For the past week and a half, the weather in Kansas City has been suspect … if not downright sketchy. Torrential down pours. Hail storms. Thunder. Lightning. Or as they say in Kansas … typical.
Needless to say, I was starting to sweat PForm’s annual Day of Caring at SAVE Inc. – where PFormers from every department converge upon our charity of choice to do some much-needed outdoor maintenance and landscaping.
Imagine my surprise when about two minutes before I was going to call off the event, the sun suddenly came out and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Oh, and did I mention perfect 75 degree weather … complete with breeze?
Sometimes, all the planets align … and when they do, magic happens. Or magical weather … whichever. A majority of my co-workers who participated in the event were newbies and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Heck, I even had a couple interns volunteer to plant, weed, mulch, prune, fertilize, water and do whatever other sundry items needed to be done.
This annual event at SAVE Inc. – a local charity which provides housing options to folks living with HIV/AIDS – gets bigger and better every year. From humble beginnings, the event has really taken off in the last couple years. Residents of SAVE, who used to just peer through shades, now mosey outside to grill out and kibitz with the volunteers. This year residents helped to cut back overgrown trees and spread mulch. Or as one resident put it, “Look at us spruce up the joint!”
As a company, it’s nice to have a charity that you can throw your arms around and call your own. Not only do we take pride in our volunteer work at SAVE, it makes the residents take pride in their homes. SAVE’s slogan is — appropriately enough – “No Place Like Home” … and it’s fitting because many of the residents of SAVE have gotten their health back simply because of safe, affordable housing. It’s not just a place to live … it’s home.
And just for the record … their home is currently rife with flowers, perfectly mulched, and weed-whacked within an inch of its life. I can’t WAIT for next year.