Friday, November 15, 2019

Friday, November 15, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in November of 2004. What was Mattie playing with? Try a cat toy. He was fascinated by the little toy mouse that would pop out of the holes. In fact, I am not sure who liked this toy better, Mattie or Patches!!!



Quote of the day: The best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them away. ~ Dorothy Day

Our morning started at 6am. Peter got to our Candy Drive site by 7am, and started loading the Uhaul. We managed the truck loading and all of today's deliveries on our own. Which is a feat! We had to place about 70 big boxes into the truck. Thank goodness, Peter is physically strong, because some of these boxes weighed close to 100 pounds each. This was the scene within the garage this morning. 

You can see all the boxes loaded into the Uhaul. Unfortunately we couldn't fit them all in, so we had to make our first delivery in Reston, VA and then we headed back to the garage to pick up the rest of the boxes and clean our friend's garage. 

Our first candy drop was at Cornerstones the Embry Rucker Shelter (Reston, VA). Cornerstones is a nonprofit organization that promotes self-sufficiency by providing support and advocacy for those in need of food, shelter, affordable housing, quality childcare, and other human services. Cornerstones received 1,000 pounds of candy from us today. 

Our next stop was at Covenant House (Washington,DC). For over 24 years, Covenant House Greater Washington (CHGW) has served as the region’s leading non-profit throughout the area in protecting, supporting, and transforming the lives of youth ages 18-24 experiencing homelessness, disconnection, and exploitation. CHGW has provided a safe harbor and wrap-around supportive services to one of the area’s most vulnerable populations. The programs and services offered to young people help them to get back on track in achieving housing, career, and economic stability. 

We donated 1,000 pounds of candy to Covenant House today and all the people at the front desk told us that residents look forward to our candy every year!

Our next candy delivery was to Sasha Bruce Youthwork (Washington, DC). Sasha Bruce Youthwork is one of the largest and most experienced providers of services to youth in Washington, DC. Sasha Bruce helps young people find safe homes, achieve and maintain good physical and mental health, create and strengthen supportive and stable families, and explore opportunities in education and careers.

Our last delivery today was at St. Ann's Center for Children, Youth, and Families (Hyattsville, MD). St. Ann’s strengthens and supports families on their journey toward stability. The Center provides a nurturing community where families heal from the past, overcome barriers, and take hold of their future.

Our friend and board member, Ann, delivered candy to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital today. This candy supplies our free snack and item cart at the hospital which serves all in-patient pediatric families. Pictured with the candy is Christine, the Educational Specialist at the Hospital. Christine is a big supporter of our Mattie Miracle Cart. 

Viola! It's magic (well NOT quite).... all the candy is gone. Peter and I plan on taking it easy this weekend as it was a very long and stressful two weeks.