Adler After Dark

Location: Adler Planetarium

Date: Thursday, January 15, 2015; 5:30-10:00 pm

I arrived at Adler and was signing in when Michael asked if I wanted “Smelly Space”.  “Absolutely yes”, I said.  I went up to the classroom for pizza and sat with some of the other “Education” volunteers.  They were discussing some comet viewing from the previous night and since I had flown into Chicago, I was disappointed that I had not gotten a glimpse from the plane…as if I spent any time looking out of plane windows when travelling.  Usually I'm writing one of these articles. Michael got everyone together and gave us our schedules for the evening.  The theme was “The End” and ‘REI’ had set up 3 stations for survival skills.  Michael then took us on a tour to see all 3 which were, “Water Purification”, “Starting A Fire” and “10 Things You Need To Survive”.  I wasn’t scheduled for any of these stations, though I would be doing “Duct Tape”, where we were encouraging visitors to come up with their “craziest” interpretations using duct tape.  Michael said that there would be a prize for one of us; whomever convinced the visitors to make something out of the ordinary.

My first task was “Smelly Space”, where I had 3 squeeze bottles labeled ‘Moon’, ‘Titan’ and ‘Sagittarius’.  I mingled with the guests and started asking people to participate by smelling each bottle and guessing the fragrance.  Many could smell the “gasoline” in Titan and the fruity smell of Sagittarius or even the “dusty” smell of the Moon.  I would then ask my usual questions on how we knew and how we got those in the bottles.  It is always interesting to hear the responses such as “We have been there” and “We have sent probes”.  I then explain the principle behind this, including the concept of Spectroscopy using the tube with the grating and the light bulbs in the ceiling.  People love this activity and so do I.  One girl said that it was her birthday and so took a picture smelling one of the bottles…though I do not remember which one.  I was grabbing folks wherever possible, ranging from the food court to the drink line, and to their credit, everyone participated with enthusiasm.  I saw one guy standing next to the meteorite and did the routine with him.  At the end of my demonstration I would encourage the guests to go to the Spectroscopy experiment downstairs, where people would guess the “mystery gas” in the tube by comparing their spectra with reference.

My next shift was in the ‘SVL’ and I positioned myself at the ‘Nuiverse’ table.  It was slow over there as everyone who came in, went to listen to the Astronomer talk about ‘Black Holes’.  While I waited for someone to show up, Cynthia – who runs this lab – showed me how to use the “Virtual Reality Goggles”.  These are pretty cool and allow the user to look all around you, including behind, and explore places like Mars, Mercury etc.  Cynthia said that this was an expensive tool and that I should be careful.  A couple came and started playing on the ‘Nuiverse’ table.  I asked if there was any particular planet that they wanted to visit and as is common, the response from the guy was “Uranus”.  I brought it up on the display and asked them if they could discern anything from the moons.  The woman actually knew that it was female characters from Shakespeare and I gave her kudos for that.  Someone came in and wanted to see Europa, asking if there was life over there because of the water.  I said that we do not know, though I recommended that they get some Wine and Chinese takeout tomorrow and watch the movie ‘Europa Report’!  I had a few other visitors, including someone who wanted to try the goggles.  It was time for my next shift and I left after asking Cynthia to keep an eye on them.

I arrived at the "Duct Tape" table and saw a big crowd making lot of interesting things using duct tape, cardboard and colored tape.  Many things were already on display including slippers, a shopping bag and a device which I was told was “something for women to use so as to go to the bathroom”!  Yeah, that’s exactly how it was phrased by the lady who had made it.  By far that was the leader in the clubhouse as far as Michael’s competition was concerned, for which woman wouldn’t want that when the apocalypse arrives!  I jumped in and started challenging people to make something unique.  One couple came and I said that they each should do different things.  The girl was totally focused while the guy quickly made a watch.  I said that it would be right twice a day!  Then I asked him to put a wedge on top so as to make a sundial.  His girlfriend was still making her thing so I asked him to make another watch for her, which he did.  She was making something like a box with handle, but I told her to just call it “Thor’s Hammer”, which she agreed with.  She left it for me to display on our makeshift cabinet. 

