It's Sunday night and I'm blogging- that doesn't happen very often. So what's new? I had a great weekend and I'm getting things ready for tomorrow. I have to be in Lawrence tomorrow morning doing a donation to the fire department, so I was getting all the boxes ready to go and printing our donation receipt. I was also working on some donation request letters that need to go out- mostly donations from police/fire associations. Then I decided to do cardio exercising because I probably won't have time tomorrow morning- so now it is 1am and I'm feeling totally industrious- which is actually not a good thing because I'm trying to go to bed at a reasonable hour. This week, I have a few donations scheduled and I also really have to work on calendar sales- we have 720 calendars to sell and sales are at turtle speed right now- actually slower than a turtle, but I don't know what's slower than a turtle.
I was listening to ESPN a short time ago while I was working and they were interviewing a NASCAR driver who had just won a race- the reporter said to him that most high achieving athletes are motivated by a fear of failure and he asked the driver if that was true for him. Now, I am not an athlete- neither my 20 mins of almost daily exercise, my occasional tennis playing or my desire to try the trapeze could ever put me in the athlete category- but it did get me thinking about being motivated by fear. When it comes to work, fear is definitely a motivator. Particularly when I first started working on Project Smile and we had no money- I was afraid that things wouldn't work out and I would have to go and get another job, so I did everything I could to avoid that become true and the same goes for today. I am not afraid of waking up tomorrow and having no job- that won't happen. But I am afraid of the donations drying up, the bank account draining and a job that I absolutely love disappearing right in front of me. So in order to avoid that, I fundraise as hard as I can and I spend as little as possible.
However, the fear runs deeper than money issues. I am afraid of dreams unfulfilled. I have seen people that I have loved who are smarter than me, with more natural talents and gifts that I will ever have- people that could have achieved such great things in their life and left the world a little bit better place because of what they offered- but instead died angry and unhappy with their potential never realized, their dreams unfulfilled and no one to blame but themselves. It is painful to watch. I have my own dreams and I've promised myself that I will never be in that position- that I will work as hard as I can, for as long as I can, so that I can accomplish what I already know is achievable.
Anyways, in order to keep working- I need to go to bed so that I'm not a little slug tomorrow. I'm also heading to Newton for the press conference at the mayor's office. I'm off to write my list and pick out a recipe for New Food Monday- every Monday, I make a new recipe. I've been doing it for almost 2 years now and absolutely love it- such a good way to start the week and a good way to find lots of new ways to cook! Wish me happy driving tomorrow....
Take a look behind the scenes of running a nonprofit organization.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Latest News
I must be a blogging addict- I was going to go to bed without blogging because I'm really tired, my eyes hurt and I have a headache (I don't get headaches very often), but it didn't feel right not to blog- so here I am! I don't even have anything of earth shattering importance to share. I technically finished my grant which is due on Saturday, I'm at the sitting stage- where I reread it 50 times and make sure everything is clear, mistake free and the best it can be. I need to read it again in the morning because I'm not sure that it is perfect. Since it needs to be overnighted tomorrow and I'm planning on going to Worcester, I can't spend that much more time with it.
I did our donation to Goodwill Industries for their annual childrens party today. We donated approximately 150 stuffed animals, books and small toys. Since we don't have a Christmas event of our own (yet), I'm really happy that we can partner with other groups that have events, it is particularly meaningful this year where there are so many more families that are hurting and less money for organizations to help provide items. Goodwill was very busy today with people lined up for their job training classes- such a reminder of just how many people are out of work right now. I consider myself very lucky that at least I don't have to worry about going into work one morning and finding out that I don't have a job. I always worry about our financial situation (as everyone knows who reads my blog), but it is a different type of worry.
I haven't heard back from the company who wanted to donate the 1,200 stuffed animals, so I don't know what will happen with that. I was working on calendar sales phone calls today, but had trouble getting through to people. I am heading up to Quincy next week, that department has always been very supportive.
