Volunteering is something I've always wanted to do. But I always make excuses for why I can't do it. The Road Trip actually was born out of realizing that I need to make a time in my life to focus on serving. However, I continue to make excuses for volunteering now. So when I had time of in July, I decided it was time to stop making excuse...and actually commit to it!
So Alyssa and I signed up to stuff JoyJars at the JoyFactory of the Jessie Rees Foundation. If you are not familiar with this organization, you should check them out. Their focus is creating joy for children who are battling cancer. (This is a soft spot for me as I have followed many blogs of kids fighting this cruel disease.) Jessie created the concept during her 11-month struggle with brain cancer. She filled jars with fun toys--and made sure they had no air in them to get the maximum amount of joy.
The day we were to go to the JoyFactory, I became extremely nervous. New situations do that to me... I even considered not going. But that seemed silly. It wasn't about me anyway!
We got a little lost on the way there, so we cut the timing way closer than I would have liked. Yet as soon as we found our way to the entrance, we felt so welcomed. They made us feel like such an important part of the process! We watched a short video about the life of Jessie and learned the 'rules' for creating a JoyJar. Then we got to put into practice what we had learned. It's a lot harder than it sounds! No air. Don't show the boring side. Make it filled with love.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye as we filled jars for kids with various ages. I wish we had gotten a picture to share! It is some of the most fun I have ever had. We left feeling like we were on cloud 9...and are already figuring out the next time we can go. :)
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