Joplin Tornado Disaster Relief

In late May of this year, a tornado struck Joplin, MO.  It was the deadliest tornado to hit the US since 1947 and the rebuild is likely to cost $3 billion.  The devastation in Joplin was rampant and was a travesty for not only the state of MO, but for our country as a whole.

After these events took place, C&W began a donation drive requesting in-kind donations from our properties to be delivered to Joplin in an effort to help in any way we can.  Over the course of 2 months, we accumulated many boxes from C&W properties all over the country and had them shipped out to Branson, MO where we have 3 properties. 

On August 24th, I loaded these boxes and drove them out to Joplin so that I could see first hand what we were donating toward.  When I first got off of the interstate in Joplin, I looked around and did not see any devastation.  I began to wonder secretly if it was possible that the town had already rebuilt.  I thought after seeing the pictures after the tornado, that it would have been impossible, but I couldn't fine any damage on the building around me.  As I drove closer to the city center, I noticed a few signs that had been twisted and damaged and thought maybe I was getting closer to where the tornado hit.  But nothing, even those thoughts prepared me for the damage that I happened upon just a few short blocks later.  The landscape literally went from brick buildings with no damage to complete and utter destruction.  I crossed one street where things were still standing to a mile long strip of pure debris.  The destruction looked about a mile long and 2-3 miles deep from where I was driving.  I knew then that my description of the devastation would not be enough to explain how bad it was so I pulled over to a side street and tried to take pictures.  The pictures sill will not show how awful the scene was, but it will at least provide some type of visual that my memories and words cannot.

I continued driving to get our boxes to a donation center.  When I arrived at the Salvation Army in downtown, it was very busy.  There were workers unloading entire moving vans of donations and relief items.  Individuals were pulling up in their SUVs also dropping off items to help.  In all, there were probably a dozen workers just unloading trucks and sorting the items as needed.  It was wonderful to see that people are still actively responding to this effort.  But after seeing what exactly they were working to replace and rebuild, I realized that more items and more volunteers are still needed greatly. 

I want to take a moment and truly thank all of those individuals and C&W properties that donated items.  I hope you know how beneficial those items will be to families that are still without homes and in need of shelter and basic essentials.  Please know that C&W cannot continue these efforts without your support and we want to thank you for continually sacrificing of yourselves to help those in need. 

In order to help you understand a little better what your items and donations will be used for, I have posted some pictures below.  Thank you again to everyone for all of your selfless actions and donations.  You are all truly appreciated.

The following pictures are what used to be a residential areas with hundreds of homes.  Now, there is only the base of a house left, and in many cases, just rubble.

 

Inside what is left of the foundation of this home is all of the household items that were blown around pushed all into one room.  It is now just a jumbled mess of unusable items that used to be someone's home.

The power lines all had to be replaced as they were ripped apart and shredded into splinters by the tornado.

As you can see here, there is still a great deal of debris and ruble from the homes and buildings that they have been unable to clean up.

This is one of the few homes that is in the process of being rebuilt.  There were a few here and there, but out of the hundreds of homes that were lost, this is a rare sight.

These were the concrete steps to someone's house that no longer exists.

This house was just one block from all of the destruction in the previous pictures.  It is still standing, with significant damage; but it shows how unpredictable a tornado can be.  I took every house to the right of this block without mercy.

In the distance there you can see a crew of men working construction on a home.  This was being overseen by the National Guard.  But again, the rebuilding that this town is in need of cannot be completed over night.  This will take quite a while.

This is a close up of the debris on the ground.  Nowhere in the destruction zone is there a spot of ground that isn't completely covered in this type of debris.  The dirt is littered with pieces of homes and buildings.  It is truly a tragic sight.

I hope that these images have helped you understand how devastating this event was for the town of Joplin, MO.  It is truly unfortunate that events like this take place, but despite not knowing any of those that lost homes in Joplin, I know that they will appreciate all of the items that were given to them by those that donated at C&W.  Every little bit counts and sometimes that's all that we can do.

