she owned a business in the city.  Wow, I wouldn't have guessed that about her.

We went to Dena’s room and she asked about Shane’s age as well and then said the same “He’s getting up there”. Why was everyone picking on the poor guys age!  She asked Sam how he had gotten Shane and he said that he had picked him at the ‘Animal Anti-Cruelty Society’ when Shane was about 3 years old.  She said that he was a beautiful dog and Sam was lucky to get him.  Well, she was definitely right about that.  As we passed a room, Sam said that its former resident, Ruby had passed recently.  The last time I had seen her, she was not looking good.  Even then, it was sad to hear. After over a year of volunteering, this was the first instance of me losing a Senior that I had interacted with.  I guess in this line of work it was only a matter of time till it happened.

We went to the 3^rd floor to visit with Jerry and saw that Jane, one of our Bingo callers, was sitting with him.  Shane was accepting bacon bits from Jerry, perhaps happy to receive something else besides carrots.  While Shane and Jerry played, Sam, Jane and I discussed the ‘Superbowl’ and Jane mentioned how she had supported the ‘Seahawks’ because of their brashness, being somewhat similar in her younger days.  We were soon joined by Chloe and Jess and immediately Chloe jumped on the bed and got into a staring contest with Jerry for bacon bits.  Jess said that since Chloe was 9 years old, she was considered a “Senior” and so it was funny to see these old dogs waiting to get treats with enthusiasm of pups. 

Soldier and Johnny B

We left for our final stop at Hannah’s and Sam introduced me, though I had been there several times.  Hannah asked how my name was pronounced and then called it “elegant”.  Well, this is the first time anyone has said that.  Hannah is working on a book about her cat Johnny B and another cat Soldier, who is a frequent visitor to this place.  Sam’s helping her type up the notes and they both started discussing the new draft while I watched Jess try to give Shane his carrot treats.  Because he bites hard, she was throwing it and whenever he missed, Chloe would pounce on it.  Even with this competition, the two of them are as inseparable as dogs can be. 

It was time to leave and we went down and met up with the rest of our crew.  I congratulated Veronica on her first successful project as a leader and mentioned that I would stop by at her other project soon, having enjoyed my previous visit there.  The evening’s Bingo was over and Emma was on her way upstairs.  I saw that she had won and I congratulated her, as well as complimenting on her pink attire.  As usual she said a polite thank you.  I asked Elmer if he had won and he said yes, and without cheating!  I chatted with Jim and Larry – whom I hadn't seen in a long time as he recovered from his illness.  I asked them about the newsletter and they said that it was going well.  Jim asked if I was “travelling the city” and I guess he meant volunteering.  I said yes I was and then left.  I walked to the station with Fran, chatting about Make-A-Wish, a topic she’s very interested in.  It had been a terrific “boys night out”, even though one of us had been in a wheelchair and jumping up for carrots!

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy

Movie Night

Location: H.O.M.E. – Pat Crowley House

Date: Sunday, February 02, 2014; 5:30-9:00 pm

“This day was perfect. You couldn't have planned a day like this.”

“Well, you can. It just takes an awful lot of work.”

-          Groundhog Day

Yes it was

It was ‘Superbowl Sunday’ and usually I am firmly planted in front of my TV.  But it was also ‘Groundhog Day’ and Wilson was planning to show ‘Groundhog Day’ the movie at Pat Crowley.  Well, that was certainly not to be missed.  We arrived at Pat Crowley from the project at Lakeview Nursing and found the residents at the dining table.  They seemed have just finished having ice cream and so I went over to help with the clearing.  As I went to take Wendy’s bowl, I saw that it had hardly been touched and Mabel said that I should leave it since there was medicine inside it, and it was important that Wendy finish it.  First off all, great call on embedding medicine in ice cream, and secondly shame on me for trying to take away someone’s ice cream.  However I have nightmares of my parents giving me bitter medicine in honey when I was a kid, and to this day I cannot stand honey.  Thank God they did not put it in an ice cream else I couldn't live with myself!

