Friday, August 11, 2017

Five Minute Friday: PLACE





Today I'm linking up with Five Minute Friday, writing for five minutes on a given prompt. Today, the word is PLACE.

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I took this one-minute video earlier this afternoon at a very special place: Extend-a-Family summer camp.

Extend-a-Family is a wonderful organization in our city that offers weekend, school-break, and summer day programs for special needs people from age 4 to adult. Jonathan's been involved with EAF for several years now, and has been attending camp all summer.

Today was Talent Show day, and some of the kids got up to dance along to "Who Let the Dogs Out" by Baha Men. In the video, Jonathan is the one wearing the red shirt and tossing the yellow ball. His best friend, Nick, is sitting on the floor on the white bean-bag. When Jonathan saw me videotaping him, he started saying "Cheese!" -- making all his counselors laugh.

I said Extend-a-Family was a "very special place," but it's really not a place: it's people. If they had to move to a different physical location, the caring family atmosphere and the staff's enthusiasm and commitment to the campers would stay the same. 

EAF is all about fun and friendship. For Jonathan, it's a home away from home. We are so glad to be connected to this program!

8 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great "place" to me! FMF #65

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting and commenting, Karen.

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  2. Awesome! I worked and volunteered for Special Olympics. I love being with these wonderful people. Looks like they are having a blast, I'm in the 62 spot this week.

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    1. Thanks Tara! Some of the EAF campers are also involved with Special Olympics here.

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  3. A friend of mine, a retired pastor, used to say that God's intention for Israel was to have a People in a Place for a Purpose. It looks like EAF in a small way is like that to. I'm glad Jonathan gets to be part of it.

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    1. That is a wonderful way of looking at it, Tim -- so fitting.

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  4. Loved seeing the video and reading about this special place and its people. :) What a blessing for your son. (And for you.)

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    1. It really is, Betsy. Jonathan is so happy when he goes to camp!

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