I'm tired- I can't remember what else I wanted to write about. I went to bed at 3:30 last night- no, wasn't working- I went to switch off the office computer and started playing around with a Snapfish program that I had open. They were offering a free photo book through the Oprah show ($29 value), so I started working on one and I had never done it before so it took a while. When I start working on things I usually like to keep going until it is done- I hate leaving things unfinished. So, 12:30 became 3:30 when it was done. It is a hardcover photo book of family photos from the last few years- I'm doing it as a Christmas gift for my mom. I'm really excited to see it.
My office is improving. I went to Home Goods again tonight and bought a few more storage boxes for my bookshelves and it is really helping to organize and make things look more visually appealing. It is hard because I have a lot of office things that I need and not a lot of space, but these boxes really do help.
Anyways, I'm getting boring- when one starts writing about storage boxes in their blog it is a bad sign. I'm off to bed- it is 12:40- must write my list, I didn't do that last night. I'm glad I blogged- now I can go to bed relaxed. Until next time friends..
I did our donation to Goodwill Industries for their annual childrens party today. We donated approximately 150 stuffed animals, books and small toys. Since we don't have a Christmas event of our own (yet), I'm really happy that we can partner with other groups that have events, it is particularly meaningful this year where there are so many more families that are hurting and less money for organizations to help provide items. Goodwill was very busy today with people lined up for their job training classes- such a reminder of just how many people are out of work right now. I consider myself very lucky that at least I don't have to worry about going into work one morning and finding out that I don't have a job. I always worry about our financial situation (as everyone knows who reads my blog), but it is a different type of worry.
I haven't heard back from the company who wanted to donate the 1,200 stuffed animals, so I don't know what will happen with that. I was working on calendar sales phone calls today, but had trouble getting through to people. I am heading up to Quincy next week, that department has always been very supportive.
I'm tired- I can't remember what else I wanted to write about. I went to bed at 3:30 last night- no, wasn't working- I went to switch off the office computer and started playing around with a Snapfish program that I had open. They were offering a free photo book through the Oprah show ($29 value), so I started working on one and I had never done it before so it took a while. When I start working on things I usually like to keep going until it is done- I hate leaving things unfinished. So, 12:30 became 3:30 when it was done. It is a hardcover photo book of family photos from the last few years- I'm doing it as a Christmas gift for my mom. I'm really excited to see it.
My office is improving. I went to Home Goods again tonight and bought a few more storage boxes for my bookshelves and it is really helping to organize and make things look more visually appealing. It is hard because I have a lot of office things that I need and not a lot of space, but these boxes really do help.
Anyways, I'm getting boring- when one starts writing about storage boxes in their blog it is a bad sign. I'm off to bed- it is 12:40- must write my list, I didn't do that last night. I'm glad I blogged- now I can go to bed relaxed. Until next time friends..
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday News
So what's new? Not a whole lot today. I did a follow-up donation to Newton Police today, it went well. The Lt. invited me to City Hall on Monday to do an official presentation of our donation immediately following the mayor's press conference. That will help with media exposure which is very important for our ability to get donations. It has been a while since I participated in a press conference, so I'm looking forward to it- I always get nervous before I speak, but I've heard that nerves are a good thing, it keeps you on your game.
I followed up with the sponsor and auction item money that is owed, it looks like those issues will be sorted out shortly. I spent well over an hour today sorting stuffed animals that had already been sorted by a volunteer. I hadn't intended to do any of that, but I had loaded my car for tomorrow's donation for the Goodwill childrens party and I opened a box to check the contents and they were filled with grubby stuffed animals that were completely unsuitable for donation. There were about a dozen boxes that needed to be resorted. It takes a lot longer to resort a box than to fill a brand new box- I can do that very quickly. It is very difficult to find volunteers who are actually good at sorting stuffed animals. I don't know why it is so hard- I think I explain things clearly and I give examples of what to look for- I don't know what else I can say. I don't want to appear ungrateful- I really appreciate every volunteer who comes to help, but it gets annoying when I have to spend extra time doing a job that should only have to be done once. It is a simple job, but it is a very important job because it is the basis of our entire program. I work hard to make sure that we only give out excellent quality items- usually half of what we get donated is thrown out because it doesn't meet our guidelines.
