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09/14/2005
A Day in the Park
Start with a dozen hard-working volunteers. Add about 25 full-time childcare workers. Mix in 137 pre-school aged kids. Simmer slowly in mostly cloudy conditions around 70 degrees for about 2 hours. Season with games, crafts, and laughter. Feed them hot dogs, fruit cups, and ice cream. When done, send them to the largest daycare center in the state of Missouri.
That's how I spent my day. How about you?
Boy, am I pooped!
We had a great time. Team VISION, our employee involvement committee, planned to host just 100 children from Operation Breakthrough. We ran a little thin on supplies, but the fun overflowed! I think I got some fun stains on my jeans.
"DeMarnay! Get off of him! J'aQuel, no pushing. Messiah stay in line." The steady stream of instructions and reprimands from the teachers must have exhausted them. You couldn't pay me enough to do what these ladies and men do every day. It was organized bedlam x10, but we survived.
When it was over, I found out that we had about 12 kids from New Orleans in our bunch. Refugees from Katrina with more on the way, I'm told.
I'm too bone-deep tired to write coherently, so forgive the poor syntax. I'll probably come down with a cold and give it to my whole family, but it was worth it. One of the kids gave me a hug and told me they loved me. Another one clasped my hand in his pudgy fist and wanted me to come with him to the next activity. Never seen either one of them before.
Operation Breakthrough serves some of the poorest kids in the area. Many come from single-family homes. Others live in shelters at night and come to the Center so mama can look for work. Far too many have seen drugs and murder and abuse no kid should ever see. If we gave them a little slice of love it was worth it.
Someone at the Center must have called the newspaper, because the Kansas City Star sent a "photojournalist" to cover the story. It's supposed to be in the paper on Thursday, 9.15. Go to the Star homepage and search for "Operation Breakthrough". You just might see my picture.
Update: Well, I made the paper. In the 9.15.05 Metropolitan edition of the KC Star, that's me, even though it says 
"Rick Day, Graphic Designer". By the way, somebody at the paper owes Rick a huge apology! He's a great guy who would give you the shirt off his back, but I don't expect him to let me abuse his good name in this way. That's Rick on the right.
15:05 Posted in About Life | Permalink | Email this