Genuine Charity

This blog is a combination blog - an ode to two men that have had an impact on me over the last week. The first continues to amaze me every day with his kindness; the second came in and in about 3 seconds changed the way I view things. They made a difference for me this week and I want them to know.
We've had a long week. . . Trev and I found out on Sunday morning that our vehicles had been broken into the night before - two of them, right in front of our house. We had a bunch of stuff stolen and it hasn't been a pleasant experience to get through, mostly because a) we don't get it and b) losing a computer and a variety of other electronics is tough to clean up - we've been calling credit bureaus and changing passwords and the like. Anyway, it's been a mess. Mostly, the experience violated a sense of security that I've always held dear and that, I think, most people would be upset to lose to say the least.
But, even in times of trial, good people tend to rise to the top and become the cream on an otherwise messy situation.
I appreciate so much that I have a great husband to alleviate my "little kid" tendencies to want revenge and get angry. He is so calm and forgiving. . . I'm still trying to figure out where that comes from; I think it's a combination of past experience that has taught him better and of course, his mom.
Ever since this whole mess started, my husband has had proper perspective - recognizing how much worse it could have been for us and how blessed we really are. We are systematically taking care of things and he has been a sympathetic rick - weird combo, huh? It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen.
Thanks, Trev, for making me see beyond our issues and realize how blessed we are. Thanks for keeping a cool head and always looking out for me. Mostly, I appreciate how forgiving and kind you've been to the people who have wronged us. I hope they realize how lucky they are that you are at the helm of their situation. Thank you for making a difference in my attitude and for teaching me a better way.
You would think that one person's attitude would be enough reason to write a blog. . . and I agree. But it goes beyond that - as of ten minutes ago.
I was making my way into a client meeting, I was chatting with my boss (our owner Dave Thomas) about things and I mentioned that our vehicles had been broken into. Without hesitation, he looked at me and said "Do you need a car? We have an extra car at my house that we can go pick up right now if you need it? Seriously, how can I help you?"
Generally, people make a statement like that as they are walking the other direction and it's followed by "email me or call me or something if you need anything. . . " which sucks the genuineness right out of the offer.  But, he didn't.  He sat there and looked me in the face.  I was overcome with emotion. 
Dave obviously has a vested interest in me as an employee because I do work every day for him that makes us money.  But in that instance, I knew that his heart was beyond that.  He offers help because he cares about me as a person, whether or not I work for him.  He is constantly checking on other people and trying to meet their needs, whether or not it yields anything in return for him.  His concern and charity was 100% genuine and it made a difference, not just in my attitude but in the way that I see things.  He's an example of looking out for others, all the time.  He is constantly serving and working to help others, even when things aren't necessarily great for him.  I need to be better at that.
Thanks Dave for making a difference in a tough situation and for changing my outlook on things.
Thanks to both of you men for giving me hope for a brighter day.  You made a big difference to me today and every day.  Here's to you.

Paint-A-Thon

Last night Trev and I had the opportunity to go and volunteer to help the United Way with a housing project.  One of the clients that we do work for at my job is Zions Bank and every year they put on a "Paint-A-Thon" in conjunction with the United Way where they go and help fix up people's houses in the community.

My boss, Dave Thomas, allowed our employees to go and help Zions with their project so Trev and I signed up and made our way to Salt Lake City to help overhaul a house.

This year alone, Zions will help fix up over 50 houses and in the 17 or so years that they have been doing this program, they have helped over 300 of their community members fix up their houses.

The United Way is a great organization, one that my boss believes in whole-heartedly and that he has made me really respect a lot.  In addition to helping these people fix up their houses, the United Way is behind a lot of the Boys and Girls Clubs in our area and helps fund several service organizations that I admire.

Working with the United Way, Zions Bank and thomasArts, Trev and I had a great Monday night.  We scraped paint, primed a shed, gather weeds and chatted with some great people.  By the time the night was over, the house looked completely different thanks to all of the volunteers that showed.

The woman who lived in this home has a disease called "Stiff Man's" disease that makes her muscles basically unusable at times.  She said that she has been a slave to her house for more than 35 years.  Neighbors help her with groceries and garbage and she stays put so you can imagine her surprise to see 50 or so volunteers (including the Presidents and CEOs of two major corporations) on her front lawn.  It was her birthday the next week and the volunteers celebrated with cake, balloons and a new air conditioner.