Evelyn

A group of 5 girls came over to check what was happening and I asked them to give it a go.  One of them was wearing a hat and I said that they could make a strap for her hat, like the days of “Wild West”.  One girl took charge and said to others to make her a “fanny pack”.  While they worked I said that it was smart of her to make them do everything.  As the product developed, I said that it could be a carrier for drinks throughout the rest of the evening, and I asked them to put 2 empty duct tape rolls inside as holders.  I said that the joke will then be on the girl in charge, since she would be carrying their drinks!  After it was done they took pictures and it looked really great.  Michael even said that it was now the leader, meaning I was in line for the prize.  Some of the other things people made were glasses, a champagne flute and well, a thong…which would probably be a companion piece to the “bathroom device”.  One trio came over and the girl used colored duct tape to make a small Duck.  It looked fantastic and I said that we should name it.  The girl deferred to me and I called her “Evelyn” and said that there could be series of events featuring this ducky, like “Evelyn in space” etc.  By now, the girl who had made this liked the concept and took pictures with the duck.  She was going to throw it away, but I said I would love to keep Evelyn as a souvenir.  My shift at this station was up and before leaving, I told the volunteer replacing me to save Evelyn no matter what, and she promised to do so. 

For the final hour I was once again doing “Smelly Space” and walking about engaging people.  Then I ran into these 2 women and for next 20 minutes they kept asking me a lot of questions.  One of them was actually a Sagittarius and since the smell from that bottle was of Rum & Raspberries, she loved it.  They wanted to know about ‘Dark Matter’ etc. and took them downstairs to show the exhibit.  They were really excited to be here and thanked me for spending time with them and even took pictures with me.  There were a few others before it was time to wrap up and before heading downstairs, I went to pick up Evelyn…but she was gone.  They had cleaned up everything and thrown away whatever had not been picked up.  I was disappointed but as I went to the volunteer office, I saw that Evelyn had been saved.  My colleague had been true to her word. I never saw the prize Michael had promised us, but I had something to remember this evening.  I took the bus and sat next to the guy who was near the meteorite when I did my demonstration.  I learned he was in town from Houston for a training seminar and was going back to school after military service.  I immediately liked him and I helped him get on the right train as he took it back to his hotel near O’Hare.  It was his one free night and he had chosen to come spend it with us.  People like him are reason enough for us to bring our “A-Game” every session.

Young Scientists At McCormick

Location: McCormick Elementary School

Date: Saturday, January 10, 2015; 10:00 am-12:30 pm

It wasn't quite like this

There is a charming movie that I have vague recollection of seeing as a kid.  It was named “If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium”.  I was reminded of that, not because I found myself in a similar situation but because if it was January, it must be time for me to be at McCormick!  Wilson asked if I required a pickup and I said no since I had to run errands.  I took an ‘Uber’ and promptly left my sunglasses case in there.  Some volunteers were waiting outside the doors in freezing cold, but at the wrong entrance.  Once we found the right one, we went inside and in to the cafeteria where Maureen was waiting with some other volunteers.

She told us the agenda for today and the main theme was “States Of Matter”, which included an experiment with “ooze”.  The kids came in and I was at a table with 4 boys and a girl.  After their names, I asked them their favorite subject.  While one of the boys said that it was Math, the other two said “video games”.  Well would I really be surprised if one day that is indeed a subject being taught in school?  Maureen had a Math worksheet for the kids and it was an “Addition/Multiplication” quiz, where there were 2 ways of getting to the right answer, either by counting or by multiplying.  The boys were smart and got down to it immediately.  One of the younger boys was struggling a bit and I was encouraging him to get to the right answers.  Since many finished this activity early, the next worksheet was a ‘Word search’ puzzle, with all of the words related to scientific terms.  To make it fun, I would pick a word and ask the boys to go find it.  Once again, I spent more time with the younger boy and would often guide him to the right place by directing his pencil towards the right column or row.

Maureen had finished taking attendance and so everyone had to keep their worksheets away. Maureen is a good disciplinarian and insisted that when she said “Young scientist”, everyone dropped whatever they had in their hands, clapped and looked attentive.  It was time for volunteer introductions and Maureen asked the kids what was it that they wanted to know about us.  One girl said where we came from and what our favorite food was.  We started with two volunteer girls and one girl said that her favorite food was “tacos” and the little girl asked “what type of tacos”.  Then the other volunteer said “pizza” and this time it was “what kind of pizza”.  Boy she was being nosy!  I said that my favorite food was “sandwich” and the question came, “what kind of sandwich”.  I said that I would probably eat anything between two pieces of bread.  “What about broccoli”, a boy on my table asked?  Sigh, these guys were going to be a handful. 