August Miriam's Kitchen

This morning, Thursday August 11th, 3 C&W team members visited Miriam's for our 2nd Thursday volunteer date.  The participants this month were Miguel Gonzalez, Ana Lopez, and Christin Morgan.

Just like every other time the C&W family has visited Miriam's we had tons of fun!  We were able to make eggs, pancakes, biscuits...the works!  And then we got to serve the line again. 

Below is a testimonial from Miguel of his time spent at Miriam's:

“Since this is my third visit to Miriam’s Kitchen, I already know what to expect during and what needs to be done. Regardless, from the night before ( the need to set up the alarm clock for a 4:30 AM call) to the moment we leave Miriam’s parking lot after we complete our tasks is pure joy. Seeing volunteers form different walks of life that never meet each other and never worked in an industrial kitchen before and being able to prepare a full breakfast for 200 people in just under one hour is admirable. Then you serve the meals and at this moment is when you really appreciate how blessed you are and how much need for help some people have. I feel that every time I visit Miriam’s Kitchen I recharge my energy and reset my priorities. A very humble experience every time!”

Wonderfully written!

And here are a few pictures from our morning in the kitchen...

Until next time...  :)

Healthy Cereal

To continue our partnership with Miriam's Kitchen, we recieved a request to donate healthy cereal as it is used daily as a part of the breakfast offered to guests.  Typically at Miriam's once the main dish (pancakes, crepes, etc) are gone, the guests are offered a healthy cereal option instead.  They go through over 100 boxes per week and at the time, they were down to less than a week's worth.

The C&W office rallied and collected many boxes of cereal that we dropped off at Miriam's.  As I was dropping the cereal, it was a spectacular site because I had the opportunity to see how much cereal was donated by other volunteers.  They had by this time, aquired 2 walls worth of cereal.  It was an amazing site to see.  They say a picture (or a mental image in this case) is worth a thousand words, and it truly was because I could then envision all of the other individual volunteers and companies like C&W that cared enough about the guests at Miriam's and cause they support to collect cereal to donate.  It was heart warming in every way possible.

After I dropped off the cereal, a couple of weeks later, I received this very kind hand written note in the mail as a thank you for our collective effort.  I shared this letter with our office, and now I would like to share it with everyone else as well.

"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.  By feeding and providing hospitality for the guests of Miriam's Kichen, we are not only making a world of difference to those guests, we are also helping to improve the quality of life for those in our society who need it the most, thereby helping to strenghten our society as a whole." -Miriam's Kitchen Volunteer

"Everyone at Coakley and Williams,
We are extremely grateful for all the boxes of cereal you collected and donated to us at Miriam's Kitchen.  We are so happy to count you all on our team of volunteers and are so thankful for your kindness and generosity.  Volunteers like you all, who go the extra mile, are a temendous force for good and an inspiration to everyone.  Thank you for everything you do to make the lives of our guests better.
With gratitude,
The Miriam's Kitchen Team"

I think collectively, we would all like to say a huge THANK YOU to the Miriam's Kitchen Team.  It is more than our pleasure to volunteer and collect donations for those in need. 
Also, thank you to everyone that brought in these donation items for Miriam's.  We obviously could not give of ourselves to the community without those of you that actively partcipate.

July Miriam's Kitchen

First, I want to apologize to everyone for my absense recently.  But here I am to get us caught up on C&W Philanthropy!

In late June, Coakley and Williams strengthened our partnership with Miriam's Kitchen by guaranteeing one volunteer shift per month.  We signed up for 3-4 volunteers for 1 breakfast shift on the 2nd Thursday of every month.  So far this has been going wonderfully!

July was our first monthly volunteer date and we immediately had a group of employees sign up from the Hilton Springfield.  We sent David Melugin, Kirstenn Reed, Joe Pancione, and Trey Talbot.  Based on the information I got out of the group they had a great time serving the Miriam's guests.