The fantastic 'High Noon'

Annabelle was back from the hospital, though confined to her room.  This was a good sign though and the residents did seem a bit more upbeat than the previous week.  I went over to chat with Andrew and he said that he could still take me.  What?  It wasn’t as if I had challenged him for a duel!  I said that I had never been accused of being strong, so he could well be right.  We talked about our favorite movies and Andrew said that he liked Westerns like ‘Shane’ or movies featuring John Wayne.  I told him that ‘The Searchers’ was one of my favorites, though the best Western movie that I had ever seen was ‘High Noon’’.  His face lit up as for the next few minutes we talked about Gary Cooper as ‘Marshal Will Kane’, one of the greatest screen heroes of all time.  Even now as I write this, it gives me chills to think about this movie, about a man who is abandoned by everyone – including his wife – and who in face of imminent death stands up for what he believes in.  Plus that haunting song that plays throughout the film as the clock ticks towards noon.  Brilliant!  It is the crown jewel in the American treasure that is the Western. 

As we prepared for the movie, Cynthia was making tea and I mentioned that she certainly liked her tea's.  She said that she was particularly fond of ‘Chai’, having been introduced to it by her boyfriend back in the 70's when she was in DC.  I would have liked to have heard more about her days back then but Wilson announced that we were ready to begin.  Mabel was already in there watching a film on photography and Jane had come down for this one as well.  Before she came inside, I saw Cynthia stroking Wendy’s cheek and saying that she was her “little girl”.  It further emphasized what I already knew, that while she may not be the oldest, Cynthia was really the mother figure of this house.

We started the movie and I was sitting next to Andrew and I watched him drift in and out of sleep.  Despite that he seemed to be awake at the right times, like a scene where two big steins of beer were being passed and Andrew said “I would like two of those and two shots of rum”.  Well, him and me both.  At the end of the film as the hero gets the girl, Andrew woke up and said, “There she is”; and with enthusiasm as well.  Everyone had loved the movie and Jane was even dancing during the end credits, as was Cynthia in her chair.  We started discussing the next one and once again Andrew said that he would like to see ‘Shane’ or Spencer Tracy in ‘Bad Day At Black Rock’.  Even Jane and Mabel endorsed that.  Andrew and I had enjoyed talking about movies and he even called me a “movie buff”.  He then went on to talk about guns and while he would have liked to go on for hours, it was time for us to leave.  The ‘Superbowl’ had been going on, but for me this had been another wonderful evening.  Plus what a movie to watch!  ‘Groundhog Day’ is about a man re-living a day again and again till he learns something about himself, and finally gets it right.  There’s a valuable lesson in it for all of us.  All of us have been guilty of throwing away opportunities… ruining relationships…wasting valuable moments.  But it’s never too late to change… to apologize. As Bill Murray's character say's in the movie, "it just takes an awful lot of work".  Hey, as someone else once said, "If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain".

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy

Get Crafty!

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Date: Sunday, February 02, 2014; 2:30-4:00 pm

I had not signed up for this one and Alisa told me to just come with Wilson.  He was going to pick me up and asked me to get oven mitts. This would be a strange request coming from someone else, but hey, this is Wilson!  We picked up Amanda and arrived at Lakeview Nursing, to find Alisa was using a hairdryer on a candle.  Our task today was to make decorative candles.  The idea was to create designs, or write something, on colored - or transparent - tissue paper; wrap it around the candle, and then put a wax paper around it.  After this it would be melted using the blow dryer, so that the tissue paper gets embedded inside the candle.  Once the wax paper is peeled, it is as if the candle was molded with the design on it.  Since the candle needed to be held in one hand while blow drying, we required the oven mitts.  The skill was really in making the design on the paper.  Not one of my strong points. 

Love was in the air

We had many seniors in attendance and that was fantastic.  It also meant that all of us would be needed today.  I saw a new lady resident and went over to chat with her.  She said that she would make a candle for her daughter and decided to use a design with grapes on a vine.  I said that it was a fascinating choice and then she mentioned that it was the exact design as one on my oven mitts.  Well, a multi-tasker for sure!  My buddy Elmer was there and I told him that I was going to make him work, to which he finished, “like a rented mule”.  I asked what he wanted to put on his candles and he said something which was a ‘Valentine’s Day’ theme; with hearts.  Aah, another romantic!  There was a volunteer at his table, and so I decided to go elsewhere; which was not a problem since Emma had come in.

