The Importance of Giving Back

Tonight was amazing; I am so speechless. 

We drove down to a low-lying NW community and stopped at the first house we saw and asked if they needed help. After 2 1/2 hours and a promise to return as soon as possible, we came out of it with a lifelong memory of the incredible, amazing resilience and spirit of the homeowners and our fellow volunteers. We are so much more than just a city - we are community!

Below I've shared pictures of the incredible homeowners and our volunteer group. We were complete strangers, but it was harmony - not one negative thing was said, not one frown to be found. The smiles were plenty and the hugs were too. I will forever be inspired and humbled by Joan and Ray and all of our volunteer team from tonight!  

Please donate to www.redcross.ca - Tom & I have donated as much as we can right now and it feels amazing.

Make sure to monitor the City of Calgary's & Calgary Police's Facebook and Twitter feeds for opportunities. You can fill out a form at www.yychelps.ca or visit www.volunteercalgary.ab.ca to keep up to date. Everyone needs the help that they can get!

Muddy but so worth it!

Muddy Tom

Thumbs up for helping out!

Us and some incredible people

Amazing people!

IMPORTANT Post RE: Calgary and Southern AB Flooding

All posts will be postponed until further notice as we help Calgary clean up!

 

The devastation to our beautiful city has been nothing short of heartbreaking and we are committed, as always, to helping Calgary.

 

You may also donate to www.redcross.ca for those who have been affected by the terrible floods.

Beware of the sad souls who may try to take advantage of your donations - The Canadian Red Cross is, of course, legitimate and is your absolute 'safest' bet.

 

French Onion Soup was fortunate enough to not have been affected.

 

Please visit www.yychelps.ca to register to volunteer or stay tuned to City of Calgary and Calgary Police Service's twitter and Facebook feeds for opportunities!
We volunteered at the Calgary Drop In Centre this past weekend, and they are still in need of many clothing items!! They are headquartered temporarily out of 4804 Edmonton Trail NE.

For some FOS goodness, please feel free to review past posts :)

 

Love,

Katherine, Thomas & The FOS Team

Shine Through!

Challenging times can be... well, challenging... and can drive even the most strong - hearted to give up. But, even in these dark times, make sure that you have one goal; shine through the darkness!

Think of it like the light shining through the dark clouds. Dark clouds carry stormy, tough times but the sun always seems to shine through; this sunlight that carries such hope and bright "alive-ness". Yet, the light seems to have no "substance" to it; we can feel it hot on our faces but we cannot touch it or taste it - it's just... there. Think of that as you; even if you feel like you have no substance or place... or like you're just "there"... you can still shine through!

Just like the sunlight shining through, breaking up the darkness to reach Earth, you can break through the darkness surrounding you and brighten your life!

Namaste.