Waking up at 7:00 on a Saturday morning is not something I usually do or enjoy. In fact, I was not particularly happy to wake up so early because if you ask anyone who knows me, I am grumpy and mean in the morning. However, that Saturday morning, my day brightened and I was happy I was awake early for the Love, Care. Connect Event at the West Center. My group was in charge of the boutique/clothes drive. For weeks, several of us had been collecting clothes, shoes, and jewelry to take for this event. I was shocked to find several bins and bags full of clothes of all different types and sizes. As we were organizing for the event, I noticed people lining up and were very excited to get some free clothes. We set a five item cap, but none of us monitored how much people were actually taking. We were just happy to connect with people, chat with people, and help them choose some nice things to add to their wardrobe.
One volunteer at the West Center was a woman named Karen, an incredibly sociable and fun retired teacher with a cool mullet. Karen spent a lot of time talking with a lot of volunteers, but she mostly perused the clothes. She had stated she was picky, but loved showing us all her finds. I loved chatting with her about her style, how picky she is when it comes to clothes, and how she is a “Spring” so purple colors wash her out. This was something many of us connected on–color analysis! She had explained to us that she went to a department store to get her color analysis and wanted to show us her colors, so she walked all the way back home to get into something more comfortable to try things on and get her “color” booklet. The color booklet had an array of colors that suited her complexion and flattered her. I loved how eager she was to show us. Karen was also very willing to help other people find clothing that they liked. Jimmy, from my first blog, made a return and made out like a bandit. Karen helped him find all times of fashionable coats for him and his father. It was so nice to see Jimmy excited to get new coats and speak briefly with him. As always, Jimmy had some cool jewelry that he was rocking and got even more at the boutique. What I learned from Karen and all her interactions was how caring and connected the West Center community is. It made me feel very happy that all these people cared so much about each other and knew each other.
Another significant interaction for me was with a woman who did not speak much English. All I heard her say was “thank you.” She was a sweet woman with a nice beanie and was one of the first people to look through the clothes. She was very intentional about the items she got and I was happy to still communicate with her despite the language barrier. She said thank you multiple times and was excited to show us her haul. I helped her wrap things up and find a really cute Disney hat later. Another woman came later and I held her things while she shopped. She was a very nice lady who thanked me for my help and hugged me. She then told me how I reminded her of her daughter who lives in Minnesota and how she doesn’t see her often. That made me quite sad and I was glad I could bring her some comfort. Overall, I was so grateful for the interactions and connections I made at this event. I truly felt like I was loving, caring, and connecting. I hope I can do more things like this in the future.
One volunteer at the West Center was a woman named Karen, an incredibly sociable and fun retired teacher with a cool mullet. Karen spent a lot of time talking with a lot of volunteers, but she mostly perused the clothes. She had stated she was picky, but loved showing us all her finds. I loved chatting with her about her style, how picky she is when it comes to clothes, and how she is a “Spring” so purple colors wash her out. This was something many of us connected on–color analysis! She had explained to us that she went to a department store to get her color analysis and wanted to show us her colors, so she walked all the way back home to get into something more comfortable to try things on and get her “color” booklet. The color booklet had an array of colors that suited her complexion and flattered her. I loved how eager she was to show us. Karen was also very willing to help other people find clothing that they liked. Jimmy, from my first blog, made a return and made out like a bandit. Karen helped him find all times of fashionable coats for him and his father. It was so nice to see Jimmy excited to get new coats and speak briefly with him. As always, Jimmy had some cool jewelry that he was rocking and got even more at the boutique. What I learned from Karen and all her interactions was how caring and connected the West Center community is. It made me feel very happy that all these people cared so much about each other and knew each other.
Another significant interaction for me was with a woman who did not speak much English. All I heard her say was “thank you.” She was a sweet woman with a nice beanie and was one of the first people to look through the clothes. She was very intentional about the items she got and I was happy to still communicate with her despite the language barrier. She said thank you multiple times and was excited to show us her haul. I helped her wrap things up and find a really cute Disney hat later. Another woman came later and I held her things while she shopped. She was a very nice lady who thanked me for my help and hugged me. She then told me how I reminded her of her daughter who lives in Minnesota and how she doesn’t see her often. That made me quite sad and I was glad I could bring her some comfort. Overall, I was so grateful for the interactions and connections I made at this event. I truly felt like I was loving, caring, and connecting. I hope I can do more things like this in the future.