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I spend quite a bit of my time at The HUB looking at details of things that need to get done, are in the process of getting done and/or probably should have been completed yesterday. The to-do list that never ends is one of the very real struggles at a non-profit organization. Never ending need, too little time, not enough helping hands, money that doesn't quite stretch far enough are just some of the reasons that this is a reality everyday.
Despite all of these things we seem to work miracles with the resources entrusted to our care. The tears and success stories prove that to me daily. I was out in the parking lot bending down to pick up small pieces of plastic Easter grass that seemed to be embedded in every small crevice of my permeable pavement, it was just an ordinary day. Me, frantically trying to clean up the remnants of the last event before the next event steam rolls over the top of us.
That changed as I walked into the building. I stopped and craned my neck sideways to glance at the top of our patio. What caught my eye was the color of the Easter Grass that I had just been unsuccessfully picking up, string by string, in the parking lot. Birds, industrious and resourceful creatures had also spotted the colorful Easter grass in the parking lot and had put it to good use. They had carried it beak by beak up to top of the patio roof and made a small nest. A home for their offspring in the coming months. It put a smile on my face to see my nemesis, the Easter grass, being put to such good use.
At The HUB Shop, donations come streaming in daily from the community. What someone else may see as not necessary any longer goes into a box or bag and rides in the trunk until the donor remembers to make it to The HUB Shop. Our crew sorts through pieces of clothing that are too small , appliances that have been discarded for new and shiny appliances, books that have been read, dishes that have pieces that have gotten lost or broken along the way. We sort the lifejackets and give them to the NM Fire Authority for the water safety program, make raffle baskets for local schools, sports and music clubs, and fundraisers for organizations all over the county. We also supply local pet charities with carriers and crates, give clothing to families in need, loan/give medical equipment to the injured, offer books for free to promote literacy, tents to the homeless, blankets to senior citizens in the winter and save goods for large community parties.
We build a nest with the broken and disregarded pieces that others might consider a nuisance or trash. We take the pieces that we gather from the community and shove them into the gaps in service--we build a home, a nest for the community to land and find Hospitality, Unity and Belonging (HUB).
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