A Message of Appreciation
Gina 6 months, 6 days ago.
Shane Courville and Juan “Johnny Blonde” Rubio are moving away. Their departure makes me want to watch a photo montage of them set to “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” and lightly sob. It’s easy to list off the things that they’ve done for us here, including but not limited to, taking care of children, cooking dinners, house managing, giving us gifts of dishes and coffee, and painting a mural in our kitchen. See how easy that was? The difficulty is describing the effects those rather modest contributions have had.
Of course it’s not the contributions at all; it’s the way that they’ve been given and the people who’ve given them. Shane and Juan have never come to Su Casa to feel good about themselves. I never once caught them patting themselves on the back. Often, volunteering is about the volunteer, but these two gents genuinely embody solidarity. They’ve conquered the lure of self-satisfying volunteerism. With Juan and Shane around you can bet the house will reek of friendship and mutual respect. They’ve bonded with workers and guests alike, and we all look forward to their visits.
Su Casa has been shockingly lucky to have such dedicated volunteers. I speak not only of our wayward two but of everyone who gives their time to Su Casa. The part-timers piece of the Su Casa community consists of more than their time, though; of all of their gifts to Su Casa, their energy and attitude top the list. I’m still taken aback when I hear volunteers have come here early to get work done in peace. If nothing else Su Casa is a chaotic, unpredictable place, so either they’re crazy or I am.
Okay, there is a third option: they bring that peace and calm with them. By being who they are and by being so generous with their sincere concern and love for Su Casa they remind us that we aren’t alone in our mission. Even immersed in bedlam as we so often are, we can depend on our extended, Su Casa family to help us find just a little repose.
Thank you, all of you, for that and for everything.