There was some chirping going on and Maureen was laying down the law.  She said that the next person to speak would be sent to the corner and as soon as one boy opened his mouth, she dispatched him to a corner, despite all of his pleadings.  This certainly got everyone’s attention.  She then wanted the kids to correct each other’s Math worksheet and the boys on my table did that.  After that we got down to the main task of today which was discussing the states of matter.  Maureen led it off by asking everyone what the examples of the 3 states of matter were – she skipped plasma for now– and people gave examples.  One boy at my table named gasoline as a gas, and Maureen admitted that it was a misleading word.  Someone even named fart as a gas!

Next, Maureen made the kids act out as “solid, liquid and gas”, where 4 kids were asked to volunteer for each state.  For “solid” the kids had to stand still and close together.  Then for “liquid” they were standing slightly apart, but allowed to move a bit.  There was one mischievous boy in my group - there always is - and he volunteered for this group.  When for “gas” he saw that the kids were told to run about as free molecules, he said, “I should have waited”.  It did make me laugh out loud.  Then we did the worksheets where the kids had to allocate the various objects to the different states of matter and also fill in the blanks.  Next, was another one which was slightly more difficult and the boys were having trouble distinguishing between “evaporation, condensation and boiling”.  I had shown an example of “cold sweat” on a cold bottle to give an example of condensation.

The boys were getting impatient for the hands-on activity and thankfully it was time to make “ooze”.  Each table got a bowl and jar of water along with a measuring cylinder.  Maureen explained what we were making and she told everyone how the substance was a liquid until you put pressure on it and then it would become a solid.  She called it the “Non Newtonian Fluid”.  Oh dear, Rheology again.  I allocated tasks to everyone, like measuring cornstarch and water, mixing etc.  As we measured the cornstarch, one volunteer came and added food coloring - blue by choice - and then the mischievous boy was in charge of adding water and the nice girl on our bench was stirring.  I advocated adding water slowly and then breaking down the clumps which were in the bowl. Plus others were using hands to mix, and I was not letting our kids do it.  So while we were doing it the painstaking way, the others had already finished.  We finally got it together and then it was time to play, where the kids were taking it in their palms, rolling it as balls and then it would melt away.  One boy on my table didn’t have enough “ooze”, but the little girl gave him some.

Maureen asked everyone to put it in ‘Ziploc’ bags and write their names on it.  Then the kids were told to clean their work area and only then were they allowed to go for a bathroom break.  While they were gone, the volunteers cleaned the utensils and put everything back in the cupboards. The kids came back and then it was time for a treat, which was a giant tub of popcorn of different types.  One volunteer was going to each kid and I was walking behind with cups.  Once again I saw the little girl at my table offer the other boy popcorn.  Hmm, looks like we have something here.  Once everyone had popcorn, Maureen did a recap of the experiment and asked what the technical term for “ooze”: was.  The prize was the remaining popcorn and the box.  I asked if the volunteers could participate, though I do not like popcorn!  Of course no one remembered it, so I asked if anyone knew another example of the “Non Newtonian Fluid”.  One boy in my table did know that it was ketchup and he took home the prize. 

Now the kids were ready to leave but before that the nice little girl offered me popcorn, which I politely declined.  Maureen made the kids clean up and they did so before leaving.  The volunteers then put the tables away and Maureen did a round of reflection.  Some volunteers gave feedback but it was more on what they had heard from kids.  I left with Wilson, hoping that it would not be another January till I come back.

Dinner At The Wells Street Cafe

Location: Breaking Bread Ministries/LaSalle Street Church

Date: Wednesday, January 07, 2015; 5:45-8:30 pm

Chicago Cares had pulled out at the end of the year but I wanted to continue my association with this place…the people.  I had asked Marianne to schedule me for first Wednesday of every month and she had done so.  It was bitter cold as I walked to the site, trying not to slip on the sidewalks.  I arrived to find Marianne was there along with some of the usual suspects.  As I put on my name-tag, Keith looked at it and said my name correctly.  It had taken the end of association with Chicago Cares for him to finally get it right!

Mmm 'Garlic Bread'

The first task was to work with a couple of new volunteers in putting garlic butter on bread.  Keith showed us how to use the microwave to melt butter and then we added garlic powder in it…a lot of garlic powder.  One volunteer used a brush to spread it on bread and then I put them on trays, which would be toasted in the oven just before service.  We moved the salad and fruit into the fridge and freezer and I mentioned to one of the volunteers that it was colder outside on the streets than in the freezer.  Keith then did his usual speech, calling on little Hannah to finish some of his sentences.  I find it amusing that he always picks someone to stare at and then does not break eye contact.  Then Marianne allocated duties and as has been my role recently, I chose to plate.  Following this, the Director of ‘Breaking Bread’, who was in attendance today, led us in prayer.