What else is new? I have to finish the foundation grant which is due on Friday. It is a fairly simple grant- we are basically seeking maintaining funding. I finished the cover letter, but still have to work on the grant- I'm working backwards for some reason. It's pretty funny how I'll finish a cover letter or grant and I'll sit with it for a while- making sure that everything is perfect. Sometimes it will be a couple of hours before I actually print it- I'll look at it, do some other things, then come back and check it again. Grants are particularly important and I get a little anxious making sure that I've done everything right.
There is also the big issue that needs some serious help- the over 700 calendars that need to be sold. I need to work harder on getting them sold- it is a major priority since I only have about 6 weeks to get it done. I had planned on making calendar related phone calls this afternoon, but got sidetracked with sorting stuffies. I wish I had more time- I know everyone says that, but there is so much that I need to get done. It's not that I'm a bad time manager- it's the problem that I keep talking about- it's more work than I can get done in a day- without exaggeration, it is two full time jobs (program director and fundraiser) that I've been doing for over 4 years and I can't get enough done. It is a problem that is easily solved (hire staff), but I'm not in a financial position to do that. I know I've talked about this many times and I'm sorry for the rerun, but it is something that is on my mind often- particularly at night when I slow down and think- think of how things are and how things could be. There is a line that I think of all the time and I find inspiring. I don't know where I heard it:
"Be better today than you were yesterday and be better tomorrow than you are today."
Well, that's it for tonight. I'm off to bed and write my list. I was going to go back and work on the grant, but it is 12:30 now and if I go back to work again, it will be around 2am when I go to bed and I'm trying to avoid that. Tomorrow, I'm doing our Goodwill donation, finishing the grant, contacting more departments and working on calendar sales. I started reorganizing my office tonight- sorting out some things and trying to make it more visually appealing and better functioning, so I want to work on that tomorrow night as well- in between the Jets game! I'm trying to suppress the urge to go and eat- I was snacking on pickles, cherry tomatoes and brie before I started blogging- so good! Until tomorrow friends..
I followed up with the sponsor and auction item money that is owed, it looks like those issues will be sorted out shortly. I spent well over an hour today sorting stuffed animals that had already been sorted by a volunteer. I hadn't intended to do any of that, but I had loaded my car for tomorrow's donation for the Goodwill childrens party and I opened a box to check the contents and they were filled with grubby stuffed animals that were completely unsuitable for donation. There were about a dozen boxes that needed to be resorted. It takes a lot longer to resort a box than to fill a brand new box- I can do that very quickly. It is very difficult to find volunteers who are actually good at sorting stuffed animals. I don't know why it is so hard- I think I explain things clearly and I give examples of what to look for- I don't know what else I can say. I don't want to appear ungrateful- I really appreciate every volunteer who comes to help, but it gets annoying when I have to spend extra time doing a job that should only have to be done once. It is a simple job, but it is a very important job because it is the basis of our entire program. I work hard to make sure that we only give out excellent quality items- usually half of what we get donated is thrown out because it doesn't meet our guidelines.
What else is new? I have to finish the foundation grant which is due on Friday. It is a fairly simple grant- we are basically seeking maintaining funding. I finished the cover letter, but still have to work on the grant- I'm working backwards for some reason. It's pretty funny how I'll finish a cover letter or grant and I'll sit with it for a while- making sure that everything is perfect. Sometimes it will be a couple of hours before I actually print it- I'll look at it, do some other things, then come back and check it again. Grants are particularly important and I get a little anxious making sure that I've done everything right.
There is also the big issue that needs some serious help- the over 700 calendars that need to be sold. I need to work harder on getting them sold- it is a major priority since I only have about 6 weeks to get it done. I had planned on making calendar related phone calls this afternoon, but got sidetracked with sorting stuffies. I wish I had more time- I know everyone says that, but there is so much that I need to get done. It's not that I'm a bad time manager- it's the problem that I keep talking about- it's more work than I can get done in a day- without exaggeration, it is two full time jobs (program director and fundraiser) that I've been doing for over 4 years and I can't get enough done. It is a problem that is easily solved (hire staff), but I'm not in a financial position to do that. I know I've talked about this many times and I'm sorry for the rerun, but it is something that is on my mind often- particularly at night when I slow down and think- think of how things are and how things could be. There is a line that I think of all the time and I find inspiring. I don't know where I heard it:
"Be better today than you were yesterday and be better tomorrow than you are today."
