8 Week Difference

I am honored and humbled by my time spent at WHEDCO at Invervale Green.

8 hours of teaching women who are trying to get back on their feet and build their careers while taking care of their families was a very different experience than I had originally thought. 

I was a bit fearful going into my first hour there, unsure if people would be welcoming, if they would shoot me down if I asked them to move into a flow that they didn't know or just didn't want to do. I thought the classes would consist of about 10 participants, their eyes staring at my every move, judging every word that came out of my mouth. 

How wrong I was, about everything.

My first contact when arriving at WHEDCO was Andrea Shaw, the Senior Resident Assistant. She could not have been a friendlier, more kind, welcoming, and willing individual, and she continued on that path throughout our few months of working together.

At first I was a bit disappointed when I learned that tenants at WHEDCO don't often attend the programs that they sign up for. However, though I only had a few consistent participants over the 8 hour volunteer period, those individuals impressed me so much. They pushed themselves to move in ways they never had before, they smiled often, and they fully welcomed me into their home. 

Throughout my time there, I realized how important focusing part of each class on breathing, de-stressing, and believing in themselves through inspirational words was going to be for them. I wanted them to enjoy each class and leave feeling beautiful and able to achieve everything they desire.

During the final class, I learned that my most frequent participant and I had so much in common and had just gone down two different paths. 

When you find someone who you realize you could completely have related to at one time, you start thinking about each step you've taken since. Not only are we the same age, which I had learned a few weeks prior, we also attended the same college, during the same time period! We had both graduated and gotten jobs right after school. However, soon afterward, she became pregnant and got married, and then she became pregnant again, and again, and soon will again. Now she is married with 3 or 4 kids, one with a disability, and no job since she needs to be home to take care of her kids and has little work experience. 

I had also gotten married and had a child, though a few years later than she had. I started thinking how different my life would be if I had changed just a few steps in my path. This tenant is so in love with her husband and seems to love and appreciate her life. And though I hope she does get back into the work she wants to do, her spirit itself is so inspirational.

My business, the A+ Plan, is to help women feel and look their best through healthy eating, exercise and stylish dress. Volunteering at WHEDCO has added to my ability to be patient, empathetic, understanding, and excited to help people overcome the challenges that face them each day.

We're really all so much more similar than we often realize.