Please see David's beautiful description of his time spent at Miriam's:

"As always, I come away from Miriam’s with a renewed hope for mankind and myself. We are all here for each other and everyone you meet has been placed in your path for a reason. During my most recent visit, I was the cereal milk, salad & smoothie guy and a member of the busser crew. That was my contribution to the morning but the return on my efforts was tenfold. I was blessed by meeting a gentleman [unfortunately we are unable to list names of Miriam's guests]. We had a wonderful conversation about his life and how his love of knowledge keeps him motivated to see the sun rise. He spends many days reading and is fascinated by the Library of Congress. Although our encounter was brief in the scheme of things, [his] firm handshake and warm stare told me that our goodbye was only temporary. I look forward to seeing [him] again to continue my lesson from him in what makes a man, a man. Thank you [Miriam's guest], I am a better person for knowing you. I thank God that he put you in my path.

David"

Inspirational!  Thank you for such an amazing testimony David.  We all hope to have such an eye-opening experience.

Miriam's 2.0

On Wednesday morning, June 1st, we kicked off our month by volunteering once again at Miriam's Kitchen in DC.  This time around we took a small group of 5 people, 2 from our corporate office and 3 from our Days Inn Connecticut Ave property.  Just below is a picture of the team on the line serving food.

From left to right we have: Christin, Leon, Mark, Miguel, and Fatiha.

This was the 2nd Miriam's experience for Christin, Miguel, and Fatiha; but it was the first for Leon and Mark.  Regardless of first or second time, the experience was wonderful!

We arrived for breakfast at 6am, and just as expected, they put us straight to work.  Some of us were on the grill whipping up scrambled eggs, others were cutting cantaloupes for the fruit salad, and still some of us were out in the dining hall welcoming the guests in with a smile.

Once the food was prepared, Tom the chef, asked that our 5 volunteers work the serving line.  We were very happy to do so.  Working the line is such a humbling experience as you meet each guest that comes by.  You have a moment to say good morning and serve them food and occasionally you have the opportunity to learn something about that guest.  It's such a great experience to be able to help others, but also get to know those that you help.

At the line, we had Christin serving Ricotta Crepes with a choice of syrup or strawberry-rhubarb topping.  Leon served a choice of home fries or grits.  Mark served a choice of regular or bacon and cheddar scrambled eggs.  Miguel served bagels.  And Fatiha rounded out the group by serving fruit salad.

After the line had cleared and we had run out of most food, we began to clean up.  We did everything from wash dishes to wipe down tables in the dining room in order to prepare for Miriam's Studio where the guests have the opportunity to paint and make beaded jewelry, etc.

At 8:30am, it was over.  2 1/2 hour flew by!  And then we were tired....headed into work.  But it was absolutely 100% worth it!  I hope that we have the opportunity to go again and have some new volunteers experience it for themselves.

Kid's Wish Network ...where dreams really do come true!

It is with great pleasure that I am able to blog, not just about the C&W Corporate Office gettting involved in the philanthropy efforts this year, but also about some of our properties!  Today, I received information that 2 of our Florida properties have joined forces with the Kid's Wish Network to help fufill the wishes of 2 very special children.

These properties are Quality Suites - The Royale Parc Suites with GM Charlie Frost and Palms Hotel & Villas with GM Wade Michael.  Both of these properties are located in Kissimmee, FL and are closely located to Disney World. 

Please read the letter below sent to Charlie about the children they will be helping, followed directly by the profiles of these amazing children.

"Dear Charlie,

Thanks for taking the time to speak to me today.  Please accept this letter as our request for your help in granting the wish of an extraordinary little boy.  Joseph’s only wish is to go Orlando to visit the many theme parks!  We are hoping that you will want to participate in this special wish by donating accommodations for Joseph and his family.  [...]  I’ve also attached Teyona’s bio in case you can do one more. 

I’ve attached an information sheet on Kids Wish Network below and if you visit our website at www.kidswishnetwork.org you can find out a lot more about what we do.

[...]

