I am starting to associate the mornings here with the faint smell of sunscreen. But today, our group broke into two smaller ones and it was the other group who had to prepare for a day outside raking in the dirt. They went to an elderly community nearby and did yard work to improve the cleanliness and most importantly the aesthetic of the building. For the people living inside, the work seemed much appreciated. The group returned with smiles and the communities requests for more volunteers to plant flowers during the week.
The group I was with went to the Immokalee Childcare Center just down the street from the shelter. So far, in fact, most of our service has been done within walking distance of the shelter. The proximity seemed a simple convenience at first but after playing with infants, toddlers and kids quickly approaching school age, it became obvious that Immokalee truly understands the old adage, "it takes a village to raise a child." One of the teachers told us she worked at the center for 25 years, long enough to change the diapers of two generations.
After the service day winded down we spent some time in the park and took a drive just down the street to a farmer's market nearby. I have never bought an apple so large and so yummy as the four I eagerly grabbed at the market for just 2 dollars. What is commendably cheap for us is unaffordable for the workers here and yet without them, the largest and yummiest apples in the world would never come to me, in my bag or in my belly.
Beth
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