Well, that's it for tonight. I'm off to bed and write my list. I was going to go back and work on the grant, but it is 12:30 now and if I go back to work again, it will be around 2am when I go to bed and I'm trying to avoid that. Tomorrow, I'm doing our Goodwill donation, finishing the grant, contacting more departments and working on calendar sales. I started reorganizing my office tonight- sorting out some things and trying to make it more visually appealing and better functioning, so I want to work on that tomorrow night as well- in between the Jets game! I'm trying to suppress the urge to go and eat- I was snacking on pickles, cherry tomatoes and brie before I started blogging- so good! Until tomorrow friends..
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Quiet Day and Good News
Today was a relatively quiet day- I did some work this morning, but took the rest of the day off- following that advice from the business book that I read many years ago-the writer was a successful businessman and firmly believed in taking every holiday off and enjoying personal time. I know a lot of people don't have Veteran's Day off work, but I think it was fine not to work and spent quite a bit of time cleaning up and catching up on household things.
Two good things did happen today though- I received a phone call from a company in NY who are planning to donate 1,200 new stuffed animals to us. That was great news. I'm going to have them shipped to the warehouse space in Worcester because I don't have space for them here in Hopedale. It hasn't been finalized yet, I should be hearing back from them tomorrow.
In other cool news, I received a phone call from a writer who is going to be featured on the Today show next Wednesday, Nov. 19 and she is going to mention Project Smile on-air! How cool is that? Her name is Helen Coronato and she wrote a book called Eco-Friendly Families. Project Smile is mentioned in the index as a source for stuffed animal donations. She told me that she is going to mention Project Smile as an example of an oganization that gives new life to stuffed animals that children may have in their homes. So that was exciting news- I'm looking forward to watching it. Hopefully that will generate more traffic to our website and donations too. Helen said that she was going to be featured during the 8am hour.
Not much else new today. I've been working on trying to get the last group of auction items delivered and receive payment for them. It is a sizeable amount of money that is owed and it is getting a little frustrating. I'm also owned a portion of money from a date auction sponsor, so that will be tomorrow morning's first call of the day. I'm also waiting on another check relative to the Halloween event, but the company is very supportive and that should be coming soon. On the other side of the issue, I sold a silent auction item and haven't been able to deliver the auction item to the winner, because I'm having trouble connecting with the person holding the gift certificate. The winner has been patient and I appreciate that, but I don't like owing people things. I also don't like having to chase down auction winners to pay for their items and sponsors who, according to the installment plan we agreed on, should have had their check in before Sept. 19. I have a lot of things to do during the day, and I shouldn't have to spend so much time on this.
Anyways, enough on that subject- I'm off to write my list. Tomorrow, I have to finish a grant that is due on Friday and I'm doing a follow up donation to Newton Police and back to work on contacting more departments. Hopefully, I will also hear back from our board attorney- I've asked him to review the contract with the event planner. I did have some questions, so I'm anxious to hear what his opinion is. I'm definitely looking forward to working with the event planner, she has a lot of really good ideas.
Until tomorrow...
Two good things did happen today though- I received a phone call from a company in NY who are planning to donate 1,200 new stuffed animals to us. That was great news. I'm going to have them shipped to the warehouse space in Worcester because I don't have space for them here in Hopedale. It hasn't been finalized yet, I should be hearing back from them tomorrow.
In other cool news, I received a phone call from a writer who is going to be featured on the Today show next Wednesday, Nov. 19 and she is going to mention Project Smile on-air! How cool is that? Her name is Helen Coronato and she wrote a book called Eco-Friendly Families. Project Smile is mentioned in the index as a source for stuffed animal donations. She told me that she is going to mention Project Smile as an example of an oganization that gives new life to stuffed animals that children may have in their homes. So that was exciting news- I'm looking forward to watching it. Hopefully that will generate more traffic to our website and donations too. Helen said that she was going to be featured during the 8am hour.
