So now that Extreme Home Makeover in Indy is done.....

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Permalink Reply by David Mark on May 18, 2009 at 10:41am

Say the word and I'm there! Sparing all the details for now, I can and will make several things happen.

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Permalink Reply by David Mark on May 18, 2009 at 1:47pm

Have you ever heard of Anna's House on the near west side? I've volunteered there many times before Lucious Nelson (Founder) passed away. Thanks to Allisonville Nursery, I provided the plants, flowers, mulch and landscaping out front. This neighborhood is very similar to Mr. McFarland's. This is very rewarding and it gives the community a sense of hope and pride.

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Permalink Reply by Greg Hiatt on May 18, 2009 at 2:33pm

yes, and hope and pride are empowering! So much better than a handout. Hope and pride are gifts that can be built upon.

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Permalink Reply by Cissi Sherlock on May 19, 2009 at 4:46pm

I knew you would, David!

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Permalink Reply by Greg Hiatt on May 18, 2009 at 2:32pm

I think that all it would take is someone just like you posting something just like this. If social media really is the force that we belive it is, what better way to use it? You already started the ball rolling. Maybe you want to ask for some volunteers to organize it. There is more than enough talent and goodwill right here on SI, but if we all spread the word no telling what we can accomplish.

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Permalink Reply by Marty posch on May 18, 2009 at 2:34pm

I am in the process of putting together a much bigger better framework for it ...just curious what people think should be done.....it will be a process even to put together a huge weekend deal, lots of partners, lots of volunteers. I know it can be done, just putting some thoughts out there to see what kind of interest is there from an SI perspective.

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Permalink Reply by David Mark on May 18, 2009 at 5:31pm

Restoring a park? Playground, basketball, .....? How about Annas House? It's a great cause and place.
Check this out! http://annashouse.shutterfly.com/

I apologize, It's Lucious Newsom (not Nelson).

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Permalink Reply by Linda Broadfoot on May 18, 2009 at 3:50pm

Marty~

As you and I both know very well, this stuff is happening all the time. Wednesday is the 2nd annual Lilly Day of Service for example. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. will be managing 9,000 Lilly employees on over 40 projects around the city, including a complete overhaul of I-70 and Holt Rd.'s interchange with plants, trees and hopefully public art.

It happens when 100 young professionals (um..."emerging philanthropists) come together as Giving Sum to give a $50,000 grant to Coburn Place.

The bigger question involves grand societal changes to keep us from needing those major overhauls in the first place. But, I can't answer that...no time now...the Lilly Day of Service is in two days! :)

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Permalink Reply by Lou Begnel on May 18, 2009 at 10:31pm

I have been part of the Lilly Day of Service and found people really want to help out, especially if they can get the day off work for it. Smaller Indiana and/or some of our various networking groups around town could certainly devote a day for this and provide plenty of volunteers. It's the little events here and there that add up until everyone thinks this is not just a special thing, but something we do every day.

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Permalink Reply by Theresia Whitfield on May 19, 2009 at 4:09pm

My husband always looks forward to the Lilly Day of Service. It seems a bit odd to devote only one day to helping our neighbors but I can see the advantage of doing it on such a grand scale.

So, why not start a Smaller Indiana day of service? Whaddya say?

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Permalink Reply by Cissi Sherlock on May 19, 2009 at 4:45pm

You know that's me, don't you Marty!

I am actually working with the church across the street from School 37 to help revitalize the neighborhood. They are actually going to turn Sch. 37 back into a school, a magnate school. It had be announced that it was going to be a community center, but Pastor Lyons received funding to turn it into a school and it may be called the Galilee Missionary Baptist Church School (of some sorts).

If anyone is interested in joining in this community effort and the many others to take the makeover beyond the cameras, I can help you. Just email me at operationopenup@gmail.com and clear you calendars for the morning of the first Tuesday in June.

Marty, I received this today and I though of you!
Life only Happens Once
Two Choices

What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,

there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you
have made

the same choice?



At a fundraising dinner for a school

that serves children with learning

disabilities, the father of one of

the students delivered a speech that

would never be forgotten by all who

attended. After extolling the school

and its dedicated staff, he offered

a question:



'When not interfered with by

outside influences, everything nature

does, is done with perfection.



Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn

things as other children do.

He cannot understand things

as other children do.



Where is the natural order of things in my son?'



The audience was stilled by the

query.





The father continued.

'I believe that when a child like

Shay,who was mentally and physically

disabled comes into the world,

an opportunity to realize true human

nature presents itself, and it comes

in the way other people treat that child.'



