TAKING THE NEXT SMALL STEP

Did you set New Year resolutions or goals for 2013?  So how is that working for you?  (My best Dr. Phil imitation! LOL!) Many people at this time of this year give up on the goals they set for the New Year because it is too overwhelming, they just got off track, and then chose to quit. 

This reminds me of when Norma Silvers, Jake Brewer, and I started Betty Brewer’s Angels. Norma and I had been involved in non-profit charities before, but we never started one.  Last year Joel Wrobbel asked me on his radio show “Journey Through Aging”(airs on WRFD, 880AM, every Saturday at 8:00am), how we were able to do it. The answer was simple. We just kept doing the next thing that needed done.   Did we stop sometimes and think it was all too overwhelming and could not be done. Of course! But then we just took the next little step.  The result is today BBA is a 501©(3) charity with volunteers in many central Ohio long-term care facilities brightening the lives of residents by establishing a one-on-one relationship with them.

So if you are feeling kinda down on yourself right now with the February blues and have regrets about not following through on your New Year Resolution, stop and think what is truly important to you, what do you want to do that expresses who you are?  And if what you thought you wanted does not meet your new criteria, you can chose to change your goal/resolution.  Once you have a true resolution that reflects who you want to be, or accomplish, all you have to do is take the next small step towards it.  

Sometimes the big picture is overwhelming and scary so concentrate on the next, small step. Sound too simple to you? Try it! You will be surprised!

 If you have a caring heart and one of your resolutions was you want to serve others more, we would love to talk to you about becoming a BBA volunteer. We have men and women volunteers.  Just contact me at www.bettybrewersangels.com or 614-309-4677 for more information and I will lead you through the process step by step.  

 BBA volunteers establish a one-on-one relationship with residents of long-term care facilities by visiting with them every week. 

Small things, Great Love

So many people have told me recently that they have stopped listening to the news. The news was making them feel helpless and depressed because they cannot change so many of the bad things that are happening.  I admit I have felt this way before and actually sometimes recommend to people to take a break from the “news”, but I remind myself, and want you to never forget, that you do have some control over your little segment of this world.  Remember the words of Mother Teresa,     

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”

What small things are you doing today, with great love?

Betty Brewer’s Angels volunteers visit residents of long-term care facilities that have no, or few, visitors.  What sets us apart from other visiting charities is that we do not do what I call “hit and miss” visiting. Rather we purposefully chose a resident who has little or no visits from friends or family and then establish a friendship with that person by our weekly visits with only them. We are interested in them and their life. 

If you are interested in hearing more about Betty Brewer’s Angels or are interested in becoming an Angel yourself and do a small thing with great love, please contract me at 614-309-4677 or bettybrewersangels@wowway.com

Volunteer Photos! Looking backward to 2012 and forward to 2013!

Wishing you all a blessed New Year!  

Thought you would enjoy seeing a few photos from 2012 of our volunteers brightening the lives of the residents they visit every week. 

A special thank you to our donors who make it possible for Betty Brewer’s Angels to visit residents who live in long-term care facilities and have no one else visiting them, all our supporters especially Joel Wrobbel on the Journey Through Aging radio show on WRFD for being so gracious to have us on his radio show this year (check out his web site www.journeythroughaging.com),  and to our FANTASTIC  volunteers for being such a blessing to this world by visiting with their special residents in spite of what went on in the volunteers’ own personal lives this year.   

We have men and women volunteers! If you have decided in 2013 to brighten this world, please contact me at 614-309-4677 or www.bettybrewersangels.com

In 2013, the odds are that we will all face challenges, whether they are health, financial, relationships, and/or loss, but I have faith in all of you, and in myself, that we will face all our challenges with prayer and with a grateful heart. Remember, it is not what you go through, but how you go through it.  

THE BEST GIFT!

