Look For the Helpers - Week of Oct. 8th

"Life's most persistent and urgent question, What are you doing for others?" ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Alone we can do so little; together we do so much." ~Helen Keller

Fall seems to seep into the trees and and burst with vibrant color, almost suddenly and without warning. As Cam and Jane traveled down the driveway for the bus one morning, this maple tree appeared to have changed overnight.

During the week, we were planning Halloween costumes, a parade and coordinating our volunteers.  As we prepared for our 3rd Halloween wheelchair costume project with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Cam busied himself in the evenings with organizing Jane's information for costumes and logistics and helping Chris figure out materials needed.

As a last minute necessity, our building location had to change.  Thursday evening, our family headed off to Mary Free Bed to check out the space.  Cam toured around noting different areas and suggesting where things should be staged.  For the last two years, we've used an open space and this year, our environment was better suited with segmented areas for construction, painting and decorating.

For the next three Fridays and Saturdays, Cam's parents take on their volunteering job of costume coordination and building.  Lucky for Chris and Jane, Auntie Karen and Ms. Ann were ready and willing to hang out with Cam all day Saturday.  As per his typical routine, he completed school work and then the trio headed out for fall color tour and a stop at the Algoma Fire Dept where Ms. Ann's son, Christopher, is a fireman.  They met a policewoman with her horse, saw the S.W.A.T. vehicle and looked at all of the fire trucks.
When they talked about how long they would be gone, the timeframe was an hour and a half, to which Cam said "you mean 90 minutes."

After a very long two days, Chris and Jane arrived home to enjoy a delicious Culver's dinner with Cam and Auntie Karen.  We were grateful for Karen and Ann teaming up and to our son for being so good for them.

We know Cam is one of the best helpers around, along with Auntie Karen and Ms. Ann.
For this third year of our project, the helpers just keep coming- Owen-Ames Kimball construction company, GVSU engineering students and the many Mary Free Guild members and staff assisting.
As you look for the helpers, don't forget to be one :)

Camology Quotes:

Every few months, we bring old electronics and computer parts to a computer recycling store.
Ms. Patti dropped off an older cell phone known as a flip-phone for our box.  Cam noticed it the next morning.
"Mom, excuse me, but whose phone is that?!"
"Ms. Patti dropped it off for our computer recycle box."
"Oh, I was like 'who has this old-fashioned phone in our house?'"