Updates from the warehouse and the road.

“In every life, the real question is not what we gain, but what we do for others.” — Thomas Carlyle

Yesterday was a move for the ages.

It wasn’t an easy day. We had a full crew lined up, but one by one, volunteers had to cancel. We lost five people in the hours leading up to go-time. Then Pat Bakey and Mike Dyer stepped up. And, in a wonderful blast from the past, Paul Eckenrode — one of the St. Pat’s faithful from last year — said he would come, and just like that, we had a crew again.

We were helping a mother and her two children, a 13-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl. Mom brought both children down to the loading dock, and they all pitched in. Everyone had a job. Everyone did their part.

And then came one of those moments that reminds us why we do this.

Once the little girl learned how to make her own bed, she couldn’t wait to show us her new room — and, especially, her new toys.

For this family, these weren’t simply boxes being carried into an apartment. It was a fresh start. It was a place where a little girl could make her own bed, put her toys where she wanted them, and begin to feel at home. It was a place where a mother could finally take a breath and know that her children were safe.

And then, as we were finishing up, the emotion became too much for Mom to hold back. She hugged me and began to cry. Then she hugged everyone. She told us she couldn’t believe what we were doing for her family.

I think sometimes we forget what a move like this really means. We see furniture. We see boxes. We see a truck that has to be loaded and unloaded. But the family sees something very different.

They see a home.

As we always do, we ended the day with a prayer of gratitude — for the family we had the privilege of helping, and for the blessing of having the resources, the manpower and the volunteers who make this work possible.

The crew that made it happen was Pat Bakey, Mike Dyer, Paul Eckenrode, Don Butcher, Doug Free, Kevin Keegan, Amy Modlin, and Robin Schroth.

Thanks to everyone who made this move possible. This is what we do. And this is why we do it.

You can join us. What are you waiting for? Sign up to volunteer.