Reaching Out

"A Moving Experience"

If you have ever moved from one home that you've loved to another, you know that moving is often a very difficult and stressful event. It is no different whether you're a single person, a large family, or a business. With moving comes a mixture of emotions that involve the anticipation of the new home along with the sadness of leaving behind a place that you have known and called home for a very long time.

That is how it is for all of us at Home Management Resources. "Home" for us has always been the 9th floor of the LaSalle building in downtown South Bend. It was where the program was born and where it began to grow into a vital organization that is strengthening the families of our community. And so, it is with much sadness that we say good-bye - not just to a building, but to all those who for fifteen years have been our friends and neighbors, who for all these years have helped support and encourage our efforts within the community.

As we prepared to move to our new facility in the YMCA building, we were faced with having to find a way to upgrade and redesign the space to accommodate out offices, child care, and classroom needs. All of you who know us know that our discretionary income is practically nonexistent. But new friends stepped forward and have helped us to transform our half of the YMCA building into a place of beauty that we will be proud to call home for years to come. At the head of this list is David Sassano, a talented local architect, who designed the building renovation for us and oversaw the work. The key person in pulling the whole renovation work project together was Vern Casteel, owner and President of Casteel Construction. Vern solicited the help of fellow contractors and small business owners to donate materials and labor for the entire project! Without his intervention on our behalf, we could not have accomplished it! Denny Heckeman from Casteel became the project coordinator, and kept everything running smoothly.

The following persons and companies have provided in-kind contributions to our successful renovation project: Carpets and supplies donated by Carpet and Tile Depot, Comfort Carpet, Midwest Tile and Carpet, and Michiana Carpet Supply; carpet installation by Casteel Construction, Leo Shafer and Dave Novotski: building materials from Casteel Construction, Eckler Lahey , Home Acres Building Supply, and Werntz Building Supply; drywall labor and finishing by Sharpe Decorating; electrical wiring and lighting from Herrman and Goetz and Trans Tech Electric; plumbing from Edward J. White Plumbing; Windows from Harmon Glass; carpenters from Northeast District Carpenters Union; phone and computer system installation by Phillip DeLee; interior design support from Interiors and Interior by Design; window blinds by Piser/Thanos Decorating Center and Midwest Blinds; kitchen design and cabinets by Circle Lumber; appliances from Bob Miller Appliance Sales & Service; original artwork from Birdie McElroy and Sue Hockman.

This has been a true community effort, and our thanks are forever to all who have been a part of this exciting time for Home Management Resources. Please, extend your appreciation by patronizing those businesses mentioned whenever you can. We look forward to seeing you all at our open house on April 28th.

"What Do You See"

Gwenyth M. DeLee

A few years ago, an incident occurred that altered forever my way of assessing "the obvious" when dealing with our clients. I was scheduled to teach a make up to four students who had missed the first class of our Family Life Seminar. Two were middle class, married, homemaker/mothers. There was also a single woman named Sue who had seen our pamphlet at the Trustee's office, where she had gone for emergency financial help to pay overdue utility bills. Sue had lost her business, declared bankruptcy, and was struggling to survive financially, physically, and emotionally. The other make-up candidate was a woman who had been referred by the welfare department, with a history of multiple problems and life crises, further complicated by frequent epileptic seizures. I had been told that her boyfriend would bring her and make sure she took her medications, which she needed about every hour.

I was in the LaSalle restaurant having lunch with my husband when this woman and her boyfriend arrived 15 minutes early for class. She was very emaciated, with waist-length stringy, black hair. Both of them were wearing ragged clothing, and they looked as if they had not washed in a very long time. After a couple of minutes, I gathered my courage and went upstairs to conduct the class. When I walked into the classroom, I was stunned to see "Gina" standing at the other end of the table, bent forward and vigorously brushing her hair that was cascading almost to the floor in front of her!

Her boyfriend sat nearby watching her. The two "middle-classers" had dropped into open-mouth mode as they stared incredulously at this scene. I froze. Sue was sitting across the table from the gaping open-mouths. She looked a t each person in this implausible scene, sized up the situation, turned to me and said very distinctly and loudly for all to hear, "She certainly does have beautiful hair, doesn't she?"

Sue had rescued me, and I was able to regain my composure enough to begin the class. It was a great moment of learning for me, taught by a poor woman who had not lost her ability to see beyond the obvious into the truer needs of others. Sue graduated from the seminar and went on to rebuild a new life for herself. She is a gifted writer, poet and artist…and that's a whole story in itself as well! The artwork on this page is Sue's. As for Gina and her friend, that young man watched over and cared for her in as tender a way as I've ever seen anyone care for another person. They returned for a few of the following sessions, but because the medications made her very drowsy, they eventually dropped out before finishing the course.