I went over to her table and Fran joined us as well. I asked Emma how she was and she replied that she was doing fine.  I asked what design she would like to put on her candle and she said that flowers would be nice.  Plus she wanted pink color, which wasn’t a surprise.  Flowers did present a problem of sorts for me, since I wasn’t good at making those.  But I did cut some petal like things, while Fran was cutting hearts.  I wrote, “Happy Valentine’s Day” and then took that, flowers and the hearts to the back of the room where Alisa was using the hairdryer to make the candles.  Since we had only one dryer, there was a queue to get the candles done and I put mine on the side to wait.  I went back to Emma’s table and asked her if she remembered that we had made ‘Valentine’s Day’ cards a year ago.  As usual her response was that it was nice. Well, considering that we were talking about romantic things, I asked how she had met her husband and she said something about high school, art classes and singing.  Now, she may have been confused since I had shown her the video of our ‘Christmas Carols’ project and we were doing arts, but it not a bad story to believe in. 

This is also on my oven mitt!

I went back to where the new resident was making her candle and she had done a terrific job with her grapes design.  She was feeling please, plus she was in a mood to talk.  I learned that her name was Holly and despite being 89 years of age, she was in terrific spirits.  She told me how her parents had met and it was a lovely story.  He dad had been injured in ‘World War I’ and was in the hospital where her mother was visiting her Uncle.  She said that the moment her parents had looked at each other and their eyes had met, there were sparks and within a year they were married.  She said that her mom had been an opera singer and never had a more conventional job, something for which she was criticized in those days.  I asked if her father cared and she said no.  Then there was no problem I said.  Holly was the oldest of 13 children, but many did not survive, including 2 sets of twins.  In the end only 3 of the girls had made it.  Holly said that her youngest sister was born 20 years after her and since their mom had died soon after, she was the only mother her sister had known.  She said that recently her sister had received an anonymous letter that Holly was not born to her parents but was adopted.  She said that it may well be true since with red hair and fiery temper, Holly was very unlike her sisters.  I asked if it mattered who her biological parents were and Holly said that only the ones who raised her matter.  Well said, I told her.  I then asked Holly how she had met her husband and she said that he really wasn’t a nice man and she was trying to forget him.  She said that her true love had died overseas and she had met this guy, who was handsome, but also a womanizer and an abuser.  This side of him had come out only after they had been married and it seemed that he had also abused their daughter.  When her youngest son had told her about that, she had left with her kids and never seen him again.  She said that he later died a painful death and she could care less. 

Emma's candle was ready

Despite this, Holly was a great spirit with a lot of love for life.  She apologized for boring me with her stories and I said that on the contrary it had been fantastic.  I could have stayed for hours listening to her, but time was almost up.  Alisa was working fast, but there were still a lot of candles yet to be done.  We quickly got Holly’s candle ready and then moved on to others.  There was no way that we would have skipped Emma’s with the ‘Valentine’s Day’ coming up and so we made it and gave it to her.  I helped with the clean-up, though Alisa was going to stay back and finish all the candles.  She apologized for the complexity of the project, though we said that it had been a lot of fun.  Plus, it’s not all about the arts and crafts either.  It’s about socializing with the residents and time spent with Holly and Emma had been much more valuable than with a hairdryer.

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy

Avon Great Start Party

Location: American Junkie

Date: Saturday, February 01, 2014; 3:00 pm-6:00 pm

I had volunteered for the ‘Avon Walk’ last year and had enjoyed working with them, even making a friend in the process.  This event was a kickoff for the 2014 walk and they needed some help in hosting that.  It is a similar event as the ‘Making Strides Kickoff Breakfast’ that I had volunteered at last year and I was happy to do so here.  It had been snowing frozen cats and dogs throughout the morning and I had no option but to take a cab to 'American Junkie', though the walk would have taken me no more than 20 minutes.  I arrived to find other staff members were already there, including Caitlin, who is the main coordinator.  The guests were going to start arriving at 4 pm, meaning that there was an hours’ worth of set-up that needed to be done. 

What's a party without balloons!

As can be expected, the entire place was decked in pink, including several pink balloons.  I grabbed hold of a few and placed them at different locations all over the room.  Then it was general set-up which meant making sure the forms were distributed everywhere over the room, along with other informational materials.  A group of college kids were volunteering together and they were assigned to the back of the room, which had a row of tables with various stations such as ‘Team Signup’, ‘Alumni Pins’ and ‘Merchandise’.  As I was chatting with Caitlin, a young man came and said that he wanted to volunteer with the “Walk crew”.  Now, this is an extremely popular job and it gets filled up a year in advance.  Typically you follow the walkers in a truck and collect water and ice from the various stations; meaning that you are on the course all the time.  Since someone had dropped out and offered their spot to this gentleman, he was going to be able to do it.  He said that he was excited and why not?  I would too.  I told Caitlin to let me know if any spots were to open up, even if it meant a whole 3-day commitment. 

