August 2002 - Hilary Price

Another gargantuan month - full energy and focus gearing up for the Dinner Dance launch on 30 August.

The whole event was to raise funds and the profile of Homes of Hope in the community at large.

It involved a massive mail out to the business, professional and private community. We had several nights working into the early hours of the morning packing, labeling and bundling to get it all out.

The event was a terrific success in the end involving more than 70 volunteers including students from Bethlehem College who helped make the table décor and donations from Bay of Plenty Polytech of the structural decor.

At the event we had over 200 seated for a three-course dinner and Tom Sharplin rocked us through the night. We raised over $800 per month in AP donations!!! The whole town is now talking about Homes of Hope - some way towards mission accomplished!!!

The first children to live in our home of hope are steadily settling down, the eldest of whom has successfully transitioned to school and both are doing well.

Last week one of them said at the dinner table - "We don't ever have to leave here, do we?" and the House Mum said "No - only when you're able to go home again." Small revelations like this and when on the way to Brigades when one asks - "Do we have to stay there for the night?" - show us they are still getting used to this sense of permanency, an incredible concept that most of us take for granted.

As well as the two children I mentioned in our home last month, my time is now taken-up caring for an additional two 'foster' teenagers who have just joined us.

Without this job I could never have offered the support and flexibility to these wonderful young people.

Till next time ....

Hilary

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