by Helen Collings Dearest Patti, I want to thank you so much for arranging the service projects for the Conference of Heartfelt Service. Our group went to LA Family Housing and took gift baskets for the families that were either still homeless, or being transitioned into housing. After the completion of our service projects all the participants gathered in their groups. Our group elected me to stand and share our service project experience. I did as good of a job as possible given the jitters I was experiencing and the one minute time limit. But what I really wanted to convey to you is that the concern (and gratitude) you shared with me regarding not having one-to-one contact (personal time) with people by choosing to do the baskets, became a moot point. What our group experienced went far beyond the physical. From the moment we came together we began moving as one cooperative group, breathing as one spirit. We easily settled on a project, we raised an abundance of money ($421.00 in about 2 minutes) of which we had enough left over after the project to place a seed! The shoppers came forward and did the shopping on Friday night, with the Target store where they shopped donating items toward this. On Saturday morning it was as if Christmas had arrived! Even the Sheraton Hotel contributed toiletries! As we began putting together the bags of toiletries, each person blessed their individual bag and carefully placed a loving note into each bag. After all 63 bags were made we did another blessing on all the bags. The aura surrounding the bags and surrounding our entire group was glorious to behold. After we piled our colorful bags into the two cars, and sent much Light and loving with our drivers, the rest of us broke into groups. One group went swimming and another group went to commune over cups of coffee. The group I was with shared life stories, heart-warming, personal stories. I was so touched by the genuine sharing. It was like sitting around a cozy fireplace with old friends, relaxed and open. The ladies who drove the bags to the drop-off location stayed for a while to place Light columns. This was a day of not only being of service but being served in much greater ways than I could have ever anticipated. I began this project with only knowing a few people in our group and ended with friendships that will last the rest of my life. So you see Patti, the service project seemed as one thing on the outer but grew to have a much deeper meaning and purpose in the long-run. Isn't that just like Spirit, to show us one thing and when we are open to receive the greater blessings abound! With Much Loving Gratitude, Helen Collings P.S. from Heartfelt: When the staff at LA Family arrived to find the amazing and love-filled bags that had been left by several groups, they couldn't believe their eyes. They had never received anything like it and were grateful beyond words at the abundance, the Spirit, the beauty and service that had been given to them and their families. |
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