The Alumni Pins

Caitlin asked if I could help out at the alumni table and so I went there.  The alumni pins had numbers from 2 to 12, signifying a range of 2^nd year of walking to the 12^th.  If there was anyone who had been doing it for longer, they could combine two pins.  We were told that if anyone came and requested a pin, we were to give it to them without asking any questions.  It wasn’t as if we were checking any proof of their participation.  The merchandise table had samples of the things that people could buy online and there wasn’t anything that was being sold here.  It was 4 pm and the guests started coming in and many seemed to be familiar with the staff.  People started collecting the alumni pins and most were for multiple numbers of years. 

The registration packets

The alumni table was well staffed with the college group and so I told Caitlin to place me elsewhere.  She directed me to a station where people could register for the 2-day walk.  Three women were already on that task and I was paired with one of them, who introduced herself as Rachel.  In order to be eligible to participate in the walk, one had to raise $1,800.  I asked Rachel what would happen if people are unable to raise that money and she said that we shouldn't be thinking like that. If people are unable to do that, then they were not using the Avon resources available to them.  It was a fair point, though it would be a challenge for someone not skilled in fund-raising…someone like me.  The registration fee was $50, but for folks registering today, there was a special where they could either register with a “buddy” for $75, or put down a referral, in which case both parties would get $50 as a start towards their fund-raising goal.  As people came over, we were to hand them a form, check it once they filled it out, take a packet and note down the packet number on the form and then give it to them.  The packet contained envelops and other resources to help them towards their fund-raising goal.  Many folks came over to ask if as a team had to raise the $1,800 individually or if they could do it as a team.  As I had suspected, people were a bit daunted by that number and I said that it had to be individually and sure enough, it put some people off.  One lady said that she couldn't raise that kind of money since she supported many causes and couldn't ask the same people again and again.   This is exactly my stance on fund-raising and I mentioned to Rachel that I could identify with that.  One lady came to register and when she learned that we had the 2 for $75 deal on for today, she went off to look for someone to partner with.  I could see her socializing in the crowd and after a while I asked Rachel if I should go and remind her.  Rachel asked me to hang tight and said that she would be back and she was right.  The lady came back with her “new best friend” and they registered together.  In fact, they weren't the only people who did that and many were making new friends and registering together.  I told Rachel that this felt like we were in the match-making business!

The stage

Next, it was time for the speeches and the Avon representatives got on the stage with a giant Avon display projected behind them.  They spoke about the walk and then asked for a show of hands to see how many in attendance were in their 2^nd year, then 3^rd, then 4^th and so on till we found one gentleman who was in his 12^th year, and who received the loudest cheers of the evening.  Then a survivor got up on the stage to share her story.  As I have usually found with the survivors, she had a great attitude and she captured the room with her positive demeanor and humor.  There wasn’t a single person in the room who couldn't help but cheer for her after this.  Then there was a raffle which included prizes such as “Free bagels for a year” from ‘Panera Bread’.  In another room a seminar was being conducted in fund-raising and many people were attending that.  It certainly looked like a very productive party for sure.  It was a good turnout, though I mentioned to Rachel that it was a shame that snow might have prevented many others from coming.  The snow wasn’t hindering some folks in a building across ours from climbing monkey ladders on the roof while wearing dress clothes. We had a good laugh about that since they looked like ‘Batman & Robin’ from the old TV show! 

Around 6 pm we started cleaning up by collecting all trash and consolidating other things.  I told Caitlin that I would definitely volunteer for this year’s event if available.  I had loved the informal nature of the gathering and the enthusiastic crowd who had come out this snowy afternoon.  Plus, it was as if everyone knew each other.  I had seen a group of men whom many would have labeled as “pub crawlers”, but they had led the cheering for the survivors and participants.  Good for you gentlemen.  I hope to see you in June.  But for now I had a dodgy walk back in the snow.  This time I did not care for how much time it took or how difficult it would be.  Hey, I had just helped many people sign up for a 39 mile walk.  I really shouldn't complain about a bit of snow.