A helping hand

[SeaCat]

A couple of months ago I heard about a patient in the Cancer Center who got screwed over by a local contractor. The contractor was called in to do some minor repairs in the patients house and charged them several hundred dollars for the work. That got me to thinking.

I started asking around and was informed by a couple of patients about those little jobs around their houses they just couldn't do because of their illness and it's treatments. I aranged to go to their places and do those jobs. Before long I was doing everything from clearing a clogged drain to putting a slider back on it's track to fixing washers and dryers. I never charged for this.

Word started getting around. My list of jobs slowly grew until each week I had more than 20 jobs to do. Thankfully friends of mine heard about my doing this and volunteered. They started helping out even as the jobs lists grew longer. We called ourselves helping hands.

Then other people started noticing what we were doing. Things started happening behind the scenes. Yesterday I was informed by the hospital where I work that they and the Cancer Center would now be picking up the tab for the parts we used. Several businesses in the area volunteered to donate parts and tools. The county even stepped in by giving us I.D.'s and promising to do background checks on any new volunteers. We even had a couple of new volunteers.

Today the crew and I met at my place at 0630. I now had ten other guys and gals working with me. I had spent last evening breaking down the jobs into assignments. Each one of us had ten jobs to do today as we rolled out at 0700.

My jobs today included clearing a clogged drain, hanging some vertical blinds, fixing a jammed garbage disposal, replacing a Circuit Breaker, fixing a window screen, replacing the wax gasket under a toilet and several others. Total outlay for me and the others today was our time.

Cat

Oh I suppose I should mention that my boss is a bit miffed at me because I didn't ask for her permission to do this. Oh well.

 

[ravenmx]

I think this is awesome. I wish I had something like this while I was going through chemo, what you do for those people is appreciated ten fold as I am sure you know.

 

[DesertPirate]

You sir are just a disgustingly good guy

You boss is at best a twit

 

[glynndah]

And your Karma account just keeps growing, Cat!

 

[TheeGoatPig]

You sir are just a disgustingly good guy

You boss is at best a twit

No, the boss has to worry about lawsuits. I don't blame them at all for wanting Cat to ask permission first.

Good for you for doing it though Cat. And as DP said above, you are a disgustingly good person

 

[R. Richard]

Keep up the good work!

 

[john-the-author]

A couple of months ago I heard about a patient in the Cancer Center who got screwed over by a local contractor. The contractor was called in to do some minor repairs in the patients house and charged them several hundred dollars for the work. That got me to thinking.

I started asking around and was informed by a couple of patients about those little jobs around their houses they just couldn't do because of their illness and it's treatments. I aranged to go to their places and do those jobs. Before long I was doing everything from clearing a clogged drain to putting a slider back on it's track to fixing washers and dryers. I never charged for this.

Word started getting around. My list of jobs slowly grew until each week I had more than 20 jobs to do. Thankfully friends of mine heard about my doing this and volunteered. They started helping out even as the jobs lists grew longer. We called ourselves helping hands.

Then other people started noticing what we were doing. Things started happening behind the scenes. Yesterday I was informed by the hospital where I work that they and the Cancer Center would now be picking up the tab for the parts we used. Several businesses in the area volunteered to donate parts and tools. The county even stepped in by giving us I.D.'s and promising to do background checks on any new volunteers. We even had a couple of new volunteers.

Today the crew and I met at my place at 0630. I now had ten other guys and gals working with me. I had spent last evening breaking down the jobs into assignments. Each one of us had ten jobs to do today as we rolled out at 0700.

My jobs today included clearing a clogged drain, hanging some vertical blinds, fixing a jammed garbage disposal, replacing a Circuit Breaker, fixing a window screen, replacing the wax gasket under a toilet and several others. Total outlay for me and the others today was our time.

Cat

Oh I suppose I should mention that my boss is a bit miffed at me because I didn't ask for her permission to do this. Oh well.

God's work, Cat. I'd love to have you for a neighbor; you seem to make the community better wherever you go.

 

[SeaCat]

No, the boss has to worry about lawsuits. I don't blame them at all for wanting Cat to ask permission first.

Good for you for doing it though Cat. And as DP said above, you are a disgustingly good person

No the boss is miffed because she has nothing to do with this. I am doing this in my free time and it has nothing to do with my unit in the hospital. I do not advertise my unit, (Oncology) to these cancer patients nor do I recomend my unit to them.

I do this because I know how these people can't do the little things we normally do. They need the help and their income is usually limited because of their illness.

Cat

 

[DesertPirate]

No the boss is miffed because she has nothing to do with this. I am doing this in my free time and it has nothing to do with my unit in the hospital. I do not advertise my unit, (Oncology) to these cancer patients nor do I recomend my unit to them.

I do this because I know how these people can't do the little things we normally do. They need the help and their income is usually limited because of their illness.

Cat

I need Rumples Bishop smilie to nominate you for extra good guy. I like your style!