Helping Hands Award

My husband and I were invited to an awards dinner in League City tonight. One of the children's foundations affiliated with my chapter of the Pajama Program gave me a community service award for all the pajamas, books, and slippers that I have given to their facility over the past year. All of those pajamas were made possible by a host of volunteers in and around this area.... 4,214 pajamas; 2,564 books; and 215 pairs of slippers-- to date.

The award itself is a very pretty desk clock, with a plaque at the bottom of it which is engraved with Helping Hands Award, my name, the date, and the name of the foundation.

What was even nicer was one of the stories that the director of the event told everyone after she called me up to the dais to receive the award---- a young mother was leaving the facility with a cart filled with groceries from the center, and her eight-year-old son was walking beside her with his new pair of Spiderman pajamas donated by my Chapter of Pajama Program. The little boy was jumping and "flying" across the sidewalk with those pajamas held up as high as he could get them. The director of the event said the smile on that boy's face was absolutely priceless, and was a brilliant reminder to everyone working there that smiles like those were why they were all there serving the community.

Not only was receiving the award a surprise, but seated at our table were two couples that we knew--- one couple who used to live right near us but have moved to the other side of town, and another couple who works with my husband.

There were lots of stories of volunteers tonight..... a man who collects old bicycles and reconditions them for the children of this foundation; another gentleman who teaches children and adults how to use computers; groups who collect toys and games so all the children who come through this facility will have gifts for Christmas; women who work countless unpaid hours at the resale shop which raises money for this organiztion--- last year alone, their shop made over half a million dollars in sales.

Proof positive that every little bit helps. No matter how little or how much you do, it all adds up, and every tiny bit counts.