March and April spring weather in Florida is simply the best.
In Clearwater, our home, we have year-round sunshine and warm seasons.
But the months of March and April are something extra-special. It’s still not too hot, the birds are chirping, and things are blooming all over the place. The evenings are still a little cool and really enjoyable.
At CES that means our participation in community gardening is thriving!
With membership in our Clearwater Community Gardens, we are part of something special. We are meeting and getting to know other gardeners and learning and appreciating so much about growing our own food.
I have finally mastered Florida tomatoes and since adding rich organic compost, I’ve seen vegetable plants mysteriously appear in my box. For instance, right now I have zucchini and lettuces that I did not plant. In fact, the tomato plant, growing to the size of a person, is what I call, “a compost surprise” as I did not plant the plant that is bearing so much fruit. It just appeared there one day!
Like friendships and new acquaintances, they simply appear one day, and if you value them and nurture them, they will bear much fruit and enhance lives! I guess that is what we love about our participation in the community. When you contribute in it, you meet others, you form friendships and partnerships for good, and life just gets bigger and better!
Community Learning Center Grows in Size and Strength
CES has been a proud sponsor and supporter of the Community Learning Center (CLC) for many years.
CLC has been tutoring the children of the community for over 20 years! The success of one-on-one tutoring is paramount, as individuals do not learn at the same pace or with the same methods. CLC works with the individual and provides the exact help they need to academically advance in any subject.
The free homework help tutoring is so special and as mentioned, is free. Volunteers provide this help to anyone who would like it on two different days each week.
The CLC Academy is a private school from K – 6th grade. Our CES staff always looks for clever ways to contribute to these kids. We have dress-down days, where we pay to wear jeans and this funds our music and arts activities for the kids. Along with the singing lessons they receive from a professional singing coach, each month I go over to CLC and read to the kids and we create a fun craft.
It is a fantastic way to show our love and assistance and we would hope that other companies follow suit and simply love and help children wherever they can.
Volunteering
Our CES staff show us each day just how wonderful they are by volunteering at many events and local activities that truly help others. One such event was the My Hope Chest (MHC) annual 5K Glo Walk fundraiser.
My Hope Chest provides breast reconstruction surgeries for un-insured and under-insured women. CES loves supporting this amazing organization who is providing the final-step to breast cancer survivors!
Like the transformation of a caterpillar, the butterfly shows the beauty and freedom achieved by transformation. MHC features the butterfly to represent the final transformation that a women experiences when she completes the final step in the process of surviving breast cancer.
CES volunteers helped by painting butterfly wings with glow in the dark paint so that the many runners at the event could glow-up! The glow theme made for extra special bling and the race ended with a big GLOW party filled with pink and yellow and neon colors on the dance floor!
We also volunteered in the children’s area at the event and made popcorn and cotton candy! Some of us ran in the race and others just helped where they were needed. This was perhaps one of the most fun events to date. We look forward to always participating in it.
Please find out how you too can contribute to this remarkable organization. Go to MyHopeChest.org