Marianne said that one of our guests had passed and there was going to be a short memorial service for him prior to us commencing.  She then asked Keith if this guest's “street wife” was in attendance this evening and Keith said no, because she herself was in a hospital with 6 months to live.  All of this was due to substance abuse.  We went outside for the memorial service and Marianne spoke about this guest and then read a verse.  Then the Director led the entire dining room in prayer and Marianne asked if anyone wanted to say a few words, at which a guest got up and spoke.  This concluded with an applause from everyone and now it was time to serve.

The menu for this evening was ‘Pasta and Meat Sauce with Sausages’ and toasted ‘Garlic Bread’, which I was serving.  We had low attendance today, though with it being so cold, I would have expected many to show up for a hot meal.  After the first round of serving, the volunteers had their meal and then it was time for seconds.  Everyone must have really enjoyed their dinner since the entire room seemed to have lined up.  I was now handling multiple things with pasta, sausages and bread, though we ran out of sausages quickly.  We did have a lot of pasta though and I could be generous with that.  The singing was on in full flow, with one guest doing a rousing rendition of “Lean on Me”.

 Marianne had kept 3 plates in the warmer for people who were with the nurse.  While 2 of them came back for their plates, the 3^rd plate was still in the oven.  I went over to help with the cleaning and stacking of chairs when I heard a commotion.  The person with the nurse had come back to find that his dinner in the oven had been given away.  He started blaming everyone and Marianne said that it was her fault.  Everyone felt terrible about this situation, since he was now going to go hungry as all of the food had been given away.  Earlier though, the guy who had spoken during the memorial service had taken a “To-Go” container, which he had said, was for any homeless person that he could find on the street.  I saw that he was still here and I went over and asked if he could spare that box for the other guest.  He was more than ready to share and after thanking him, I took the container over to the guest who was still fuming.  I knew that it wasn’t him but the circumstance…it always is.  Hunger can turn people into something that they may not be, but at least for this evening he would not go hungry. 

The clean-up was progressing well and everything was in control.  The music group was now performing “What’s Going On” and as much as I would have loved to have stayed, it was time to leave.  Wilson had been texting me to ask Marianne when she wanted volunteers to come for her ‘Valentine’s Day’ party on February 13^th.  She asked me to tell Wilson that she would appreciate if the volunteers could get some desserts and Wilson promptly put this up on the ‘Meetup’ saying that we needed “bakers”.  I said that we could always buy cookies, though Wilson would not hear of it.  I told Marianne that I would be back next month as well as for the ‘Valentine’s Day’ evening.  While all of us had done our part, the true hero this evening had been the man who had helped so that another would not go hungry.

"And everywhere life is full of heroism"

Senior Birthday Club

Location: Judge Fisher Apartments

Date: Tuesday, January 06, 2015; 6:30-8:00 pm

It was messy out there

It had been a long time since my only visit to this project; in fact it was its opening night.  I arrived on a chilly evening and walked through the snow and muck to get to the building.  On the way I passed Jason, who is the Volunteer leader of this project and one of the nicest guys to lead a project.  As we went inside, it was apparent that he was popular with the residents and some asked him to show them photographs of his trip over Christmas. As I helped him get the prizes out of the box and on the table, he mentioned that a big group was coming this evening.  And when they did come, it was indeed a really big group.

These guys were visiting from ‘Baylor University’ and were on a one week mission trip to Chicago.  They were assigned decoration duties, though the resident who had asked Jason for the pictures was in charge of blowing the balloons.  The students did a good job of putting up the streamers, banners and balloons and then dispersed to mingle with the residents.  Some even made the goody bags with candies that the residents usually take home at the end of the evening.  I arranged the prizes on the table and Jason had gotten everything, ranging from soaps, books and pens, to a heart shaped pin-cushion.  There was also a snowglobe with Chicago skyline in it!

The bounty for the evening

Jason got the Bingo set out and like the previous time I had come here, there was no Bingo board, meaning someone would have to write down the numbers that were being called.  Beside the visiting college kids, we had a couple of volunteers from South America who were on a English learning trip.  Another volunteer arrived, but she just spent the entire time on the side sulking.  We really had an eclectic group this evening.  As a first task, myself and the girls from South America went about distributing cookies to the residents.  Jason then asked who amongst the residents had a birthday in January and there were none.  But Jason had a birthday this month, as did a couple of volunteers.  So we sang “Happy Birthday” to all and then it was time to play Bingo.

