INSPIRASUNS

We’ve all heard the phrase, “It takes a village”. Even the most monumental tasks can be accomplished with just a small village of individuals all working together towards a common goal. I’ve seen it happen many times, you look at a task so overwhelming and wonder how it will ever get accomplished. The next thing you know a group of people have come together and they do, and before you know it, that overwhelming task has been completed.

Yesterday was one of those times. We had our annual fundraiser at church to raise money for at-risk children in our county. It’s always a wonderful evening filled with beautiful music, food, and if we’re lucky a stellar sunset 🙂 . It is a ton of work, leading up to the event and the day of. The setup, tear down, logistics, etc., but it is so worth it to see the grants that are given to some organizations whose mission is to help the kids.

I’m fortunate to work with a wonderful committee who do so much! We learned last year though, that we are all getting older, present company included, and the tear down at the end of a long day and evening, well, it’s challenging. Well, it does take a village I thought a few days ago 🙂 .

You see the local club in our community was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022. They are still in the process of rebuilding, (they broke ground a few months ago), and as you can imagine the team at the club is working hard to continue to have some sort of events for their members. Their fitness center survived Ian, however their social club is being rebuilt. Well, we’ve been able to provide the use of our parish hall space for them over the past few years. They’ve been able to provide events for their members to keep them engaged. I work closely with my friend there to schedule things around our events and it all comes together nicely.

Over the past few years, their events team has gotten to know our facility well. They basically come and do everything for their events. They set up chairs, tables, and such, make their own coffee, their caterers know our kitchen, etc. They leave the place spotless and they have taken the weight off our facilities team 🙂 . So yes, you know where this is going. I called my friend there earlier this week and asked if by chance there were a few of her team that could help with the teardown. “No problem she replied almost instantly”. She texted me early in the afternoon and said she would be there with three or four guys as our event was ending.

Our event was beautiful and we raised over $144,000 for grants to our community partners, with another $55,000 that went out as emergency grants following Hurricane Milton a few months ago 🙂 . And…right on cue, 15 minutes before our event ended I was talking to a few attendees and noticed the team from the local club in their familiar jackets. They were on the scene and ready to go. I touched base with the lead gentleman who I know well, he knew exactly what to do, where things went, and said, “All good, we got this”. My friend arrived a few minutes later, and I realized there were not three or four volunteers, she had brought six, plus herself!

Our event ended at 7:00 p.m., but the club team had already begun putting away chairs and tables that were not in use, being totally respectful of our attendees who were still there. It was amazing to watch them in action. Friends, I kid you not, by 7:20 this group had put away 300 chairs, bagged tablecloths for laundry, put away all tables, and were asking if they could help dump all the garbage! Yes, it takes a village.

Our team was in awe and could not believe it. Everyone thanked the club over and over, and as I gave the volunteers envelopes with a small thank you for each of them, they simply said, “Thank you, mam, much appreciated”. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful evening.

Friends, Father brings people and situations into our lives for a purpose. We can choose to build on those relationships or we can push them aside. We don’t have to provide the use of our parish hall but look at the wonderful relationship that has been built between our two teams. When one needs help, the other is there, no question. Our small village comes together to tackle whatever task is at hand, whether it be cleaning up after a hurricane, or taking down an event, together, we get it done.

Thank you to the wonderful team at the Port Royal Club, and thank you to our awesome Art of Giving committee, you made an already wonderful event even more special. I’m so blessed to be part of this village!

Have a great day friends, continued prayers for Brad, and for sweet Emily Rea.

Galatians 6:2
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.