Not much else new today. I've been working on trying to get the last group of auction items delivered and receive payment for them. It is a sizeable amount of money that is owed and it is getting a little frustrating. I'm also owned a portion of money from a date auction sponsor, so that will be tomorrow morning's first call of the day. I'm also waiting on another check relative to the Halloween event, but the company is very supportive and that should be coming soon. On the other side of the issue, I sold a silent auction item and haven't been able to deliver the auction item to the winner, because I'm having trouble connecting with the person holding the gift certificate. The winner has been patient and I appreciate that, but I don't like owing people things. I also don't like having to chase down auction winners to pay for their items and sponsors who, according to the installment plan we agreed on, should have had their check in before Sept. 19. I have a lot of things to do during the day, and I shouldn't have to spend so much time on this.
Anyways, enough on that subject- I'm off to write my list. Tomorrow, I have to finish a grant that is due on Friday and I'm doing a follow up donation to Newton Police and back to work on contacting more departments. Hopefully, I will also hear back from our board attorney- I've asked him to review the contract with the event planner. I did have some questions, so I'm anxious to hear what his opinion is. I'm definitely looking forward to working with the event planner, she has a lot of really good ideas.
Until tomorrow...
Monday, November 10, 2008
Progress
Today was a good day- it was one of those days where real progress gets made- as opposed to those many other days where I work really hard and don't seem to accomplish much of anything. So what was the progress? A check for a million dollars! Kidding of course. I was focusing on contacting police/fire departments for donations and following up with departments that we donated to a while ago. I was able to get in touch with a lot of people and have 4 donations scheduled for next week. I did do some work on calendar sales today, but spent the most time focusing on contacting departments. I have to spend a lot of time fundraising in order to keep our program going, and that means time which isn't spend on our reaching more departments. It is a very difficult balance. If I didn't have to spend so much time fundraising, there would be a lot more that I could do.
I also scheduled our donation for the Goodwill children's holiday party for Thursday. Last year, we donated approximately 60 stuffed animals for the children's party, this year it will be over 100 and we're also donating books as well. Their party is Dec. 6, they need the items by Dec. 1. Amy, our awesome volunteer, was working on sorting the stuffed animals for Goodwill today, so it is easier for me to get them over to Goodwill this week, instead of holding onto them. Goodwill is working on getting gifts for 400 children- they have many more kids this year who need help and are having a harder time getting items. It is so sad to think of kids not getting Christmas gifts. In our family, there were always Christmas gifts- there may not have been a ton of gifts, we never had great financial resources, but we were always happy. Giving a child a holiday gift isn't about being materialistic, its an important gesture that matters to a kid. I was thinking today when I was driving to the supermarket, how it doesn't really make sense to be buying gifts for family/friends who really don't need very much, when there are thousands of children in our own state who will get little, if anything, for Christmas. Things are very difficult financially this year, so I can't manage to do very much for Christmas, but I was in a better position there is so much more that I would do. I know things won't be like this forever and when they improve, both for Project Smile and personally, I will do a lot more, especially to help children at Christmas time. We are also donating items for the Department of Children/Families for their holiday packages for children in the foster care system as well.
In another issue, which is only vaguely related to work- never underestimate the power of an apology. I had two incidents happen when people apologized for something recently and it made such a difference. I had made a reservation at a restaurant last week for 15 people, when we got the to restaurant, there was no reservation. I was, of course, annoyed- the manager came over and the first thing he said was, "it was our mistake and I'm sorry." It was such simple, sincere words that it made my annoyance disappear immediately. Tonight, someone apologized for remarks that they made last week. I hadn't even expected the apology, but it was a validation for my feelings that they had been obnoxious and it made me feel a lot better. Of course, there are certain things that no apology can ever fix, but it is important and when it is sincere, it goes a long way.
