Dominos
Tonight, I had the pleasure of hand delivering the blankets that my kids had made in the classroom. So often, we make a donation and we never get to see the people who benefit from the gifts. Tonight though, I had the treat of meeting some of those very people.
I had searched for a local shelter and was put in touch with the Winter Night Shelter which runs for three months in the winter. The 15 or so people staying at the shelter gather in a facility in Milton Keynes and then each night of the week spend a different night in a church around the area, one night a week is even here in Woburn Sands. The church provides a hot dinner, a warm place to sleep and then breakfast the next morning. During the day, these men and women are back in MK working with the support of the agency to find housing and jobs. It's wonderful to see a community pool together to make a difference in the lives of locals needing their help and support.
I took six blankets in with me, made with love by my 9-and-10-year-old students, and within the first few minutes of being there, the blankets were already wrapped around people and thrown over their heads, just as my kids had done. They were thrilled with the gifts and very appreciative of the kids. I visited with one young man for a while who was quite the artist and even had a few of his sketches framed as they were going into the local art gallery soon. Everyone was generally in a good mood, thankful for the generosity of others, and enjoying one another's company.
I sat for a long while and played dominos with some volunteers and some residents as well. It has been a very long time since I've played dominos and I had a great time; it is those little commonalities that seem to bring us all together. It wasn't a typical Friday evening for me, but it sure made me as happy as any other. I think Joey (on Friends) was right when she said there is no such thing as a selfless good deed; we always end up feeling good too!
I had searched for a local shelter and was put in touch with the Winter Night Shelter which runs for three months in the winter. The 15 or so people staying at the shelter gather in a facility in Milton Keynes and then each night of the week spend a different night in a church around the area, one night a week is even here in Woburn Sands. The church provides a hot dinner, a warm place to sleep and then breakfast the next morning. During the day, these men and women are back in MK working with the support of the agency to find housing and jobs. It's wonderful to see a community pool together to make a difference in the lives of locals needing their help and support.
I took six blankets in with me, made with love by my 9-and-10-year-old students, and within the first few minutes of being there, the blankets were already wrapped around people and thrown over their heads, just as my kids had done. They were thrilled with the gifts and very appreciative of the kids. I visited with one young man for a while who was quite the artist and even had a few of his sketches framed as they were going into the local art gallery soon. Everyone was generally in a good mood, thankful for the generosity of others, and enjoying one another's company.
I sat for a long while and played dominos with some volunteers and some residents as well. It has been a very long time since I've played dominos and I had a great time; it is those little commonalities that seem to bring us all together. It wasn't a typical Friday evening for me, but it sure made me as happy as any other. I think Joey (on Friends) was right when she said there is no such thing as a selfless good deed; we always end up feeling good too!
At home on the first Monday of every month I spend the evening with the women and children at a shelter in Sacramento. Over the past 21 years I have learned so much from them! It really is a blessing to get the opportunity to do something like that.
ReplyDeleteRebecca,this is great post & shows your loving heart.What a blessing you are to those little Brit's.
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