The ‘Baylor’ group was calling the game and I went and sat next to a group of residents, trying to encourage them as usual.  The first prize off the board was the snowglobe.  People started winning and while Jason had set a limit of 3 prizes per board, after 2 wins on a board, 3 people won on the same number.  This upset the lady who had won previously and she said that we were not verifying the results properly.  Then, as another resident left and picked up a goody bag on the way out, the lady complained that the resident had also taken a prize with her, though it wasn’t accurate.  I guess there’s always one in every Bingo game. 

I said to Jason that I would stand next to the table to “police” and that gave me an opportunity to chat with the leader of the ‘Baylor’ team.  She said that this was a “business trip” for them and so there wasn’t much “sightseeing” built in the itinerary.  She said that the kids were really committed to their cause and do a lot of community work back home, which was great.  I mentioned to the lady from South America that this was a great way to learn a new language since it allows you to engage new people.  It was their 2^nd month here and she said that they were still learning.  I said that their English would always be far superior to my Portuguese or Spanish. 

The heart

I was eyeing the heart shaped pin-cushion and I seemed to be the only one since no one was taking it.  I said that it appeared that it would be the last thing taken, but not before we had all taken pictures with it.  It is often wondered why the heart is often depicted the way it is, because the reality is that a human heart is not shaped like that…not unless you put two hearts together and that’s when it gets its shape.  Amazing how some things work out.  It was an enjoyable time for us and we were having a good time…everyone but the sulking girl who was still sulking.

After the game was over the students asked if they could sing for us and I am never going to be the one to say no to that!  Jason announced that the residents could leave if they wanted to, but no one did.  One guy sang the ‘Temptations’ and then a girl came up.  She asked for requests and one resident said, “My Girl”, though she did not know the lyrics.  The two of them then sang together and before we could wrap up, one of the residents got up and sang a romantic song which was fantastic.  In fact, even the sulking girl smiled and clapped.  We had finally won her over!  The residents started leaving and we handed them the goody bags.  The rest of us then took down the decorations and packed everything.  The students had given the residents a great evening and it had been a success for me as well. 

Before we left, a lady came and gave Jason some prizes for him to use next time.  He really is a wonderful chap and that’s why everyone over here likes him.  As we took the train back, he told me about his girlfriend in Philippines and the long distance relationship he was in.  In fact it was his trip to Philippines that the residents wanted to hear about and see the pictures.  The way he talked about her and the look on his face is something that you cannot fake.  He then asked if there was someone special in my life; a question which I don't know how to answer.  He then said that hopefully I can find someone to keep me warm this winter.  And I knew what he meant since his warmth comes from the knowledge that he has someone who cares, even if that person is thousands of miles away.  “I guess its projects like these”, I replied.  And it may just be true.

Lakeview Seniors Bingo

Location: Lakeview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Date: Monday, January 05, 2015; 6:15-7:45 pm

It was a new year and I was on the wait list for both, ‘Pet Therapy’ and ‘Bingo’.  First ‘Bingo’ opened up and so I signed-up and then when ‘Pet Therapy’ had availability, I shifted there.  Yeah, I’m flaky like that.  I arrived at Lakeview Nursing on a chilly evening and learnt that all the pet owners had dropped out owing to the cold and only one dog was expected.  There were 5 other “Non-Pet” volunteers besides me, meaning we had more than were required, though one guy offered to go home and get his pup.  I told our Volunteer leader Veronica that I would shift over to ‘Bingo’ and once that Volunteer leader Maureen had accepted me; I was back where I should have been in the first place.

The mysterious O74

I saw that Jack, Larry and Jim were at their usual table, but wait – Jim shouldn’t even be here.  I asked why he had not left yet and he mentioned something about waiting for his ‘Social Security’ check to come in.  He said that he had come to Lakeview Nursing broke and he was leaving broke.  It was a new beginning indeed.  I had not seen Emma in ages and she seemed…well smaller than usual.  I asked how she was and she responded with something that sounded like “nice”.  Maureen asked if I could “call” the game, since the regular caller, Jim, was on vacation.  We found the ‘Bingo balls’ and I took a seat next to Josie and another volunteer.  Also present at our table were Holly and another resident.  Holly has a great personality and she was chatty as usual.  She told me that there was an extra ‘O74’ ball that had been written with pen, and if I found that, I should keep it aside.  I said that I would do that, though why there were two in there was beyond me. 

