THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a year 2013 turned out to be!!!!!!!!!! I hope you had as great a time in 2013 as I did. As we ring in 2014 I wanted to take a moment to say a great big THANK YOU to all of the organizations I got to walk beside in 2013. I learned so much this year. Many of you have asked what I will take away from this year of volunteering. I will take away the fact that each of us can BE THE DIFFERENCE! It doesn't matter if you are rich, poor, old or young. It doesn't matter what your faith is (or even if you have a faith). It doesn't matter what race you are, what ethnic background you have, what gender you are, what socioeconomic background you have. The only thing that matters is that YOU choose to reach out and help someone that could use a hand. It can be your neighbor, your family member, your friend or even a complete stranger. Opportunities to better the life of another person present themselves to us each and every day. I am hopeful that if you have been enjoying my blog this year, you will consider taking action when you see one of these opportunities present themselves in your future. You too can BE THE DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I understand that what I did this year is not the norm. I understand that we don't all have time to volunteer with 40 different organizations. But I also understand that any amount of time that you can spare to help another is time well spent :) I will always remember this year. I will always remember the people I met and organizations I got to learn about. And I will always be looking for ways to BE THE DIFFERENCE. Here's to 2014!!!!!!!!!! May this coming year outshine the year we are about to put behind us. Wherever your journey may take you, I wish you all a blessed, prosperous, love filled new year.

#40 American Red Cross

Today I completed my 40th Volunteer Opportunity and reached my goal!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW GREAT DOES THAT FEEL???? I joined the American Red Cross in delivering Holiday Mail for Heroes. Have you ever written a letter or sent a Christmas Card to a soldier or serviceman/woman you have never met? Have you ever wanted to? The American Red Cross offers a program in which you can send the letters to Holiday Mail For Heroes and those letters can be put in the hands of our brave military members. My job today was to assist in this task. By the time I arrived, all of the cards had been sorted into different piles for active military members and any serviceman/woman piles. I joined the American Red Cross Staff and Volunteers and together we loaded into a van, and headed out to deliver these cards into the hands of those brave men and women. We spent nearly two hours handing out Christmas cards to the residents of Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. We got to spend our afternoon greeting them, shaking hands, handing out cards and sharing the Christmas Spirit with each and every one of them. When we finished there, we continued on to the VFW Posts, American Legions Posts and even the Marine Corps Recruiting Office. At each location we did the same. Can you think of a more fitting end to this journey I have been on? I surely cannot. Imagine what fun I had today, spending time with our HEROES, sharing the Christmas spirit and genuinely bringing smiles to their faces. If you want to be a part of this, and BE THE DIFFEFRENCE, in the lives of our American Heroes, then please contact the American Red Cross at http://redcross.org

The End is Near

Who knows what this Friday is???? This Friday is December 13. That's right people, my lucky day. Friday the 13th has always been a favorite day of mine. I was born on Friday the 13 (July, 1973) I was married on Friday the 13th (August, 1993) and this year, I will complete my birthday adventure on Friday the 13th (December, 2013). I can't think of a better way to end this year long journey :) Stay tuned!

#39 Grand Rapids Home For Veterans

For those who don't know me, I am terribly patriotic :) I am the daughter of an Army Veteran and a Navy Veteran (my father served in both branches of the United States Military). I was born at a Naval Base on July 13, 1973. I KNEW without a doubt that one of my 40 opportunities had to be the Veteran's Home. And guess what??? I achieved that goal. On Saturday I was able to join an amazing group of people who take time out of their lives every two months to put on a birthday party for the veterans living in the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. The Ruff Ryders allowed me to join them and lend a hand that afternoon. They all arrived and made me feel so welcome to be serving with their group. We served cake and ice cream to all who wanted some that day. It was great fun. When I finished with the birthday party, I was then sent to another room where I joined the Purple Hearts in running a bingo game. Imagine that, me and a bingo game.....hahahahaha My dad would love that. I got to meet a veteran who had earned two purple hearts in his lifetime. What an amazing man! If you have ever wanted to BE THE DIFFERENCE in the life of a veteran, if you have ever wanted to say THANK YOU for all that they have done for our freedoms, I ask you to consider volunteering your time at the Veteran's Home nearest you. For me that was at http://www.michigan.gov/dmva/0,4569,7-126-2362_2749-8474--,00.html

#38 Bethany Christian Services - Refugee Services

Have you ever considered how extremely lucky we are to have been born in the United States? We are sooooooo very blessed. We have opportunities that people from so many other countries can only dream of. Imagine being born in a country, and then from no fault of your own, you are forced to leave that country to protect your family or your life. This is the case for refugees. Each year they come to the United States to find freedom, safety or just to get a new start. This is where organizations like Bethany come in to play. They take these refugees and help them become assimilated in the United States. I was asked to assist with a silent auction that would raise funds to allow Bethany to continue their programs. I was excited to be a part. If you want to be a part and be the difference in the lives of those who have fled to the United States to make a new life for themselves and their families, then PLEASE contact Bethany Refugee Services at http://www.bethany.org/main/volunteer?link=menu

#37 - 3 Mile Project

Are you a parent? Do you worry about where your kids are spending their free time? My birthday adventure took me to a local hotspot that might be the solution you are looking for. The 3 Mile Project is an activity center set up with them in mind. This facility holds open activity nights each Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Thursday is for 5-6 graders. Friday is for 7-8 graders. Saturday is for high schoolers. The kids pay $5.00 to enter and they are able to participate in all activities for three hours. They have a skate park, re-ball course (kind of like paintball with rubber pellets instead of paint), basketball courts, volleyball, movie rooms, video games, arts and crafts, dance floor, and gaga ball pit. There are also dodgeball games at the end of the night. This was built as a safe place for kids to go, have a great time with their friends and make new friends. My job was to greet the kids as they came in for the night. Once all the kids had been checked in, the fun began. I got to walk around throughout the night and just keep an eye out for any issues and see these kids having a blast with each other. Over 200 kids took part in the fun the night I helped out. As you can imagine, there is always need for volunteers. You can volunteer if you are a highschooler, a college kid, or even an adult :) If you want to lend a hand please contact them at http://www.3mp.org

#36 Allendale Lifelong Learners

October 30 found me joining Allendale Lifelong Learners for a mystery dinner/movie night. I had no idea what this would entail. We gathered in the kitchen as the guests arrived. We had 12 items that would make up their dinner that night. Animal Crackers with Frosting, Green Beans, Celery Sticks, Cucumbers, Baby Carrots, Meatballs, Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Jello Salad, Fork, Knife and Spoon. Each item was assigned a number. The guests were told they would have a 3 course meal (4 items for each course). They had to pick which items they wanted for each course by picking 4 numbers for each course. The "mystery" was that they didn't know what number was assigned to each item. This was so fun. Some of them got their spaghetti, but only had a knife to eat it with, or in one case they used their celery to eat their spaghetti because they had chosen no silverware. As you can imagine, this was quite a fun experience for all :) After dinner, the guests enjoyed the movie "We Bought a Zoo". At intermission, we served them apple crisp and ice cream. This event was just one of many that Allendale Lifelong Learners (our seniors) enjoy throughout the year. If you would like to help put on any of the upcoming events and meet some amazing seniors living in our community, please contact Kathy Hanes at khanes@allendale-twp.org