Flowers Make Me Happy

Last Friday I got flowers from my job.  It was a thank you for my work on Hearts for Homes, which I will give a full update on next week. 

Every time I look at them I am happy.  Not just because it was a great way to show their appreciation, but they are a respite from this awful winter.  They really are a living example of positive mental health.  And really, any time anyone wants to give me flowers, they will give me a smile that will last so long.

When they were fresh I took a picture and turned it into a painting on Photo Shop to make them last forever.  Here it is, I hope it makes you smile too.

Yours in health,
Kate

I'm Tired, but it's a Good Tired

I have been working seven days a week for more than a month and a half.  Monday through Friday it's 10-12 hour days.  Saturday and Sunday I can usually get away with 4 or so.  It's at the point where people are questioning my sanity.  But the truth is, I have a job and this won't last forever.  Soon enough things will slow down and I will get a day off a week and possibly even go home after 9 hours on the weekdays.

Today was a 12 hour day, but it was one of the ones I wouldn't give back.  Yes, it was stressful and yes, it was a day without a workout. (There have been a lot of those lately.)  But among the things I did today was a visit to Unity Place, the building we are renovating with Hearts for Homes.  It was a joy, even through tired eyes, to see the physical place that our work is creating for the women of the YWCA to find safe harbor as they grow into independent, powerful women of Des Moines. 

Each apartment is simple, but compared to the rooms they have been staying in at the Y, it's very nice.  Each apartment has two bedrooms - with good sized closets, two bathrooms and a shared kitchen and living room space.  Downstairs there is a common area where the women can watch TV or socialize.  On occasion, some of the non-profits working with them will hold classes there.

For the women with children, there are slightly bigger apartments and a safe grassy area for the kids to play outside.  It warmed me greatly on this snowy Iowa day to think of kids getting to play somewhere other than in a gym or on concrete as they have downtown. 

Unity Place is right on the bus line.  It's near schools.  It's in a residential neighborhood.  It is a another step toward a normal, responsible life, just like the rest of us.  It is the very meaning of "a hand up, not a hand out".

I've talked a lot lately about gratitude and this project makes me all the more grateful.  I may not be a size ten these days, but I have an abundance of other skills that allow me to make a difference.  And no perfect fitting pair of jeans in the world will make you feel as great as helping someone in need into a new home.

Yours in health,
Kate

Hearts for Homes

I have had a busier than usual couple of weeks, but it's all for a good cause.

If you live in Des Moines you have probably heard that the women of the YWCA are being displaced because the building is being closed and sold.  When my general manager Del heard he sleeplessly lay wondering what we could do to help.  The next morning he brought the minds of KIOA and DMRG promotions together to see if there were options.  Then the mantle was given to me to find the plan.

Well, very long story short, we are now doing Hearts for Homes.  The fundraising drive will raise money to refurbish a building on the south-side of Des Moines where the women can continue their road to self-sustaining productivity.  In the end the building will be a lasting legacy for those who give, allowing other low-income women to have fresh starts and get back on their feet.

On Friday we are also doing a day-long broadcast and phone bank at Prairie Meadows. 

If you have a few extra dollars, please consider giving to help local people with a local problem.  Prairie Meadows and Polk County will match money raised dollar for dollar.

Yours in community health, Kate