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Stories categorized "Julie Shields"

Connecting Community

September 6, 2019 by Julie Shields

My husband and I were the newcomers in the neighborhood, and the noisiest. The first six months after move in, we gutted and remodeled the house. I was nervous we would upset our new neighbors, but the house was in bad shape.

While the dust was settling, we learned of mail theft in the neighborhood. I noticed other areas had locked box units, but our road still had a row of old fashioned mailboxes. Although it was charming, the row was also located on a busy county road that became quite icy in the winter.

A visit with our local Postmaster gave me the courage to campaign for locked box units in a safe location. All I needed was the agreement from our 32 neighbors to relocate and pay for a locked unit. Sounded easy, but my attempt at a survey resulted in 3 negative responses. I was discouraged.

Just as I was ready to throw in the towel, I received an overwhelming response of neighbors excited for the change. I was encouraged to keep trying. I could not let all my new neighbors down.

I practically begged the Postmaster to consider putting up the lock box units for those who were interested. I was told it was a longshot, but they would escalate it up the chain for consideration. I stopped in every couple of weeks to inquire on an answer, nearly stalking our poor Postmaster. Almost a year to the day I began my campaign, we received the approval to move forward with the project. The locked box unit would be provided to us if we laid the concrete pads, and those who were not interested, got to keep their mailboxes in the old row. Victory at last!

On a Saturday, several neighbors gathered with bags of concrete, sand, rebar, and a mixer. It was work, but also a party. Through sweat and laughter, we got to know our new neighbors and brought together a community. Not only are all the neighbors happy, we now have some new friends.

Adventures in Woodworking

March 13, 2019 by Julie Shields

As a crafty gal, marrying a woodworker was a DIY dream come true.  However, as time went by I soon found my hopes of learning the skill put aside.  My husband came home from daily work covered in sawdust and tired.  I found it understandable he wasn’t interested in picking up “work” tools to train me on the basics.     

One evening, while thumbing through some junk mail, I came across a flyer for a Woodworking 101 class at the local Rockler store.  For months I toyed with the idea, but kept tossing it aside.  Then I took the plunge and signed up as a Christmas gift to myself.  It was a two day workshop building a bookcase.  I was pretty nervous going into the class.  I’ve always thought woodworking was a male dominant hobby.  Was I going to be the only girl there?  I’m not going to know anyone, will I have the courage to ask for help when needed?  This is a pretty big project in size, will I goof up the bookcase?  I nearly skipped the class due to nerves.  Yet, the morning of the first class day arrived and I put on my big girl boots to head to the woodshop.    

I was delighted to see the class was equally men and women, and of different ages and backgrounds.  On top of that, the class was led by a woman woodworker!  By the end of day one, I was working all the tools required for our project and having a great time with my classmates.  The time flew by so fast, I was sad to see the day end.  Coming into the final day of class, I was a different person.  Confident, relaxed and completely present.  Not a thought on my mind except what was going on at that very moment.

It took courage to step into this class.  Not only as a novice, but as a woodworker’s wife.  When I brought home my project, my husband was so proud.  We are now planning several projects together for fun.  It was amazing to say “YES” to me.

Vacationing with a “Mission”

March 5, 2019 by Julie Shields

My parents travel to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico a few weeks each year. I’m fortunate they often invite me to join them for a week. I’d been to Puerto Vallarta many times and had a desire to try something new. As I was researching ideas, I ran across an article about “Families at the Dump”. It was a local mission created by a resort developer and visitors to assist families who literally lived at the dump. Many of the workers built make-shift homes and lived off items considered “trash”, because they simply did not have enough income to own or rent a home. I immediately emailed the coordinator and set up a date to volunteer on my trip. I was genuinely excited to have the opportunity to volunteer for a day, but wanted to leave something that would help beyond my visit. I started collecting toiletries and reached out wherever I could to get donations. With this small effort, I was able to fill up an old suitcase to the brim with the toiletries.

The night before my volunteer opportunity was scheduled, I stopped at a local Mexican grocery store to pick up a few items. I noticed a display of soccer balls on sale and made an impulse purchase. I thought “maybe the kids at the dump would have fun with this”. The kids loved it! As soon as I pulled it out of the bag, they had it on the dirt ground kicking it around with their bare feet! The sound of their laughter still rings in my ears. The toiletries weren’t quite as exciting as the soccer ball, but the coordinator was extremely grateful for the items and told me they were much needed at the time.

Families at the Dump is now known as Families de la Esperanza. With the help of its founders, and many visitors, the families no longer live at the dump. However there is still help that is needed. Next time you take a vacation, consider getting involved with a local mission for a day. It gave me an appreciation greater than any tourist attraction ever has. I look forward to doing it again soon!

http://www.familiasdelaesperanza.org/

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