Wednesday driving

You may remember this post of a few days ago - my snow blind drive to Anchorage. Well, today I took another drive, this time it was on "company time." That is, I was being paid to visit smaller communities near us and to deliver the agency's new posters and brochures.

But, of course I took my camera along. And, was I ever glad that I did. You can find the results of my day here. I think some of you may especially enjoy the photo of the temperature sign in front of the Sterling Senior Center building. Brrrrr. and, btw, thanks to Lessa for setting me up with this nifty little photo display case. You do good work, kiddo!

Why in the world was I out and about at 8:30 a.m. on a pitch black Alaskan winter morning?

Last year I wrote, with the director's help, a small grant to fund a public awareness campaign. We have been running domestic violence awareness ads in the local newspaper twice monthly. Part of the grant money funded those ads (as did generous grants from the Kenai Lions Club, the Twin Cities Soroptimists, and a matching grant from the newspaper itself.)

Some of the funding paid for in-school presentation materials. Our advocates and a volunteer go into the schools to talk with students about bullying, peer pressure, dating violence, etc. New videos and materials were purchased, and brochures developed and printed.

The rest of the grant paid for printing costs for three projects I was in charge of: stickers with our Crisis line number for restroom stalls, a new agency brochure, and the poster you will see at the above website.

It is these last three items that I have been delivering to various locations for the past three weeks. I did the local areas first, delivering to agencies and middle and high schools in the Kenai, Nikiski and Soldotna areas.

Today was the road trip - I didn't even go into work this morning. Rather, I started out at 8:30 and drove to Kasilof, then back the other direction to Sterling, Cooper Landing, Hope, and Moose Pass, and areas in between each of these. 257.1 miles on the odometer when I was finished.

The materials were left at schools, libraries, museums, small businesses, etc. Everywhere I went I received good words about the work our agency does. Everyone seemed glad to have the brochures and, especially to have the phone numbers. I even came back with a trunk load of donations for our Clothes Closet.

I also have some questions to answer when I get to my office tomorrow - a couple of people asked for resources that I could not give off the top of my head, but which I have in my office. So, I will be emailing them tomorrow.

One thing I noted, that I want to ask all of you about. In the course of the past three days I have visited five high school campuses. In each place, the parking lots were full! Is it your experience that every teenager has a vehicle and drives him/herself to school these days? I know I must sound old and fuddy-duddy, but in MY day . . . blah, blah, blah. Yup, that does sound fuddy-duddy and old, doesn't it?

But, seriously, we rode the city bus - others rode the school buses (sis and I went to parochial school - no school bus - thank goodness for city buses), some walked, and some had parents who drove them to school. Some of the kids knew how to drive and had licenses and all, but there was little money for cars and such.

Thanks to having city buses at my service, and utilizing the legs God gave me for everything else, I did not get my license until I was 21. I learned to drive from my hubby (then my boyfriend - awwwwwwww) when I was 16 or so. Just never needed to go and get the license itself.

Anyway, that is all just an aside. It just amazed me to get to the schools and see masses of vehicles in the student parking areas.

Hope you have a wonderful Thursday.

Posted by Purplemoose at January 14, 2004 10:08 PM