Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Celebrating Milestones

I have to admit that I am not very good at celebrating anything. It is one of the things I need to learn to do better, since it's a very important piece of our program. We all need to stop from time to time and really look at what has been accomplished and enjoy the progress. My tendency is to see what is not finished and press on. But sometimes that gets discouraging and we all need encouragement.

Today I have decided it is time to celebrate a milestone. Last September we began the project of redecorating the space we have for the job corps at Buchanan Street Chapel. There were ceiling tiles falling in, tiles missing from the floor in places, locked closets full of things, etc.

With the leadership of Mary Stephens, the women in the fall session chose carpeting, paint for two classrooms and seven smaller rooms, and fabric for the valances. We started working for a couple of hours on Fridays - cleaning, emptying, mudding walls, and painting - and by the end of the fall session we were at a place where the ceilings could be lowered and new lighting fixtures installed. 

When we started up again in January some of the ladies were employed and our schedule didn't afford the same kind of time for consistently working on the redecorating. So, we built in a couple of Saturday workdays and added a few volunteers. Jozef and Jana were here to help. Elaine's husband came a couple of times and Jack Rhine helped out. Cindi Palmer has been a big help on a consistent basis. 
It has been a big task and we are not finished, but it is time to celebrate. The last large room was painted and the carpet has been installed. We moved furniture back into the office and some of the shelves in the supply room can be put back in place. For a moment we will pause to appreciate and enjoy was has been done.

No comments:

Post a Comment