I asked Josie what her favorite number was and she said 15, since that’s her birthdate.  Holly said that her birthdate was 7, making it her favorite number.  It was time to begin and Maureen started with an announcement that we had a “rookie caller”. “Only at this location”, I added.  I started calling by first saying the entire number followed by splitting of each component.  The residents actually liked that approach.  My debut as a caller proved to be lucky for Emma who won and I was thrilled about that.  Josie was next and Fran, who was volunteering at our table as well, joked that I had made a deal with her – especially when she won again.  The prize for winning was a dollar and I said that I was keeping half of it!

Holly had been prophetic and the painted ‘O74’ kept showing up every time.  When 50 showed up, I looked at Kenny and he said that he was not going to list all of the guest stars to his favorite show ‘Hawaii 5-0’, though he did point out that it was on Friday’s.  I have been hearing him announce it for 2 years and I still haven’t watched it.  After a few rounds my fellow volunteer took over and I shifted to playing on her card.  Holly had been complaining that her luck was bad and I said that luck had nothing to do with it since it was all in the wrist.  Whatever it was, I wasn’t wining either.  The residents were critical of the new caller since she was speaking softly and not splitting the numbers.  Man, I had set some high standards!

The game progressed smoothly and after the lightening round it was time to leave.  I dropped Emma off in her room…something I had not done in a long time.  While we were waiting for the nurse to come over and help her in bed, I commented on the plush toys in her room.  She kept saying that the nurse was “nice”.  Aah, I had missed Emma.  I came downstairs and chatted with Fran and Veronica, where we agreed that we needed more dogs for sure.  It had been a long time since I had come here on Mondays and I definitely need to start again.  Before leaving I told Jim that he better be out of here when I came next.  He said that he couldn’t wait to do so.  I said that he needed to be patient and as I walked out, I heard him lamenting with Larry on how they were fed up of waiting and being patient.  Yeah, I hear you buddy.

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

Cards For Hospitalized Kids

Location: AEP Energy

Date: Thursday, December 18 and Friday, December 19 2014

Last year a simple idea had achieved two-fold outcome.  It had yielded hundreds of cards to cheer up kids spending their holidays in a hospital and it had energized my office colleagues into doing something as a team.  Since then we had done a couple of other initiatives, including putting together “care packages” for our troops.  But this program was not on our agenda for this year and so we had not done any preparations.  At our holiday luncheon on Wednesday, one of my colleagues asked if we were doing it again this year.  I asked around and there was general enthusiasm all around.  So I went to the other members of the crew and we said why not. 

The problem was that while we could make as many cards as we liked, we had no place to send them, since we were past the ‘Cards For Hospitalized Kids'’ mailing date for Christmas.  I thought about contacting Dr. Schmidt, whom I had met at UIC Children’s Hospital, ‘Festival of Thanksgiving’, or even Make-A-Wish.  Then someone suggested that while we were late for Christmas, how about we make ‘New Year’s’ cards and mail it to ‘Cards For Hospitalized Kids’.  That sounded like a great idea and we decided to go with it.  We sent out a company-wide email to announce that over lunch break on the next two days, we would be placing card-making supplies in the big conference room and everyone was welcome to participate.  Well, there was still a matter of the supplies though.

The supplies

I had some supplies left over from last year’s endeavor, but not enough.  So that evening I took a trip to ‘Michael's’ to look for things like card stock paper, pens, stickers etc.  I took them to office the next day and set up the room with the supplies.  And only person came.  Well, it was a late notice but I thought that if people wanted to participate, they would find a way.  But we still had one card and that would make a difference to at least one child.  That was worth the trip for shopping last night.

On Friday I was at my desk and a few of my colleagues came over and asked for supplies.  It did look like we were making progress.  They even set up the room while I ran some errands.  There was another program scheduled for that afternoon – ‘Holiday Cookie Exchange’ and people who came for that, stayed back to make some cards.  In fact, that opened up the floodgates and soon we had a huge crowd in there. The program was a big success. 

And the outcome

I came back in the evening and the team had made over 60 cards.  And like last year, we had some outstanding designs.  I packed the cards in a box and shipped it with a note saying “AEP Energy wishes the kids a Happy New Year’.  A few days later I received a letter from them they appreciated our cards and for bringing joy to the kids this New Year’s.  It had started with a comment asking if we were doing this program and had led to the team responding splendidly once again.  It was a great end to the season.