JUNE 29, 2014
A while back, Isaac, Levi, and I visited the Gentle Barn. We all fell in love with the landscape, the staff and of course, the animals. As we walked back to the car, they made their wish of what animals they were going to sponser first. They were very creative in how they were going to raise money to acquire these animals. We sent a small check off to the barn, but it wasn’t nearly enough for them to get that cow or that pig.
What is so unique about this organization is the way that they love and care for their animals. In addtion, they trust their guests(mostly kids like mine) to get up close and personal to the animals. For both Isaac and Levi, this was the highlight.
The softer side of Levi came through and it was here that I witnessed his empathy and his compassion for other living beings. It was a great feeling.
This is Ellie, the founder. She’s on a mission and her mission is working. When she speaks you can hear and feel her passion. Both boys listened to every word she spoke and it might of been in these brief moments that my kids felt that they wanted to do more.
This past spring, Isaac and his classmates worked hard in their Business Planning class to create entrepreneurial projects. In doing so, they learned about gains and losses, success and failures, and working together as a team. Through their business efforts, they rasied over a thousand dollars. They sat down as a group to figure out who and what to donate the money to. Isaac shared his experience at the Gentle Barn and they were all so curious that they pulled up the website. By the end of class that day, they had all decided to donate the money to The Gentle Barn and in doing so, they adopted King, one of the Llamas on the premises.
As Isaac was studying for his Bar Mitzvah, his rabbi asked him what he thought might be his mitzvah project. A mitzvah project is a way for the student to give back to their community. Isaac gave very little thought to what his Mitzvah project was going to be, he knew well before this question was asked where he wanted to dedicate his time.
Isaac does have a numerical goal in mind. But it really isn’t about that “number”, it’s more about the process. It was his idea to have a series of bake sales and his first one will be this week. We will be making specific baked items, but if you have a favorite and don’t see it below, let me know – I am happy to take special requests. The details are as follows:
When: Thursday, July 3rd
Time: 12:00pm – 3:00pm.
Where: Our House
We strategically planned this so all of you will have goodies to take to your 4th of July celebrations and parties. If you do want something special, please contact me by, Tuesday, July 1st. I will try and fullfill all of your requests. And, if you are not in town and want to donate we will certainly take your money! We look forward to seeing all of you on Thursday and cheers to a safe and fun holiday weekend!