Here are some additional pics of the event:

Here is my boss, Dave, scraping paint.

Me and Trev after a night of work.

Everyone helped. . . including some little kids.

If you are interested in volunteering at the United Way, you can Google your local office to see what services are being offered in your area or you can check out their corporate website here: http://www.liveunited.org/

Organizations like this help people make a difference in their local communities.  You can be the difference.

Shoes

Trev and I got married about two months ago and for the celebration, we decided to get him a new pair of shoes. Not that is old ones were "bad". . . they were just, as we say, "comfortable".
Anyway, we made our way over to Famous Footwear in Layton and picked him up a lovely black pair of Steve Maddens. He liked them so much that we go the brown pair too. . . good work, Steve.
Anyway, after about five to ten wears of the shoes, we noticed a small split between the leather and the sole developing. WHAT?!?!? Normally I wouldn't panic because it would be a week later and we'd just take the shoes back with the receipt. But these were really dressy shoes so Trev hadn't worn them much but it was over two months later and we had no receipt. What store takes anything that has been worn back after two months with no receipt? No store. We decided to take a gamble anyway and head over to the Famous Footwear.
We walked in and no sooner had I gotten the story about the "shoe tearing and two months and. . ." did the sales girl look up at me and say "I am so sorry that you had to deal with this and had to come back in here. Would you like your money back or an exchange?" WHAT??? Seriously? Yeah, she was that nice.
I normally wouldn't blog about such an experience but in a world where good service is hard to find, this was completely refreshing and a kind act of service. More people should be like this. Why? Not just because it's the right thing but because there is money in being nice! Now, when I need shoes, can you bet where I'm going first? You got it!
Here's to you, Famous Footwear Girl. You made a difference.

A Small Idea

I read about this on the Internet today and thought it was an interesting concept.  The more interesting part was the comment section at the bottom and how critical people can be of giving.
I think it's commendable that they are trying to do something, anything, for a group of people.
They can make a difference. . . .

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/051910dnmetgive.3b08e43.html?nTar=OPUR

What it all means:

Hey-ya and welcome to our blog.

Trevor and I got married just over a month ago and like a lot of newly married couples, decided to start a blog. Ours is a bit of a different sort though. This isn't a place that we hope our friends and family will come to get news about our new bedroom set or to check in and see if we're adding to our family. Not that kind of blog. Don't get me wrong, we hope very much that our friends and family will come here frequently and get some updates on what we are doing with our time but we started this blog for a different reason, a better purpose for us and what we hope to accomplish.

The thing that I love most about Trevor has been his willingness to serve. It doesn't really matter the situation or the surroundings, he's always willing to give what he can to those that are around; lending people things, helping people move, grabbing my purse from the car when I'm in my pajamas - it all is second nature to him and I hope that I can be like that one day.

We've frequently talked about finding "the best" things to do with our time (not that hanging out with family or watching American Idol aren't perfectly respectable things to do with our time!). But really finding things that are fulfilling and good - you know, that sense of good where you can feel yourself change? That's what I'm talking about and that's what we're looking for.

Back to the blog. We started this blog with the hopes of making a difference - not just in our lives but in the lives of those we love and hopefully, one day, our community as a whole. We want to do something. . . so this is where we begin.

We're devoting this blog to acts of service. If you know someone that needs help, let us know. If you know of an opportunity to help, write us about it. And of course if you see random acts of service, we certainly hope that you'll keep us informed so we can post about them. We know good things are happening all around us and we hope that as you see these acts and gifts of service, you'll tell us about them so that we can share it with others. We all need a little inspiration to do good. . . and it's always heart-warming to hear about good people doing good things. It restores faith and gives you the good vibes that we so adore. No limits here.  Email us your projects, eye-witness accounts and thoughts at trevorandcarlee@gmail.com

We know that we aren't living in Utopia and that we won't personally be able to attend EVERY service project that we hear about but hope that if you have some free time/resources/ideas that you can be a contributor. That's all we're trying to do!

Here's hoping a few things: first, that this isn't our last entry on this blog. Second, that we'll get a little traction and start doing some good. Last, but certainly not least, we hope that we can spread a little cheer with this message.

I can be the difference. So can you.