Last Friday, Chip had his first teacher workday. So in celebration of this event, we planned a whole day of fun. The first stop was the Women's and Children's Shelter at the Salvation Army in downtown Raleigh.
So with the car packed with donations from the Hayes Barton Baptist Church KidzStuff Consignment sale, away we went. Of course, explaining to a five year old why some people had to live there was hard, but I think I got the main point across. However, I was not prepared for what my friend who works there would tell me.
My daughter Holly's friend's mom (stay with me here) works for the Salvation Army at the shelter. So I called ahead of time so they would be ready for us when we got there. As we unloaded the car, and loaded things into the warehouse, we discussed how many families were in the shelter now, and how plans for Christmas were going. Then she told me something that I had never even thought of. There are actually people who are homeless in other areas of the country, who are packing up what little possessions they have, and are relocating their families to Raleigh.
That's right, it seems that Raleigh is not only the #1 place to live for those relocating with jobs, etc, but for those down on their luck as well. The main reason, if you are going to live on the streets or in shelters, you might as well do it in a place that has the best chance of recovery. Those that are moving here feel that they can get on their feet better and faster in Raleigh, than in say Detroit, Miami, etc.
So I did a little research to see if this was unique to Raleigh. I didn't find much, there doesn't seem to be much written about this subject. But there was an article on KKTV's site out of Colorado. It seems that Colorado Springs has had quite a few homeless people move to their area. (see the article here: http://www.kktv.com/news/headlines/81070832.html). They also said that their influx of homeless is coming from Denver and Mexico.
So what does all this mean, and does it really matter? It just goes to show you that Raleigh is a great place to live, whether you are bless with riches or are just getting by, with or without, the necessities in life.
And on a personal note, the Salvation Army is looking for volunteers for this upcoming holiday season. The Wake County Chapter is estimating that they will help over 8000 children with Christmas this year. So click on over to their site: www.keepthebellringing.org and volunteer. Whether you are in Raleigh or somewhere else in the world. You'll be glad you did!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
How You Can Help Project Angel Tree
If you are in the Raleigh or Cary area of North Carolina today, October 4th or Thursday, October 6th, did you know that something as simple as dining out can make a big difference in a needy child's life?
On these two days, if you dine at one of the wonderful restaurants listed below, AND ( you have to do this or it doesn't count) you mention that you are dining there to help the Realtor's Dine Out Angel Tree Event, they will donate 5% of your total bill to the project.
Here are the participating restaurants:
18 Seaboard *
zPizza *
Casa Carbone *
Gypsy's Shiny Diner *
Tir Na Nog *
Bocci *
Joel Lane's Public House *
The Irregardless Cafe *
Bombay Grille *
Spring Rolls *
Carraba's Italian Grill
So please choose one of these fine establishments and dine out for a great cause!
I thank you, the Realtor's Association thanks you, and the children who will benefit from your efforts will have a Great Christmas!
On these two days, if you dine at one of the wonderful restaurants listed below, AND ( you have to do this or it doesn't count) you mention that you are dining there to help the Realtor's Dine Out Angel Tree Event, they will donate 5% of your total bill to the project.
Here are the participating restaurants:
18 Seaboard *
zPizza *
Casa Carbone *
Gypsy's Shiny Diner *
Tir Na Nog *
Bocci *
Joel Lane's Public House *
The Irregardless Cafe *
Bombay Grille *
Spring Rolls *
Carraba's Italian Grill
So please choose one of these fine establishments and dine out for a great cause!
I thank you, the Realtor's Association thanks you, and the children who will benefit from your efforts will have a Great Christmas!
Monday, October 3, 2011
I'm Baaack!
To say the least, it's been a while!
I know, you have been so busy with your own lives that you probably are thinking, "I didn't even know that she was gone!" Well, I wasn't really gone. Just on a small break. You see, I decided back in the Spring, ( and really quite a while before then) to focus on my family. Mainly, my two children. Everyone says that they grow up so fast, you will blink and they will be gone. And I now know that "they" are right.
Chip recently started kindergarten, and I wanted to make sure that I had a lot of time with both him and Holly this past summer. I put real estate on the back burner, and made them the full focus of my attention. And we had a blast.
We almost lived at the pool, took several day trips to the beach. (With my income dropping to almost nothing, I had to be creative, and several day trips is much less than a week in a hotel or condo). We also took advantage of the Regal Cinemas at North Hills, with their $1.00 movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the free bowling for kids at Sparians Bowling Boutique at North Hills East on Thursdays. So we stayed busy, and didn't break the bank.
But as the title states, I AM BACK! Both of the kids are in school, and I have found that you there is just so much organization that you can do around the house.
So if you are interested in real estate in the Raleigh Area, Midtown or North Hills Area, just contact me. I would love to hear from you!
Don't forget to "LIKE" my page: Facebook.com/midtownrealtor
I know, you have been so busy with your own lives that you probably are thinking, "I didn't even know that she was gone!" Well, I wasn't really gone. Just on a small break. You see, I decided back in the Spring, ( and really quite a while before then) to focus on my family. Mainly, my two children. Everyone says that they grow up so fast, you will blink and they will be gone. And I now know that "they" are right.
Chip recently started kindergarten, and I wanted to make sure that I had a lot of time with both him and Holly this past summer. I put real estate on the back burner, and made them the full focus of my attention. And we had a blast.
We almost lived at the pool, took several day trips to the beach. (With my income dropping to almost nothing, I had to be creative, and several day trips is much less than a week in a hotel or condo). We also took advantage of the Regal Cinemas at North Hills, with their $1.00 movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the free bowling for kids at Sparians Bowling Boutique at North Hills East on Thursdays. So we stayed busy, and didn't break the bank.
But as the title states, I AM BACK! Both of the kids are in school, and I have found that you there is just so much organization that you can do around the house.
So if you are interested in real estate in the Raleigh Area, Midtown or North Hills Area, just contact me. I would love to hear from you!
Don't forget to "LIKE" my page: Facebook.com/midtownrealtor
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