Goose bumps.  I guess I just never realized what an appropriate term that is for us at WRC.  Until last night.

This winter WRC volunteer Jen Thomas, a teacher at Jackson Elementary School in St Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood, organized a special program emphasizing environmental awareness.  As part of the campaign the students decided to raise money for WRC.  Last night, at the culmination of a terrific musical performance, the students presented WRC with a check for $250!  This school is in one of St Paul’s most economically distressed neighborhoods with many of the children coming from low income families.  You wouldn’t have known it last night.  I’ve seldom been more moved and inspired than by the generosity of these young people.  My skin tingled as they presented us with an oversized check.

We’ve all experienced goose bumps.  Technically, they are bumps on your skin that form at the base of body hairs; they’re usually an involuntarily response to cold or strong emotions.  I certainly wasn’t cold, but I was filled with strong emotion – a sense of awe and gratitude.

My job is filled with special moments; leading a talented staff, working with wonderful volunteers and meeting so many people who share in the value of our mission.  While every day is special, some are just plain goose bump days.  The staff, and especially the students, at Jackson Elementary created one of those days while teaching us all about generosity and compassion.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 10:21 am and is filed under Phil's Ponderings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.