Whether it is getting outside or volunteering it all helps me get outside myself...
Just recently it hit me that my life is mostly about what I am doing, what I need, what I am trying to accomplish, where I want to go, where I do not want to go, and the list goes on. My own personal desire to get outside myself came from wanting to see life as we live it through other people’s eyes who perhaps are going through real life struggles. I feel that seeing how terrible things can really get has played a huge role in keeping me humble and grounded and well most of all outside myself. I find that if you do not take the time to get outside yourself life will do it for you. I have wanted to be involved with helping people and giving back to the less fortunate but in the past when I had made the effort to find a group or organization I could get involved with I was not always successful. Then while I was listening to the sermon by Edwin Collado pastor at Redeemer church two weeks ago he called us all to help a family that has lost their way. This was the perfect opportunity for me to help. This family is made up of a lady who has suffered a stroke and is currently going blind. The situation gets a bit more complicated because she has several dependents living under the same roof of a house that is too small and falling apart. The job at hand is to assist with a face lift to the lady’s house which needs TLC.
The organization handling this renovation is the South Miami Community Redevelopment Agency SMCRA. The SMCRA has a plan that contains a variety of projects, programs and initiatives designed to improve quality of life and physical conditions in the community redevelopment area.
The Residential Rehabilitation Program is based on goals and objectives contained in the SMCRA redevelopment plan, the Agency established the residential rehabilitation program to assist in improving physical conditions of the existing SMCRA area residential housing stock. Programs have been designed to address single-family, multi-family and housing complex needs. During the past three years, approximately thirty (30) homes have been improved through this initiative.
Saturday August 19th was the first time all us volunteers showed up at the house to work. We started with the yard but there is a lot to do. This is a project that will be taking place until December because the work needs to be assessed and divided. It was great to see the turnout of people wanting to help. It is easy to take for granted the health and energy most of us have. It is not often enough that we think of people that do not share the same abilities. Sometimes all you need to do to help someone in need is just be there somehow someway showing support and understanding. Not with money but with one’s presence and efforts. Every little bit counts and when we put together everyone’s little bit on Saturday we got a whole lot done. Here are some before and after images of the work that was accomplished on Saturday by Redeemer Church Miami and the South Miami Redevelopment Agency.
Rosi Rosell Rodriguez
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