 I do not know about you, but I am so surprised that the gift-giving season is here already!  While you are searching for that perfect gift for your loved one that lives in a long-term care facility, I want you to keep in mind that the most important gift we can give to a loved one is a gift that on the surface appears to be a simple one and one you may reject at first, but it is most important gift you can give.  Simply the Gift of You!  Go visit with your loved one and share what is going in your life and give your loved one an 

opportunity to share their lives with you.   

You may say,” yeah, yeah” and dismiss this, but if you would have been with me last week while I was visiting with the resident I have built a relationship with through Betty Brewer’s Angels, …..if you would have been with me…. and seen the tears in the eyes of a woman using a walker who paused in front of us to say how she wished her family or friends wanted to visit with her,  you would not dismiss this Gift of You so easily.

Joel Wrobbel the host of the Journey Through Aging radio show, has asked Betty Brewer’s Angels to share ideas about gift giving and the holidays in general in brief segments during the month of December.  Journey Through Aging is on every Saturday, 8 am to 9 am on radio station WRFD 880 AM.  If you live in an area that does not receive this show you can listen to it live on their web site www.journeythroughaging.org.     While at their site, look around! They have a great web site with an abundance of information. It is one of my favorite web sites!

  If you know of anyone that would be interested in making a difference in someone’s life by volunteering to spend one hour per week establishing a one-on-one relationship with a resident living in a long term care facility, please contact me. 614-309-4677 or bettybrewersangels@wowway.com.   

Potato Chips

Something to think about:

”A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him some chips. He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. 

His smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted! 
They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. 

As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. He gave him his biggest smile ever...
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" 

He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!" 

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked, "dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?" 

" He replied "I ate potato chips in the park with God." 

However, before his son responded, he added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!”

If you know of anyone that would be interested in making a difference in someone’s life by volunteering to spend one hour per week establishing a one-on-one relationship with a resident living in a long term care facility who has no one else visiting with them, please contact me. 614-309-4677 or bettybrewersangels@wowway.com.   

What is a Friend?

My uncle sent me this video with the following message because it reminded him of the work Betty Brewer’s Angels do:

“We have all at one time or another seen a need and didn’t have the time or didn’t know them or they were not important to us or we just were not interested to do what we knew was needed. The next time that happens remember this turtle and do what you can to help. God gave us a bigger brain than a turtle but do we have a bigger heart?” (just click on the little arrow button to play)

Betty Brewer’s Angels purposefully chose a resident who has little or no visits from friends or family and then establish a friendship with that person by our weekly visits with only them. We are interested in them and their life. 

If you or someone you know would like to share one-hour of your life each week to establish a relationship with a person in a long-term care facility who has no one visiting with them, please contact me.   

A Valuable Lesson

Yesterday I had to let my neighbor’s dog outside while they were gone for the day. The only problem, unbeknownst to them, was that due to a  fall,  I injured my leg and was using a cane. Climbing the many stairs to let the dog out was painful and precarious for me. At least, I thought, I could take my garage door opener with me so at I would not have to climb my front porch stairs when I returned to my home.

After navigating all the stairs at my neighbor's house and safely arriving home, wouldn’t you know I had left my garage door opener upstairs at my neighbor’s house.  Sigh.  That meant a painful return trip up all those stairs.

 Then I saw another neighbor across the street about to get into her car. I yelled for her to come over and asked her to go up the stairs for me to retrieve my garage opener. She did not really listen to what I was saying. She was focused and frazzled because, as she explained to me, she was late for a hair dresser appointment.   So I just waved her on. Now this is a very nice woman and I know she would have helped me if  she were not so caught up in the fact she was late for her appointment. She did not even hear what I was asking. This made me wonder about myself.  I am a very schedule-driven person with long to-do lists for each day. How many times a day do I miss an opportunity to help someone?  At the end of the day what is more important? My to-do list or stopping to listen and help others? 

Can you pull yourself away from your To-Do Lists and busy schedules to take one-hour a week to visit with a person in a long-term care facility who has no friends or relatives and really needs you to listen to them?  If you would like more information about becoming a Betty Brewer's Angel volunteer, please contact me.