Hello everyone!
A hearty WAHOOOOOOOO!!! is in order, as we are now installed in our new building! Individual recognition for over 50 volunteers who gave up their Saturday to help shall be forthcoming -- our sign-in sheets are buried in the "remains of the day" -- but will be unearthed by next weekend. Please know your efforts are so very appreciated!
(And I truly haven't forgotten our Christmas Angels who have not yet been individually recognized...you WILL BE!)
We had two shifts for the move: the early one at 10 a.m. brought over all our back room inventory and "stuff"; the second one at 2:00 after we closed to clients brought over racks and clothing and pretty much everything else that wasn't bolted down (and a few things that were! -- with the permission of our landlords, the City of Bonney Lake, of course.)
In the midst of the chaos our incredible, amazing volunteers, Iona, April, Dana and others outfitted 33 kids, most of them new clients, with clothes. THEN they spent more hours moving stuff! You are angels to so many!!
There are a few other very special people who must be acknowledged as the heroes they truly are:
Mark Baumgarten, and his associates Troy and Tom, all from the Sumner School District, left all that needed doing on their regular jobs to install our blown insulation into the night on Thursday and most of the day Friday. It was a dirty, exhausting job and they were magnificent! You are awesome!!
50 bags of insulation were donated by Lowe's manager Steve Fox, along with the hopper to install it. Thank you so much!
Another FAR less-than-desirable job was laying the sheet vinyl flooring in our workroom, office and laundry area. That was handled personally by Doug Reman, manager of Home Depot, Jeff, Debi, and a team of their associates. Thanks too to Lisa Peters for asking Doug to help. Our dark, formerly gray cement spaces are so bright and clean now, thanks to each of you. It took most the day on that hard. cold floor but it looks wonderful! Thank you!!
Our tile counters are being installed by a great team of volunteers: Gordon and Rosalie Nast were the "first shift" on Saturday, and then later in the day came Scott Angevine who also worked for several hours Sunday and will return on Monday to complete the backsplash.
After working his real job Saturday night, Mark Johnson was on site early Sunday morning to work on caulking and painting the trim. He'll be back every day this week to complete the task.
Jason from Green Earth Construction has been a meticulous installer of all our trim. He too probably has a sleeping bag stashed somewhere as he's spent long, long hours working. He'll finish early this week.
Ruben and Imelda Hernandez from Honor Electric have spent hours and hours installing light fixtures and wiring stuff up for us. They will return Friday to complete their tasks.
So ever present for the last three weeks that we've accused him of sleeping there has been Mike Connelly doing whatever carpentry is needed. He'll spend Monday with us, then will probably be really, really thankful to get back to his real job.
James Larson from Aggregate Construction and his team will return on Tuesday this week to work with Miles Sand and Gravel on installing our hard surfaces. Everything is all formed up and ready to go.
410 Rentals has been so very generous with the use of equipment for all sorts of tasks and we appreciate it so much.
Mari, Ruth and Bryan too have hung in there with us from the beginning and I think are very glad to see this project coming to its beautiful conclusion.
This Saturday members of Boy Scout Troop 172 helped with the move but also in the yard, as did Sumner High School senior Blake Leon and our Kevin-of-all-trades, Kevin Havener.
We must also acknowledge the efforts of the City of Bonney Lake and particularly Mayor Neil Johnson, the City Council, Administrator Don Morrison, Gary Leaf, HD Messinger, Dana Fugere, and Jennie Sage for a variety of assistance. We've been so blessed to have a place to serve clients and look forward with great excitement to what comes next. Our landlords have allowed us great leeway in the renovation of our facility and I believe you will be pleased with what we have wrought over the last six months.
Now we commence making order out of chaos. Not unlike homeowners who slowly accumulate possessions as they go about their lives and don't realize the extent of it until they move, so too have we! In the 2 1/2 years we've been in our little place in front of the library we have built a program that has more than tripled in size. I naively thought we'd whip our new place into some semblence of order in a few long days but it ain't gonna happen! What A LOT of stuff we have!! We had hoped to be open to clients this Wednesday but have wisely decided to give ourselves a few more days to get organized. Consequently we'll be available to clients next Saturday.
Our DONATION STATION will remain at our old location in front of the library until Wednesday 2/4 when we will have a cement pad at the new place on which to site it. You MAY donate items there as it will be emptied daily; however we respectfully request that if at all possible you hold your donations until next weekend to allow us to get situated. You have been so incredibly generous and it is truly thanks to you and others in our communities who have made us what we are. We never forget that without you we could not do what we do for the children who are OUR FUTURE.
The events of the last three weeks, and especially the last weekend have left me (almost!) speechless, tired, and tremendously humbled. We are blessed. Thank you, thank you from me and the children we serve.
Please mark your calendars:
- Wednesday, February 11 at 7 p.m. in our NEW BUILDING: Volunteer training
- Sunday, March 8 from 1-5 p.m.: our public open house and volunteer/donor recognition
- Saturday, March 21 from 5:30-10:30: Death By Chocolate at Bonney Lake High School
With a very grateful heart, Carol
Carol Wells-Reed
Founder and Director
Lions 4 Kids House
20825 SR 410 East, PMB #198
Bonney Lake WA 98391
Message phone: 253-447-3844
Website: www.lions4kids.com
Email: cwells-reed@hotmail.com
*The Bonney Lake Lions Foundation is a
501(c)3 non-profit organization #38-3753543
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