Worth the Trek

March is a crazy time of year weather-wise in Ottawa, getting it in all its varieties.  Yesterday was no exception.  We went from snow to freezing rain and then to rain which rendered all the streets with their accumulated snowfall since November, covered in six inch slush, ponds instead of puddles and treacherous ice everywhere.   Yesterday the side streets were a mess and no one who didn’t need to go out stayed home.  I was at the TD Bank yesterday in the middle of the day and there was NO line up. 

The thing is, yesterday was also our planned date for Home Visits with the added expectation to return to homes where promises were made to pick up the last set of new registration forms for the spring session.  We absolutely needed to do our home visits yesterday.  It couldn’t wait until today.  Undaunted Fireman Shawn Donnelly and I donned our rainwear and old boots (both of us ended up getting soakers) a flashlight (cause it’s still dark at 6:00), the Saturday flyer and a smile on our faces. In reality, both Shawn and I look forward to seeing the kids and their parents and it takes more than a messy snow slush day to wreck our spirits.  

But what really kept our smiles beaming brightly for two hours in this crazy weather was just about every home we went to we were told, “The kids have been waiting for you!!!”  One mother even called to her daughter, “See?! they’re here!” And true to this word, we were welcomed by hugs from every child visited and their anticipated excitement  for Saturday’s spring launch.  Our kids are the best!!  

This is all very encouraging in itself, but it goes to another level for me when we consider that it’s all very good evidence that City Kidz Ottawa is, in actual fact, making a difference in the lives of Ottawa’s children.  To have stayed home yesterday may have been convenient for us, but it also would have potentially broken trust with some of these kids.  They were expecting us.  By going we proved to them that we are there for each one of them and even willing to endure some pretty slushy cold bad weather just to see them. 

It was a bad weather night last night with a resulting bad hair day for me.  On the other hand, both Shawn and I went to our respective homes afterward feeling pretty good with our hearts warmed by the love we received from all of our kids.  For that reason alone we were glad we went. It’s all about keeping things in perspective.  Smiles and hugs overwhelmingly out weigh the odd soaker here and there.  It was a good night.  The kids were worth every step.  It was worth the trek.

….And ONE for all!!

City Kidz Is the Place To Be!

It happened the other day when I and a member of my Executive Team,  Shawn Donnelly, were out doing our second official night of home visits.  There we were minding our manners at the door and one boy, realizing that it was City Kidz at the door, came leaping out from behind his Mom to give us one bear hug each.   With the hug he reminded us that the last lesson’s theme was love.  “City Kidz is the place to be, ‘cause they love and care what happens to me!” was our memory moment for that week.

We at City Kidz Ottawa have been working VERY HARD to reach a small band of children since about May of this year.  Lots of extra hours on the evenings and weekends (we all work full-time and don’t get paid to work for City Kidz) because we all believe in what we’re doing.  But I don’t think Shawn or I were expecting such an awesome reaction by one little boy this soon into the program.   We just had our third program today, so this grinning hug was a breakthrough of sorts and an encouragement to both of us.

I am very excited.  So is Shawn.

…And ONE for all!!