Then he told the following story:



Shay and I had walked past a park

where some boys Shay knew were

playing baseball. Shay asked,

'Do you think they'll let me play?'

I knew that most of the boys would

not want someone like Shay

on their team, but as a father I

also understood that if my son were

allowed to play, it would give him a

much-needed sense of belonging and

some confidence to be accepted by

others in spite of his handicaps.



I approached one of the boys on the

field and asked (not expecting much)

if Shay could play. The boy looked

around for guidance and said, 'We're

losing by six runs and the game is in

the eighth inning. I guess he can be

on our team and we'll try to put him

in to bat in the ninth inning.'



Shay struggled over to the team's

bench and, with a broad smile, put

on a team shirt. I watched with a small

tear in my eye and warmth in my

heart. The boys saw my joy at my son

being accepted.



In the bottom of the eighth inning,

Shay's team scored a few runs but

was still behind by three.



In the top of the ninth inning,

Shay put on a glove and played in the

right field. Even though no hits came

his way, he was obviously ecstatic just

to be in the game and on the field,

grinning from ear to ear as I waved

to him from the stands.



In the bottom of the ninth inning,

Shay's team scored again.



Now, with two outs and the bases

loaded, the potential winning run was

on base and Shay was scheduled

to be next at bat.



At this juncture, do they let Shay

bat and give away their chance to win

the game?



Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat.

Everyone knew that a hit was all but

impossible because Shay didn't even

know how to hold the bat properly,

much less connect with the ball.



However, as Shay stepped up to the

plate, the pitcher, recognizing that

the other team was putting winning

aside for this moment in Shay's life,

moved in a few steps to lob the ball

in softly so Shay could at least

make contact.



The first pitch came and Shay swung

clumsily and missed.



The pitcher again took a few steps

forward to toss the ball softly towards

Shay.



As the pitch came in, Shay swung

at the ball and hit a slow ground

ball right back to the pitcher.



The game would now be over.



The pitcher picked up the soft

grounder and could have easily

thrown the ball to the first baseman.



Shay would have been out and that

would have been the end of the game.



Instead, the pitcher threw the

ball right over the first baseman's

head, out of reach of all team mates.



Everyone from the stands and both

teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to

first!



Run to first!'



Never in his life had Shay ever run

that far, but he made it to first base.



He scampered down the baseline,

wide-eyed and startled.



Everyone yelled, 'Run to second,

run to second!'



Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly

ran towards second, gleaming and

struggling to make it to the base.



B y the time Shay rounded towards

second base, the right fielder had the

ball . the smallest guy on their team

who now had his first chance to be the

hero for his team.



He could have thrown the ball to the

second-baseman for the tag, but he

understood the pitcher's intentions so

he, too, intentionally threw the ball

high and far over the third-baseman's

head.



Shay ran toward third base deliriously

as the runners ahead of him circled

the bases toward home.



All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay,

all the Way Shay'



Shay reached third base because the

opposing shortstop ran to help him by

turning him in the direction of third

base, and shouted, 'Run to third!



Shay, run to third!'



As Shay rounded third, the boys

from both teams, and the spectators,

were on their feet screaming, 'Shay,

run home! Run home!'



Shay ran to home, stepped on the

plate, and was cheered as the hero

who hit the grand slam and won the

game for his team



'That day', said the father softly

with tears now rolling down his face,

'the boys from both teams helped

bring a piece of true love and humanity

into this world'.



Shay didn't make it to another summer.

He died that winter, having never

forgotten being the hero

and making me so happy,

and coming home and seeing his

Mother tearfully embrace her little

hero of the day!



AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO

THIS STORY:



We all send thousands of jokes through

the e-mail without a second thought,

but when it comes to sending messages

about life choices, people hesitate.



The crude, vulgar, and often

obscene pass freely through

cyberspace, but public discussion

about decency is too often suppressed

in our schools and workplaces.







If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that
you're

probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't
the

'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well,
the person who

sent you this believes that we all can make a
difference.



We all have thousands of opportunities

every single day to help realize the

'natural order of things.'



So many seemingly trivial interactions

between two people present us with a

choice:



Do we pass along a little spark of

love and humanity or do we pass up

those opportunities and leave the

world a little bit colder in the process?



A wise man once said every society

is judged by how it treats it's least

fortunate amongst them.



You now have two choices:



1. Delete



2. Forward



May your day, be a Shay Day.

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Permalink Reply by Dave Gibbs on May 20, 2009 at 2:06pm

I saw that in Seattle - That was a great show!

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