Well, that's it for tonight. It is 12:39 and I'm working on getting to bed early- or earlier at least. I did well with accomplishing my list items for today, so I'm going to write my short list for tomorrow- it is a holiday and I have a bunch of other non-work things I want to do, including reading my John Irving book that I love. I'm also going to the monthly DWC networking night tomorrow- that is a great group. Until tomorrow friends..
I also scheduled our donation for the Goodwill children's holiday party for Thursday. Last year, we donated approximately 60 stuffed animals for the children's party, this year it will be over 100 and we're also donating books as well. Their party is Dec. 6, they need the items by Dec. 1. Amy, our awesome volunteer, was working on sorting the stuffed animals for Goodwill today, so it is easier for me to get them over to Goodwill this week, instead of holding onto them. Goodwill is working on getting gifts for 400 children- they have many more kids this year who need help and are having a harder time getting items. It is so sad to think of kids not getting Christmas gifts. In our family, there were always Christmas gifts- there may not have been a ton of gifts, we never had great financial resources, but we were always happy. Giving a child a holiday gift isn't about being materialistic, its an important gesture that matters to a kid. I was thinking today when I was driving to the supermarket, how it doesn't really make sense to be buying gifts for family/friends who really don't need very much, when there are thousands of children in our own state who will get little, if anything, for Christmas. Things are very difficult financially this year, so I can't manage to do very much for Christmas, but I was in a better position there is so much more that I would do. I know things won't be like this forever and when they improve, both for Project Smile and personally, I will do a lot more, especially to help children at Christmas time. We are also donating items for the Department of Children/Families for their holiday packages for children in the foster care system as well.
In another issue, which is only vaguely related to work- never underestimate the power of an apology. I had two incidents happen when people apologized for something recently and it made such a difference. I had made a reservation at a restaurant last week for 15 people, when we got the to restaurant, there was no reservation. I was, of course, annoyed- the manager came over and the first thing he said was, "it was our mistake and I'm sorry." It was such simple, sincere words that it made my annoyance disappear immediately. Tonight, someone apologized for remarks that they made last week. I hadn't even expected the apology, but it was a validation for my feelings that they had been obnoxious and it made me feel a lot better. Of course, there are certain things that no apology can ever fix, but it is important and when it is sincere, it goes a long way.
Well, that's it for tonight. It is 12:39 and I'm working on getting to bed early- or earlier at least. I did well with accomplishing my list items for today, so I'm going to write my short list for tomorrow- it is a holiday and I have a bunch of other non-work things I want to do, including reading my John Irving book that I love. I'm also going to the monthly DWC networking night tomorrow- that is a great group. Until tomorrow friends..
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Good Day
So what's new? Well, the meeting with the event planner went really well today. We got a lot accomplished and things are off to a good start. The event is only in the early stages and there is a lot more planning that needs to be done, but it has the potential to be a great event.
My interview tonight with the Foundation for our grant application seemed to go well too. Most of the people there where the same ones that had interviewed me last year and they were really interested to see how things were going. The best part was that they really seemed to get it- to understand how much work goes into running this organization and they appreciated how much we've done these past few years. It is great to be with people that get it- I meet a lot of people, and there are even some people that I'm close with that I don't think really get what I do or the amount of work that goes into it.
I was thinking tonight when I was driving home about how I still feel like such a kid sometimes. When people take an interest in Project Smile, its that same feeling of happiness that I remember feeling as a little girl when I talked about stories I'd written, dreams for the future or about the farm game I loved. When I drive in unfamiliar areas or even places I drive all the time, I'll marvel at the littlest things- a bridge I've never seen before, planes at an airport, how the sun makes the water in a pond sparkle or even the patterns of the leaves on the ground. I remember doing that as a girl and I still feel the same sense of wonderment. When I dress up in my nice clothes, I still feel the same way I did when I dressed up as a 13 year old- I may be a world away, but the excitement never leaves. When people talk about things I've never heard of, I remember what it felt like as a kid, trying to figure out what was going on. When I get sad and nervous and I don't know what to say- its the same way I felt as a kid.