Joseph is an awesome little boy who began getting very sick last March, 2010 with fevers and headaches.  After being hospitalized and given a CT scan Joseph was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia called Philadelphia Chromosome ALL.  This has to do with a chromosomal abnormality and is more difficult to treat and get under control than other leukemia’s.  Joseph recently endured a bone marrow transplant and is now having chemotherapy.  Joseph is also being closely monitored by his doctors and will continue to receive chemotherapy for quite some time. 

Despite all he has to go through, Joseph remains true to his spirit. Joseph is a brave little boy who loves Toy Story 3’s Buzz Lightyear.  Joseph likes the Dallas Cowboys football team and collects Lego’s.  His favorite color is blue and he likes to munch out on pizza and fruit. 

Kids Wish Network is a 501 C 3 non-profit organization dedicated to granting the wishes of children between the ages of 3 and 18 who are living with life threatening illnesses.  It is our mission to fulfill the last wishes of children who will never have the opportunities that most of us take for granted.  We rely on the compassion of people such as you to make their dreams come true.  The more in-kind donations we receive, the more wishes we can grant.  You hold in your hands the opportunity to make a big difference in this child’s life.

[...]

We may not be able to change Joseph’s uncertain future, but together we can make his dream come true today.  Thank you for considering our Mission worthy of your support and Joseph’s wish deserving of your participation.

For the Children,

Jill"

And here are their profiles:

I Want to Go to Disney World with my Family!

Name: Teyona
Age: 13
State: WI

Teyona is a sweet 13-year-old who loves to play music on her keyboard and read books. She enjoys cheerleading, playing with her dolls and watching “Spongebob Squarepants” on TV. Although she’s a little bit shy, Teyona is quite the performer when it comes to playing music on her keyboard.
At the age of two, Teyona was diagnosed with having the seizure disorder epilepsy. Teyona suffers from at least 10 seizures every single day and they seem to be getting worse, not better, even with medications. In fact, a terrible side effect of one of her seizure medications was that she became diabetic and must now take insulin. The seizures are affecting Teyona’s memory and cognitive abilities and her doctors have performed many tests on her. She recently went in for the first part of a two-part surgery to implant electrodes in her brain to monitor her seizures and map out her brain. Hopefully, the surgery will help her doctors understand what is causing her seizures and how to treat it more successfully.
For her wish, Teyona just wants to enjoy some time with her family at the most magical place on Earth: Disney World. Get ready to enjoy the magic, Teyona, because your wish is about to come true!

I want to meet the characters of “Toy Story!”

Name: Joseph
Age: 6
State: TX

Joseph, or Jo Jo as he is affectionately called, is a happy, brave 6-year-old little boy who absolutely loves the “Toy Story” movies. His favorite move is “Toy Story 3” and he likes to play with this Buzz Lightyear toys. Joseph collects little toy cars and Thomas the Train toys. His favorite color is blue.
In March of 2010, Joseph and his family moved from Alabama to Texas. Joseph started a new school and began to get sick all the time. He would get fevers and headaches and also began vomiting. After a trip to the doctor, a CAT scan and blood work, Joseph was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the blood. Joseph’s cancer is a rare type called Philadelphia chromosome positive leukemia, which is a high risk chromosome defect that only three percent of child patients develop. His type of cancer holds only a 20 percent survival rate and Joseph must endure many chemotherapy treatments and is currently undergoing a medical study. He has just undergone a bone marrow transplant. Both Joseph’s grandmother and uncle died of leukemia, and Joseph must be closely monitored to ensure his cancer doesn’t spread.
Because of Joseph’s love of “Toy Story,” he decided he wanted to visit the theme parks in Florida and meet the characters of his favorite movie. Get out your autograph book, Joseph, because you are getting your wish!

 

 

What an amazing thing for anyone to do.  I'm so proud that I can say that member of our team have been able to help in this way.  These trips will be wonderful memories for these 2 children that truly deserve it.  Joseph and Teyona are sincerely inspiring...and so is the gift that Royale Parc Suites and Palms Hotel and Villas is providing for them.

