As I drove up with the Bus Boutique to Winton LifeLine Community Center today, people were already standing in line for the USDA food distribution. Inside about 20 volunteers prepared the boxes so that 453 people would have food this week.
There wasn’t much space to move the old school bus into place and I needed some help. One gentleman guided me along so that I would avoid the parked cars; but there really wasn’t much space, so a professional truck driver helped with his expertise to move the bus into the right place--having only 2 inches to spare. Then other volunteers helped getting the bus ready that would serve over 100 people this day.
We met with a representative from Friends of the Library whom LifeLine is trying to help keep open the branch library. We had a volunteer drop off the wood for the computer stations he is building, while another volunteer cleaned up some old discarded furniture. Someone donated a Christmas tree, and a volunteer was busy putting it up. Another volunteer created a database to help with some of our chores; he also is setting up the building for the VITA program (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). Another volunteer looked at a way to install our mural that Jr. High students created. Then there were phone calls and conversations and brainstorming about the upcoming Christmas store… and a number of other things.
Today I saw it again. The beauty of volunteering, the beauty of giving back, the beauty of making your place more liveable. The beauty of friendship.
So tomorrow, if you should go to Winton--stop by and see what it takes to, “put Winton on the map for something good.”