Give A Little Bit

I haven't forgotten about the blog, I've just been busy.  It's been a long week at work and home, but mostly at work.  We had mandatory all-day trainings Monday through today.  On top of that, I was the coordinator of an annual outreach effort in conjunction with the help of the Olive Garden.  Each year the Olive Garden supports the Blair County Head Start's children by placing 200 tags with names and gift wishes on a tree in their lobby.  The general public then takes the ornaments, buys the gifts and returns them to the Olive Garden.  Head Start staff (me and who ever I can drag along with me) retrieve the gifts, sort them, and get them to the respective families.  It's always a huge production.  I'm always amazed at the generosity of people, but it was even more impressive to me this year, probably because I was the hub of it.  It's so heartwarming to see people purchasing gifts for children they don't even know.  Many people bought a multitude of gifts, not just one or two.  Several of our children received Rubbermaid storage bins full of gifts.  Amazing, really amazing.  


As awesome as it was, it was also a lot of work.  It was a lot of work for the kind and thoughtful staff at the Olive Garden who helped store all the gifts and graciously helped to load our vehicles, several times, in the rain and wind.  It was also a lot of work for me, my supervisor (who did not have to help, but donated a ton of her personal time out of pure kindness) for my staff, who spent plenty of time carrying, sorting and delivering, and to one extremely helpful volunteer who called all of the families in Altoona and arranged for gift pick-up while I was tied up at my all day trainings.  I could never have done this alone.  I am so grateful for the charity of strangers, and the compassionate outpouring this holiday season. If you donated, thank you so much, truly.  


I've also been thinking quite a bit about a woman I work with.  She is 47, has a 15 year old son and had a massive heart attack this weekend.  She is in the ICU now, and the outlook is pretty grim.   She was a woman who gave everything she had to help others.  If you asked Teresa to do something for you, she gave that task 100% of her effort, and did it with a smile.  She thought the best of everyone, and was a fantastic advocate for her child.  I don't imagine being a single mother working at Head Start made her life terribly easy.  It's a great company, but it's a non-profit organization.  No one who works with me is in it for the money.  Although I am certain that the only thing her family would want for Christmas is for her to recover, that is a decision only God can make.  Many of the staff at Head Start contributed money to help pay her bills and buy some Christmas presents for her son.  I would love the opportunity to give back to her and her family during such a hard time.  I purchased a lap top computer for her son today, and will give it to her supervisor tomorrow to deliver to the family.  I know that it is late in the Christmas season and that people are broke right now, but if anyone is looking for a good cause to put some money into, I guarantee this is one where the kindness will not be squandered and will be appreciated.  If you're interested in making a donation, email me at williams.koelle@gmail.com.  I'll give you the details.  


Now, I can't say that I have suddenly turned into Suzy Snowflake, bursting with Christmas spirit, but I have to admit that, in light of the altruism and benevolence that I have witnessed this week, I have reconsidered my recent bah-humbug attitude.  I have been blessed in many ways, and I need to quit worrying about the past, quit dwelling on the losses, quit wallowing about things that I cannot change and instead focus on the wonder and joy that surrounds me.  I am healthy, my boys are healthy, my dad is still healthy.  My sisters and their families are both coming to visit over the holidays and we will all be under one roof once again on Christmas morning.  How many kids wake up to open gifts with 8 adults applauding each present?!  Thank you God, for providing just what I need to see the sun through the clouds, and thank you, my friends, for putting up with my whining and complaining.  Life is good and God is good, all the time.