dream BIG

Putting this in “we”, not “I”, because I want to think of this in terms of our family, not just me. So much is wedded to being in this house, to certain choices that were made long ago.

If we shake everything down to the roots, what is possible?

If the self-imposed limits are removed, what would we want to do?

Can we be fearless without being foolish? Where would we go? What would we do?

Not such a big dream, a very small and doable one: let’s get together a bunch of techie people, and have them set up and train our clients on computers.

I see this less meeting a need of our clients, and more meeting a need of potential volunteers. Our agency isn’t just about serving old people; I think it’s equally making the opportunities for service for those who want to volunteer.

Another Big Idea:

Host a Senior Prom with a bunch of other agencies that serve the elderly on the Eastside. Have a big band, fancy dress, the works. We could have volunteers who are matched with elderly clients to be “dates”, if they couldn’t find anyone else to go with.

however big or small they may be.

You know how little old ladies are supposed to have blue hair? And you know how punk rockers are supposed to have blue hair?

This is the idea: a Blue Hair Benefit. I get a bunch of alternative bands to play a benefit for our agency, for services for senior independence. Teens can understand how you’d need independence – need someone to help drive you places, need someone who can help you keep the house tidy – right?

I think it’s wild enough that I could get a ton of publicity for it – and it sounds like fun!

Testing this out here…

The rumor is, Catholic Community Services is discontinuing its volunteer chore program. Funding cutbacks are such that they plan to have it phased out in three years. It’s a rumor, I’ve heard it from several people, but the last person I heard it from was a CCS board member, so it’s probably likely.

The CCS program is parallel to what my agency is doing, except we’re doing it just in Issaquah and Sammamish. They’re doing it all over the Eastside.

What if they jettisoned the program, but we took it on? Took over their volunteers and their clients? Since we’re interfaith, and they have Catholic in their names, would we be able to better draw on all faith communities to get both funding and volunteers?

Their three year phase out would work well. That would give us one year to complete our independence from the Providence health care system (in progress now) and get on our feet, and two years to take on their program.

It would mean that we would be, I’d estimate, about three times our current size. Rather than one volunteer coordinator, and one part-time clerical assistant, I’d think we’d need three volunteer coordinators, a full-time clerical assistant, and a FTE client services/assessment person (could be one person, or a couple of retired nurses/gerontologists part-time).

We’d eventually need a more centrally located office (Bellevue?). Our budget would be 3 times larger, too. Our board would have to change to a bunch of Eastside machers, to be able to raise the money necessary.

Is the rumor true?
Would this be possible?
Am I the person to lead this?

I haven’t been letting reality take over. I think that was basically all it really took to finish this goal. Letting your dreams be. Atleast for me, I had a problem with the letting myself go part. I just told myself “Anything’s possible.” And I dreamed BIG. :)

because all these little side salads keep interfering when all I want is the main course, if you know what I mean. But hey, no sweat right? I’m still dreaming. A LOT more than I used to. I dream of being different people, seeing worlds that no one has seen before, and plenty of realistic (and unrealistic) things. I think this goal is like half done for me. But, I’ll have to finish the side salad ;-)

I not only want to hold onto my dreams alive while Im still young but keep the passion and determination I have toward them when I get older

dreams are hard for me to dream…
ppl never take me seriously and i am angry cuz of that.
i’ll make it big.

gotta dream 1st tho.