Cuddle Club - After passing a background check, then a urine drug screen test I received a Cuddle Club Volunteer Badge from the Women's Renaissance Hospital in Edinburg ( about 20 minute drive from our park). This idea came from a lady in our park who was delivering knitted premie hats to the nursery in this hospital and the coordinator at the hospital asked if she was there for the "Cuddle Club" - to hold and rock babies in the nursery. She told us about that and I said if she would like to do that, I was interested too. So now there are 8 ladies involved. 4 of us did our first shift last Wednesday evening from 5 to 8 PM. In the time we were in the nursery there, 5 babies were born. The moms are only in for about 24 to 36 hours after a natural birth and 2 days for a C-Section. So we got to hold brand new babies - feed some. All the mom's rooms are private. There are about 500 babies born each year in this hospital. It is a real privilege to hold these beautiful newborns. We also get to be in the NeoNatal Step Down Unit (NICU). We are scheduled to volunteer 3 to 4 hours a week now.
Another thing - Inspired by my friend Marilyn Kerr - back home in Lakefield - I have done some knitting graffitti on the tree in front of our site - and carried that on to our little solar lights. It is now a Mexican tree.
One more item I want to mention is that today was "Cowboy Sunday". The minister in this RV Park is a 79 year old Methodist minister from Oklahoma. He and his wife are an amazing couple - always busy and work very hard - weekly service, visit the sick in hospitals and this year are scheduling photo sessions of all the park residents to put together a book available next September. Today for the service he wore his chaps and even spurs - he worked the rodeo as a minister. Here is a drawing that was done years ago of him. 653 people attended the church service this morning for Cowboy Sunday. The collection taken at the service today went to the minister and his wife for all the extra expenses they have for all the travelling they do to the hospitals etc.
He responds to all the First Responder calls (day and night) and will drive spouses to the hospital following the ambulance. The minister also is a painter and we see him sometimes with a ladder going into a mobile home in the park to do work. The congregation could also wear their western apparel and I did - even some boot earrings I bought at a wood carving show a week ago.

Comments

  1. VirginiaJanuary 31, 2012 at 5:04 PM

    I'm not surprised that you are busy volunteering as well as doing the exercise group...when is your down time? Just returned from Florida...great experience on Amelia Island.How do you get the socks around the tree????

    ReplyDelete

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