SheSue Experience

I wanted to give a shout out for my latest volunteer project, Northwest Health Challenge. It is a longer, smaller and more realistic version of the Biggest Loser. Based right here in Portland, Oregon, it is a community based TV show.

For more information about the Northwest Health Challenge, check out the website.

What started with one has branched out into a nationwide movement. Tara Lacher of Mandan, North Dakota. Inspired by a promotion by Mary Kay giving out pink wraps with part of the proceeds going to cancer awareness; Tara started a mission to give pink scarves to all women going through cancer.

She started on her own, knitting a scarf every time she heard about a woman with breast cancer. She hand delivered each scarf. The surprised recipients opened her gift to find a handmade pink scarf. They cried, admitting that it was things like this that kept them going. This made Tara even more determined.

On the website read about groups around the country who are participating in Tara’s venture. Also find out how you can help. Warm up those knitting needles and bring some joy and awareness to those with cancer.

Do you enjoy sewing? But how many clothes do you really need? Here’s an opportunity to use your skills to provide for those in need. Shriners Hospitals for Children provides care to children up to 18 years old at no charge. With 22 hospitals world wide, Shriners provides pediatric care, innovative research and teaching programs. From it’s humble beginnings in 1922, Shriners specializes in orthopedic care, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate care.

To run all these programs, Shriner’s depends on donations of all kinds including equipment, toys, and your time. Here’s where you sewing comes in. They are always in need of quilts, welcome bags and surgical dolls for the children. To learn more about this program check out their volunteer application. Not only will you be helping out the hospital, you will be feeding your soul.

Imagine hundreds of small flags all lined up in rows. Every Veteran’s Day while my son was active in Boy Scouts, troops all came together to plant flags on all the graves at a local cemetery. After planting the flags, there was a ceremony with speeches, colorguard (presenting of flags both Scouting and American) and music. It was a touching ceremony, bringing grown men to tears.

I have three vets in my family, granddad, dad and brother. I found the following written by a Marine in honor of those who have and now serve in the military:

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a Jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg – or perhaps another sort of inner steel:

The soul’s ally forged in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can’t tell a vet just by looking. So, what is a vet?

He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn’t run out of fuel.

He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel.

She or he is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.

He is the POW who went away one person and came back another – or didn’t come back AT ALL.

He is the Quantico drill instructor who has never seen combat – but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each other’s backs.

He is the parade – riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.

He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.

He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean’s sunless deep.

He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket – palsied now and aggravatingly slow – who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.

He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being – a person who offered some of his life’s most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.

He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.

So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say “Thank You”. That’s all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.
~ ~ ~Father Denis Edward O’Brien, USMC

Over the years, I have considered participating in one of those programs where you write letters to military personnel serving overseas. This year is the year. What I found were programs that offer much more than just letters. There are many programs out there. The program I decided on is called Soldier’s Angels. They offer a long list of programs such as making blankets, canes or baked goodies; sending first aid supplies, caring for pets at home, offering support to loved ones at home, or sending holiday care packages. I have decided on the Adopt a Soldier program. I will be responsible for sending a card or letter every week plus sending a care package once or twice a month. The ‘adoption’ lasts for as long as their deployment from 6 months to a year. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I am always happy to hear stories of generosity during holidays, especially this year with all our financial woes. A story in the paper touched my heart. Imagine if you will, a burly biker dude decked out in full leather with tattoos and riding a Harley Davidson. Now imagine that same biker dude joining in a toy drive or raising funds to purchase wheelchairs for children.

This group was organized by a member of A.B.A.T.E., a local organization defending the rights of bikers. They have 11 chapters here in the Pacific Northwest. Every year this groups does a variety of fundraisers including several toy drives through various chapters. They also auction off a Harley to raise funds to purchase much needed wheelchairs. Last year they purchased 16 wheelchairs for Shriners Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Won’t you help them pass that goal this year.

You can find out more and even participate in the toy drive by going to www.ABATEofOregon.net.

In middle class neighborhoods the ratio of books to children is 13 to 1.  In low income neighborhoods, the ratio is 1 book for every 300 children.  When my kids were little our income bordered on low, yet we owned many books.  How many books do your children own?

The Children’s Book Bank in Portland, Oregon was opened to address this issue.  Owner Dani Swope works to collect new and gently used books from the community to give to preschool children who don’t have books of their own at home.

As a volunteer, I spent an evening helping her sort and clean books that she would later package into bundles to bring to children in need.  She talked about her experiences teaching, discovering that the problems she had teaching them math had more to do with their lack of reading skills than lack of math skills.  She showed an obvious passion for her work, thrilled and a bit amazed at both the generosity of the community and the need she is trying to fulfill.

Sorting through the books brought back many memories of my children when they were young.  Many books I remembered reading to them, many I knew they would have loved.  I can’t even imagine a world without books.

For more information or if you want to volunteer or donate books, you can contact Dani at:  danis@childrensbookbank.org.