Another Great Day at Milk River Activity Center 4/18/14

I arrived at the center at 07:50.  This time my youngest daughter came with me.  We obtained clearance for my daughter to volunteer at the center by the CEO also.  We were greeted with hugs, and smiles as if we were long-lost friends/relatives.  The CEO, Connie Wethern, was the one who opened the center and was greeting everyone when they arrived for the day.  The individuals will be done with work at 2:00pm today as it is Good Friday.  Connie did discuss the strongly held belief by those who work at Milk River, which is “we want to push ourselves out of a job to help these folks get a job.”  Connie also made the statement, “we are not the Mothers of these folks, they are all adults, we are here to help them succeed and be productive members of the society.”

With the weather turning warmer, talk of “breaking ground” for the much needed new building was mentioned. The larger space or building is desperately needed due to more space required for a larger kitchen, as the current kitchen measures only 7'x9' and serves 40 persons per meal. The refrigerators are three doors down and the dining area is down the hall.  The building expansion will provide increased independence for participants, and better working conditions for staff.  The project is expected to cost $422,817 with $100,000 left to be funded, with most of the money obtained through donations and grants.

Discussed today was that Milk River is collecting newspapers to recycle again.  Milk River stopped the service of collecting and recycling newspapers in 2001 due to lack of storage and transportation.  That said, Milk River is once again recycling newspapers as they did before with containers placed in two areas in the town of Glasgow.

 Around 0830 individuals began arriving for work. Work again started with laundry; sorting, washing, drying, and folding by most residents.  My daughter and I were educated on the correct way to do this. Then came snack time, with individuals getting to choose what they wanted for a beverage and their chosen snack.  I assisted feed those who could not.  We then cleaned tables, and reorganized for crafts and continued laundry.  The people were very excited about Easter and many conversations were focused on this topic.

 Also noted today was talk and excitement about the “community garden.”  The weather has warmed and I was taken by the hand and “shown” the community garden and where it will be planted very soon.  Two male individuals were particularly verbal about the garden and when, what, etc., that is involved with the project.

 As I was preparing to go, my daughter had to head back to her college, and left at 11:00, I did make rounds to tell everyone thank you and good bye.  I was talking to one of the faculty, and he thanked me for coming. I told him I am honored, and really have gained more from the individuals then they gained from me. This faculty member looked me in the eye and said, “Don’t be so sure, you should see your faces when they see you, they are so happy you are here and love having you here.”  Again, I gained more than those at the facility, and for this I am grateful.