Mobility Worldwide

I have some new blog ideas in the works; however, this past weekend my family had a community service experience that is worth sharing. Alas, my other blog ideas will have to wait a week.

About a week ago, my wife caught wind of a family service opportunity through our church for an organization called Mobility Worldwide. Out of 25 locations across the country, the lone location in Ohio happens to be in Stow, Oh. This organization builds hand-driven carts for men and women who are immobile or don’t have legs. A team of volunteers, many of them retired, get together each week to put together these carts, which are then distributed worldwide to those in need.

The genius of the operations lies in the setup. Although it took a while to set up, a group of men got together six years ago and began setting up a workshop with preconfigured jigs set up at each station; these jigs allow for producing a consistent product. Because they are set up this way, it allows volunteers with almost no prior experience to come in and learn how to put together these carts. Mobility Worldwide in Stow has been lucky enough to attract retired skilled tradesmen such as welders, carpenters, and even a few engineers to construct ingenious methods for construction.

Six years and almost 1,400 carts later the small army of volunteers hosted a family night for our church to come and learn about the operation and to give children a chance to play a role in building the carts and learning what it means to serve others without expecting anything tangible in return. My wife and I, along with our daughter Josie and her two grandfathers were able to experience this incredible mission. Josie learned how to use a drill, as well as learning a lesson in empathy. The inspiring work that takes place in this donated warehouse space in smalltown Ohio demonstrates just how much good can come out of self-sacrifice, love, and empathy for others. We all left wondering what we could do to help and motivated to find other opportunities to serve.

Comments

Mastering Your Fear

Over winter break, I read an article by Brandon Webb titled, “How to Master Your Fear Like a Navy Seal.” He began by discussing a situation in combat in which soldiers were literally facing down an enemy in a stressful situation. Of course, while I found it interesting, I figured it only applied to life-threatening or truly terrifying situations. However, as I continued reading, I began to see many applications in my life. Fear can come in many forms: it can come when faced with a life or death situation or it can come in the form of crippling anxiety, stress, depression, and worry. I find myself ruled by the fear of the latter set of circumstances. The article discusses how to control the inner monologue of our minds to not be ruled by fear but to use it in a positive way. Webb writes, “Whatever it is, you’ll deal with it in its time and place. Meanwhile, don’t let it swim around inside your head!” He also noted that our body language can give away our fear if we let it. In other...

Finding Positivity in the World Around Us

In my quest to find positivity and kindness in the world, I have had to be more intentional about paying attention to the inspiring stories in the news. The stories are there, but you have to look carefully. In the past two weeks, I have come across two stories in the news which have helped boost my spirits about the power of positive and generous people. They were both about people that don’t have to choose the attitude that they have. Michael Phelps and Stephen Curry could just as easily escape back into their money, notoriety, and blissful life. They could pridefully view past successes and find discontent in aging. But, they don’t. Both have a different but compelling and admirable story. Michael Phelps spent the better part of two decades dominating the swimming world, winning 23 gold medals and setting countless world records. Karen Crouse of the New York Times caught up with Phelps recently to discuss the loss of a couple of world records he had lost. Instead of feeling ...

It Takes a Community

I gave my class the following prompt this week: Is it better to say the right thing or do the right thing? Or, in other words, do actions speak louder than words? Many times during our class discussions students have brought up that it is so hard to be kind and do the right thing sometimes. However, they do not give themselves enough credit. The field trip last Friday illustrated this beautifully. Last Friday, all of the seniors took a trip to Lorain County Community College for some climbing, high ropes, and team building. There were nerves, fear of heights (including yours truly), and excitement to get out of the classroom. Some students were literally shaking at the thought of climbing to high heights in front of their peers. Some resisted participation at first. Even I was not eager to give it a go. However, something magical began to happen as the students were taking on the various challenges. They began to cheer for, encourage, and motivate each other to higher heights. You coul...

Learning to Grow Every Day

Search This Blog