Morning from a Soggy Springfield

That's my view of the capitol this morning. Not the greatest day in the world but hey, we don't have to leave the building until evening so maybe it will clear up by then.


Last night was our Family of Distinction dinner. Wow. Just Wow. I know there are times people make it clear they don't approve of what I do. I would love for them to come to this dinner just once. These are not the only people who have made their lives better, these are just the cream of the crop. We had two, not one but TWO of our award winners who were starting their own businesses. Our particular winner has been teaching school for a year now, when budget cuts were made to their school, two positions were cut but not hers. All of them though, have made better lives for themselves and their families, they have made it with a little help from some from Community Action Agencies. They are all amazing in my eyes. The setting for this years dinner was the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. This is one of my favorite spots in Springfield and a coworker and I were about the last ones out of the building last night. If you have not been here, you should go. It in itself, is amazing.




I wish I would have gotten a better picture of this group. They are the Lincoln Troubadours. They are High School and College kids from around the area, they sing a capella in 6-part harmony. They were fantastic. I have a feeling, had I gotten a better picture, Robert would recognize the guy on the end, I didn't get a chance to talk to him but I believe I have pictures from All-State that he is in.


It's amazing to me what a big part Springfield holds in my life. Once again, I can see Memorial Hospital from my window. My dad was there when I was in 7th grade. Last night, as we were leaving the Museum, we were on a bus and it turned at St. John's Hospital. My mom was there for six weeks when I was a freshman. Those were scary times for me and ultimately, times that put me in the same position as many of the families I work with.

My mom still doesn't understand why we didn't know more about the programs that ERBA offered at that time. I do, every time someone would mention getting help, she would act like it was a dirty word. Every once in a while someone would leave groceries in our car. Mom's first reaction was all out anger then deep down relief as we had many times she would sit at the kitchen table and try to figure out how to pay bills and buy groceries on what we were getting on social security. By the time this happened, she had a huge apparatus on one arm and hand, when she would go to apply for jobs, there wasn't anyone who needed the things she was limited to doing. Yes a little help with things like heat would have been nice.

I know many, many nights I wondered why God chose us to go through what we did. On the outside, we were making it fine, on the inside I believe we were scared to death.

I am celebrating my 10 year anniversary with ERBA. When I started, I told myself if I could make one family feel less scared about their situation, if I can help even just a few people see that asking for help is not a dirty word that I would have accomplished something. I have met more amazing people who overcome odds and make more out of their lives than I ever imagined.

A few weeks ago, I got a new sofa and love seat. After the movers were gone, I sat there all by myself and cried. There was a time in my life that I seriously never thought I would have a life where new anything was part of my vocabulary. I am so grateful for the life God has given me. I am even more grateful for what he has let me do to help others achieve that.