Even though Gina is gone from my life, the lesson I learned has remained with me since that time: never by too dismayed by what "see" in first impressions, good or bad, including the circumstances surrounding others' lives. If you are, there's a chance you'll miss the deeper, more important reality that is waiting to be discovered. The truth of this lesson has been confirmed many, many times since that day. It's one of the best things about this work for me and for all the counselors of Home Management Resources - discovering the depth, the potential, the need, the talent and the quality in others, and helping them to see it and appreciate it as well.

To all of you, graduates of our Family Life Seminar, Counselor Training, Professional Effectiveness Seminar, Life Management Seminar, and to the friends and supporters of Home Management Resources who believe in us and what we're doing, I send my fondest greeting and wishes for a happy summer.

My best to you all,

Gwen

"William Do It"

By Pat Cressy

My grandson, William, is two-years old and very eager to doe everything by himself. William loves pasta and insists on feeding himself long, uncut pasta noodles with his hands. It is a sight to behold as there appears to be more on his hand in his mouth than pasta. I have to grip my own hands to keep from offering help which would send the wrong message that I don't think him capable of feeding himself, and risk getting a "William Do It" from him. So after much pushing and prodding, the pasta noodle eventually makes it into William's mouth leaving his face covered not only with red pasta sauce, but also a huge smile of accomplishment and satisfaction at a job well done.

Like William, Home Management Resources is eager to take on the challenge of relocating. We believe our partnership with Kirby Falkenberg, CEO of the YMCA and the YMCA membership will help us fulfill our mission of strengthening families.

Unlike William, Home Management fully realizes that we need help from others. For the first time in the 15-year existence of the program, we will be paying rent. There are also the expenses associated with the move and renovation materials and labor - 5,000 square feet of ceiling tile, plumbing and electrical updating. Still there are many areas in which Home Management needs help. Your generous gift can help to provide: $25 will purchase 10 packing boxes (200 are needed) $50 will purchase 20 packing boxes $80 will purchase a temporary sign to identify our new location $90 will pay for one hour of computer engineer's time to reconnect the computer system for 8-work stations (10-hours needed) $200 will cover the cost of this newsletter that informs our friends and clients of our new location $220 pays for one hour of time for the moving team of six -men and one-truck $268 will cover the expense of moving the copier machine $400 will cover the cost of printing this newsletter which informs our friends and clients of our new location $1,761 pay for the total eight-hours expected to take six-men and one-truck to complete the move to the YMCA building $2,900 will pay one month's rent

Pat Cressy, Chair

Development Committee

Clean Into Spring

Like many of you, Christine went home from Home Management's Family Life Seminar every week anxious to apply everything she had learned. What was most difficult for her to apply were the organization skills she learned.

"Cleaning and organizing my home has always been overwhelming to me, because I felt I had to take a whole day or even a week and do nothing but clean, until everything sparkled! With four children ranging from 18-months to 13-years, I just didn't have the time! I needed ideas on how to clean effectively, but without it being "Spring Cleaning," related Christine.

That's when she decided to enroll in the Specialized Training Workshop on Household Cleaning and Organization. The course deals with every room in the house and offers practical solutions that are easily applied at home. "I learned to better organize my kitchen cupboards, the kid's rooms, and the front entry, says Christine. The women who teach the class are just fabulous. They are real women; mothers and homemakers just like me. One of them even held a job outside the home! but it wasn't just the instruction offered, but the assurance these women gave each member of the class."

"I am real proud when friends come over now and see that my home is neat and welcoming, even with two of my kids home all day!"

If you are interested in learning to better organize the rooms in your home; create a room that is your sanctuary; or simply learn a more effective way of cleaning, this is the class for you.

Call 219-233-3486 to register-NOW!

ASAP

There's work to do, deadlines to meet

You have no time to spare.

But as you hurry and scurry - ASAP

Always Say A Prayer!

In the midst of family chaos,

"Quality time" is rare.

Do your best; let God do the rest - ASAP

Always Say A Prayer!

It may seem like your worries

Are more than you can bear.

Slow down and take a breath - ASAP

Always Say A Prayer!

God knows how stressful life is;

He wants to ease our cares.

And He'll respond to all your needs - ASAP

Always Say A Prayer!

copyright © Lisa Engelhardt, Abbey Press, Meinrad, IN 47577