“Compassion is not just a feeling with someone, but seeking to change the situation. Frequently people think compassion and love are merely sentimental. No! They are very demanding. If you are going to be compassionate, be prepared for action!” Desmond Tutu
Today we had three groups of volunteers working throughout the county. We started a site out in Brenton building a ramp for a disabled women. The site went very well, even though there was little to no shade and became quite warm. Besides the work being done, there was a lot of visiting with the family of the lady which included 10 kids and 7 puppies.
The other home repair site was in Alpoca Bottom and included drywalling ceilings and plumbing. The young woman, who is the home owner, is trying to fix up the house before school starts so she can move in with her three young children. She inherited the house when her dad passed away and her mother has been helping to get it into a condition to move in. The major issue at this point is getting the water running to all the faucets, finding and fixing a leak. One bathroom ceiling was drywalled and the plumbing issue was identified, so all were happy with the progress.
The third group of volunteers has a three part day. They started off putting non-slip tread on the stairs in The Way to make them safer to navigate. Next they went next door to the Council on Aging to visit with the people who came in for the day. After lunch back at The Way, they headed to Pineville to help organize in the St. Vincent DePaul warehouse. If that wasn’t enough activity for the day, the group also went grocery shopping for the cooks for dinner.
Speaking of dinner, tonight was the annual Breakfast for Dinner breakfast prepared by several of the men of the group. Scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage and even doughnuts and coffee!
This evening’s reflection was a nice reminder of our commonality in coming together to try and do good. We share our “new and good” for the day while creating an inter-connective web. The night didn’t end there. As I type there is a hearts game, rummicube game, several chess matches and many conversations being had. A true spirit of community.