Building Hope in Columbia, SC - Be the Change You Want to See in the World!

Be the Change You Want to See in the World! That was our motto. Our goal was to make a significant difference in the community AND raise awareness of Make A Difference Day in this region. We did just that! On 25 OCT 2008, 29 volunteers, ranging in age from 4 to 50+, gathered to build that playground, deliver the furniture and collected donations, and sort the collect the much needed supplies and products. The team also provided breakfast and lunch for the residents of the emergency shelter. Inspired by the Hurley Family of six, the family led this community effort which included a team of 120 volunteers from the Fort Jackson and Columbia, SC area, to collect supplies and solicit funding to buy and build a playground, deliver a 4-piece living room set and more than 30 boxes and bags of cleaning supplies, school supplies, paper products and toiletry items, and other donated items. This project benefited a local emergency shelter for battered woman and children, and will leave a lasting impact for years to come for hundreds of women and children, and the staff of the organization. So many people gave a LITTLE TIME and/or LITTLE CHANGE to MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE! The project cost approximately $3,500; 120 people gave over 500 hours of time; but the many people whose lives were touched by the generosity of the group, the playground that will bring smiles for years and the number of people who now know about M.A.D.D. is truly priceless. Why did we decide to do this project? Our family does a project for M.A.D.D. every year. We are a military family so we search out local projects that will benefit the community in which we are living. We do it because we believe A LITTLE CHANGE CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERNCE. This year, we decided to raise awareness for Make A Difference Day, and to build a playground for children in need of something fun in their lives – at a shelter for battered women and children. What will be the long-term impact of this project? The impact on the many people whose lives were touched by the generosity of the group is truly impossible to measure. This project also generated some long-term impacts: 1. One for the community and the kids involved - Make A Difference Day is every year. We encouraged everyone we spoke with, to find their own project or join in ours. For the families at the shelter, we rebuilt trust in the goodness of mankind by building that playground, by caring enough to make a difference for them - expecting nothing in return. For my kids - instilling a sense of pride and understanding that giving really can be and is better than receiving. (And it can be fun , too.) My four-year-old Jamie can tell you why we do it - "If everyone gives a little, it makes a BIG difference!" 2. The second long term impact is the smiles and laughter the playground will bring smiles for years to come. The living room furniture replaced very worn furniture and perfectly complimented the living room colors and will provide comfort for quite some time. The more than 30 boxes and bags of cleaning supplies, school supplies, paper products and toiletry items, and other donated items, will provide comfort for a couple of months. 3. The final impact is that my family has decided to do a quarterly project for this agency that benefits battered women and shelter.

CANDACE H. ( COLUMBIA , South Carolina , United States )