I wanted to make things better when I was a child- I wanted to make my dad not have health problems, I wanted to take away the financial pressures, for everyone to be happy, I wanted to keep the peace, to fix what was broken, to help as much as possible and to never be a burden. Those feelings grew even more as I got older and I saw, I understood the destruction and chaos that those you love can cause. I could make very little better as a kid and I had no way to fix the deep problems of one that I loved. Today, those feelings haven't changed, except now it has grown beyond my small world as a child to a grown up world, where I can devote my time to making things better for other children and someday adults too. The girl who always had big dreams, is now a woman with an even bigger dream. As much as I can, I want to make the world a better place for others- I want to take away the hurt- that's basically all that it comes down to. Maybe that sounds childishly simple, but it is true. Someday I also want Project Smile to work to prevent the heartbreaking cycle of domestic violence and child abuse that so frequently is handed down from generation to generation. Project Smile may have started from an incident in NJ of 3 abused brothers, but its roots runs much deeper than that.
Anyways, enough on that for tonight. I'm tired and need to sleep. I forgot to write my list last night and I'm not doing well with the exercising- I couldn't exercise when I was sick, but now I need to get back to it. Until tomorrow friends..
My interview tonight with the Foundation for our grant application seemed to go well too. Most of the people there where the same ones that had interviewed me last year and they were really interested to see how things were going. The best part was that they really seemed to get it- to understand how much work goes into running this organization and they appreciated how much we've done these past few years. It is great to be with people that get it- I meet a lot of people, and there are even some people that I'm close with that I don't think really get what I do or the amount of work that goes into it.
I was thinking tonight when I was driving home about how I still feel like such a kid sometimes. When people take an interest in Project Smile, its that same feeling of happiness that I remember feeling as a little girl when I talked about stories I'd written, dreams for the future or about the farm game I loved. When I drive in unfamiliar areas or even places I drive all the time, I'll marvel at the littlest things- a bridge I've never seen before, planes at an airport, how the sun makes the water in a pond sparkle or even the patterns of the leaves on the ground. I remember doing that as a girl and I still feel the same sense of wonderment. When I dress up in my nice clothes, I still feel the same way I did when I dressed up as a 13 year old- I may be a world away, but the excitement never leaves. When people talk about things I've never heard of, I remember what it felt like as a kid, trying to figure out what was going on. When I get sad and nervous and I don't know what to say- its the same way I felt as a kid.
I wanted to make things better when I was a child- I wanted to make my dad not have health problems, I wanted to take away the financial pressures, for everyone to be happy, I wanted to keep the peace, to fix what was broken, to help as much as possible and to never be a burden. Those feelings grew even more as I got older and I saw, I understood the destruction and chaos that those you love can cause. I could make very little better as a kid and I had no way to fix the deep problems of one that I loved. Today, those feelings haven't changed, except now it has grown beyond my small world as a child to a grown up world, where I can devote my time to making things better for other children and someday adults too. The girl who always had big dreams, is now a woman with an even bigger dream. As much as I can, I want to make the world a better place for others- I want to take away the hurt- that's basically all that it comes down to. Maybe that sounds childishly simple, but it is true. Someday I also want Project Smile to work to prevent the heartbreaking cycle of domestic violence and child abuse that so frequently is handed down from generation to generation. Project Smile may have started from an incident in NJ of 3 abused brothers, but its roots runs much deeper than that.
Anyways, enough on that for tonight. I'm tired and need to sleep. I forgot to write my list last night and I'm not doing well with the exercising- I couldn't exercise when I was sick, but now I need to get back to it. Until tomorrow friends..
Back to Work
I'm back! Well, my Baltimore trip got cut short- I got sick and came home on Saturday which was obviously very disappointing. I did get to do some sightseeing on Friday which was good- but it would have been a lot better if my nose wasn't running like a faucet. Anyways, I'm feeling better and was back to work today- sort of. I was catching up on emails, mailing calendars that had been ordered and doing a few other small things. I didn't get a lot accomplished, mostly because I was feeling pretty tired. Two really good pieces of news came in today though- we are getting a $1,000 grant from a large discount chain's Worcester store. This was really surprising- they did a $500 grant last year in support of our Halloween/Child Safety event and in February, I had applied for another $500 grant in support of this year's event and never heard anything back. I had heard that the company had changed their donation policies, so I wasn't particularly surprised that we didn't receive anything. Our Halloween event obviously has come and gone, so I had put that donation request out of my mind. The lady from the store called this morning with the good news! She said that she liked our event so much that she increased our request to $1,000 from the $500 we had asked for. How great is that? That happens very rarely.
