#13 Yes, We're Still Here!!!

I can't tell you how many people have asked when the next blog will post! And keep in mind while you're reading that our dedication to serving challenged and at-risk youth never wavers... EVER. I say that because I'm about to sound very whiny about the ups and downs we've had for the past 3 months! :) And for those of you who understand Light Center lingo, we'll be the first to admit that we've done our share of "corrective thinking" to keep our wits about us!!
So here it is, the complete explanation for why there's been no posts since Xmas~

Right before the holidays we had some unanticipated personnel changes... So Jan returned with a big recruitment agenda on her "to do" list. Well, no big deal... change is a good thing and we've been blessed to pick up some really great "newbees"! Danielle, Karen, & Pat all joined on, volunteer Dee Oliver became an instructor, and we're thrilled to announce the return of Susan Taney to our ranks!! Adding the continuation of Jill, Irene, Brooke, Juan, and Jan to the mix; we've really rounded out the team.

In the mean time, Jan & Irene have been busy with year end reports, the annual audit, the United Way request application, and the development of an entirely new case management system. Not to mention that there's always kids to see and animals to feed and it was 40 below; forever!!! (ok that's a slight exaggeration, but almost true!)

Now wouldn't you just know... in the midst of all that, we were already one computer short, the printer was dieing, Google locked us out of Blogger somehow, we're in the middle of updating our website, and Jan's computer decides to corrupt every single file in the Light Center section!!! Yes, oh woe are we, and feeling pretty far down in the manure!!!!

Well, as good fortune would have it, (as it always does around here) a couple of donations arrived in the nick of time, we found computer equipment in our price range, a great guy (Dave from Harmony Computers- plug! plug!) offered to finish our previously unfinished network setup, a great new pony was donated, and a whole lot of calls started coming in for spring programming. And (here's the really good part,) right in the middle of all that, we discovered that we'd just enrolled our 1000th participant!!!!!!!! Yee Ha!!! Talk about a shot in the arm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So there you have it! We weren't blogging because we've been working our horsey tails off! And the way I look at it, that should make all our supporters really happy! :)

And PS... There's another blog coming out just around the corner so keep your E-eyes open~ The spring newsletter is also coming together nicely and we've got a 3 day workshop out here this week, but we're on our game and you'll hear from us soon. So blog, blog, blog, we're still here!

Like a soap opera, you can sign us: "As The Manure Piles" ...but still smiling!"