I hope that their family vacations are literal dreams come true!

One Day Without Shoes

Yesterday, Tuesday April 5th, our C&W Office participated in the global event One Day Without Shoes created by TOMS Shoes.  For those that do not know about TOMS, they are/were a shoe company; but according to their new press releases they are now referring to themselves as a "One for One" company.  The idea will stay the same, but I assume they will begin offering new products.  Regardless, One Day Without Shoes was a day created to share the idea that created their company and now shapes the lives of many young children around the world.  That idea is "One for One".  At TOMS, if you purchase a pair of shoes (or any piece of merchandise) a brand new pair of shoes is given to a child in need.  As a matter of fact, that is their tag line.  "With every pair you purchase TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need.  One for One."  What a creative and inventive way to help those in need.

This all brings us to our purpose on April 5th.  The entire purpose of One Day Without Shoes is what it says...to go one day without shoes.  That means living, walking, working, etc.  Everything you would normally do, you just do without shoes. 
But why?  What does it help to go without shoes for a day?  What is the point?

The point is awareness.  One Day Without Shoes is a day that doesn't ask anything of anyone except to be a part of something greater than ourselves.  No one is required to purchase anything.  No one is required to sacrifice their stretched-too-thin-as-it-is time.  We are only asked to do something a little different.  A little off-kilter?  Sure.  But isn't that the point?  People don't usually go about their everyday activities without shoes.  So when someone walks barefoot through Washington, DC - or even into their office building - people notice.  It raises curiosity, which leads to conversation, which creates awareness, which cultivates change.  But it also allows us the chance to experience a fragment of how these children live everyday.  And that, in a nutshell, is the entire purpose.

So C&W decided to participate.  And we decided to have fun with it!  The office was decorated with footprints all the way from the lobby to the conference room, down the hallway, and even up some filing cabinets.

We also had a "Shoe Daycare" where people that wanted to participate could place their shoes for the day and we would take care of them. 

Our conference room doors were transformed into our One Day Without Shoes Fact Wall.  It displayed facts about children in developing countries that have to live without shoes.

Here are a few of those facts:

• In may developing countries, children must walk without shoes for miles to school, clean water, and medical help.
• Hundreds of millions of children are at risk of injury, infection, and soil-transmitted diseases that most can't afford to prevent and treat.
• Children who are healthy are more likely to be successful students, and access to education is a critical determinant of long-term success.
• Healthy, educated children have a better chance of improving the future of their entire community.

Moving past the office decorations, let's get to the people.  We had about 12 people from the office participate by not wearing shoes throughout their workday.  We had a few others participate in their own ways (they know who they are).  But the really neat thing that happened was when we had pictures coming in from our C&W employees NOT at the office...all without shoes!
Here are some pictures of the C&W Office participants (Kelley, Dawn, Cheryl, Lori, Andrea Crawford, Genevieve, Andrea Nottingham, George, Janine, Hulda, Vicki, and Christin):

And here are our out-of-office employees:
Deirdre Holliday while she was at her HR Conference...

Lynn of the Tiburon Laundry (Royale Parc Suites in Kissimmee, FL)...

And Mark from his home office in FL...

And even on top of that, we had a few C&W family members join in on the fun.  Janine Davy's daughter, Anna had her students participate in their classroom, with their own Shoe Daycare.

WOW!!!
The participation we had in this effort was wonderful, and to be honest, a little overwhelming.  We had no idea going into this that so many people would be willing to step out of their comfort zone to get the conversation started to create awareness for the needs of others.  What an uplifting day!  It truly, truly was.

But a day later, once the pictures have been taken, and the decorations removed, the conversation still has to continue.  If we miss that key factor, we miss it all.  I genuinely felt a spirit of goodwill yesterday and I hope that we can continue that as the days pass and we put our shoes back on.  Now that we know the needs, let's keep spreading the curiosity to others so they can start talking too!