In other good news, we will be receiving a $500 grant from an electrical supply company. A friend had suggested that I write to them for a donation, so I really appreciate his help, because without that suggestion, I wouldn't have thought of it.
There is something especially great about getting news of financial donations when one sitting at their desk, feeling mopey and half wishing they were back in bed and still feeling a little sorry for themselves that their vacation wasn't really enjoyed because of sickness. The good news did help cure the mopeyness (is that a word? probably not).
Tomorrow, I'm meeting with the event planner to discuss details of the potential Valentines themed event. We don't have much time to put together a Valentines event, so if we are going to do something, it needs to start now. Tomorrow evening, I have an interview with the foundation that awarded us a grant last year. It was an incredibly quick interview last year and I left feeling that they weren't interested in PS, but then we received a grant, which actually surprised me because I felt that it hadn't gone well. I also need to get back to work on regular program things, grant, and calendar sales- we have about 750 calendars to sell and about 7 weeks to do it.
Well, I'm tired and my eyes are hurting. I wish that didn't happen so much. I do feel inspired though. When one looks around our country and see people who came from so little, that started so humbly, worked so hard and have achieved such greatness- beyond what anyone could have imagined, that is truly inspiring. It makes me believe that it is possible for Project Smile too- that we can go from working in one room to someday becoming a national charity- and that it can be done under my direction- with a lot of help from a lot of people. It is a reassuring reminder that it can be done, that anything is possible.
Well, it is now 1:46, eyes are realy hurting. I need to switch CNN to my favorite bed time tv show- ESPN Sports Center (yes, I am serious), write my list for tomorrow and go to sleep. Wish me luck for the grant interview tomorrow please! Tomorrow, I also want to work on changing my schedule- I need to set aside time every day to work on certain tasks no matter what else is going on. I'll write more about that tomorrow- need to stop now. Until tomorrow friends..
In other good news, we will be receiving a $500 grant from an electrical supply company. A friend had suggested that I write to them for a donation, so I really appreciate his help, because without that suggestion, I wouldn't have thought of it.
There is something especially great about getting news of financial donations when one sitting at their desk, feeling mopey and half wishing they were back in bed and still feeling a little sorry for themselves that their vacation wasn't really enjoyed because of sickness. The good news did help cure the mopeyness (is that a word? probably not).
Tomorrow, I'm meeting with the event planner to discuss details of the potential Valentines themed event. We don't have much time to put together a Valentines event, so if we are going to do something, it needs to start now. Tomorrow evening, I have an interview with the foundation that awarded us a grant last year. It was an incredibly quick interview last year and I left feeling that they weren't interested in PS, but then we received a grant, which actually surprised me because I felt that it hadn't gone well. I also need to get back to work on regular program things, grant, and calendar sales- we have about 750 calendars to sell and about 7 weeks to do it.
Well, I'm tired and my eyes are hurting. I wish that didn't happen so much. I do feel inspired though. When one looks around our country and see people who came from so little, that started so humbly, worked so hard and have achieved such greatness- beyond what anyone could have imagined, that is truly inspiring. It makes me believe that it is possible for Project Smile too- that we can go from working in one room to someday becoming a national charity- and that it can be done under my direction- with a lot of help from a lot of people. It is a reassuring reminder that it can be done, that anything is possible.
Well, it is now 1:46, eyes are realy hurting. I need to switch CNN to my favorite bed time tv show- ESPN Sports Center (yes, I am serious), write my list for tomorrow and go to sleep. Wish me luck for the grant interview tomorrow please! Tomorrow, I also want to work on changing my schedule- I need to set aside time every day to work on certain tasks no matter what else is going on. I'll write more about that tomorrow- need to stop now. Until tomorrow friends..
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