From a Mother and Daughter

My daughter and I volunteered for a half day shift. I pulled her out of school for the morning (during finals week, yet!!). I knew that, given her early teens age, our universe of tasks was small for the event. But I saw it as an opportunity to teach the young in a community. To my knowledge she was the only young teen present. The most vital take-away for her was the sense that there is no difference between us & "them". Is that not the most critical message for the young? We talked so much that day about her reactions to the event. Even though our role was relatively small (crosswalk guides), the messages she received as a young member of the community are priceless. We chatted in the car (on the way to school afterwards) about how the physical setup showed respect, about how there really is no difference between us, how circumstances create situations & not inner character, how every role in the event contributed to the whole (she was especially fond of the hair cuts!!).

I am grateful to the organizers & all the others that worked towards the Project that, while my mission was fairly simple & discrete - to provide an opportunity for my daughter -- I came away with so much! My hope for next year would be to consider how to include the youth in the community (perhaps during those 6 months Dan refers to in his write-up). We want to be a part of next year's efforts so keep us on your list. Thank you so very much...

Annie & Madeleine Stewart