Category: General Jenerosity

The most challenging project I had to complete as a child was our fourth grade California Mission replica.  I had to visit Mission Santa Barbara, take photos and rebuild it to scale using some materials that were not so easy for a fourth grader to apply.  My mom and I agonized over it for weeks and she finally helped me bust it out over a couple of LATE nights.

My son is in fourth grade and it seems that regardless of which coast you reside on, big projects exist at this grade level.  His assignment was to create a model of the Alligator Reef Lighthouse near the Florida Keys using 50% recyclable materials.  It was due today.  After the usual two weeks of agonizing over it and two weekends out of town, we found ourselves making the required trip to the craft store earlier in the week and attempting to assemble it all last night.  But, guess what?  This working mom has a job and I had to head to a business mixer to represent my organization last night.  Luckily, I live down the street from The Hesslers, a family full of inventive boys who fix the neighborhood’s broken items, build underwater dock lights and are often seen blowing things up in the front yard.  Working women, especially those of us in fundraising roles, know that the key to success is utilizing your network.  So, at 6:00 Brooks arrived at the neighbors house to have the boys “oversee” the construction of his project.

Alex the Engineer helps Brooks construct his lighthouse JUST IN TIME! We love our neighbors!

When I arrived at 8:30, it was near completion and was much more AMAZING than anything I could have delivered…working lights and all!  Of course parents were encouraged to participate as minimally as possible, so I accomplished that by delegating (and paying out some “babysitting” dollars).  Today, my son beamed as he brought in his lighthouse, created alongside some of the cool “big boys” of the neighborhood.  $100 in supplies & fees later, along with a lesson in resource utilization, I must admit that I was happy to have gotten out of the delivery phase.  It truly was a gift to myself!