Have almost made it a week back to work after being down two weeks from my illness cyclic vomiting syndrome. It feels so good to be back to work and among the land of the living. Not only has everyone been so nice and understanding, but after laying in bed thinking I was dying for so long, it feels good to just have a routine again. Now that it’s the start of school, it’s great to get a fresh start in a way.
This weekend we have so much going on in our little town of Excelsior Springs. On Friday and Saturday, there will be the annual Barbecue Fly-In on the River. Then on Sunday and Monday, we will be celebrating being in the Path of Totality for the Solar Eclipse by having a festival in our downtown! There are projected to be thousands that will descend upon us to see over 2 minutes worth of the great shadow that will be cast upon us here in the valley of vitality!
Now that the teachers have returned, things are starting to pick up with the foundation. The next event coming up is Homecoming and I’m really wanting to do something different to connect with our alums. We have lost some real legends here in Excelsior this year and I think it would be nice to have some kind of a memorial service. I thought about letting live butterflies free, but it seems to inhumane, plus, I don’t think it’s the right time of year. We could maybe let balloons go, but don’t want to do anything to hurt the environment. Anyway, it’s a work in progress.
It’s hard to believe that next week is the end of the month. I’ve got to get together a proposal to go to a county-wide mental health board to seek funding for a qualified mental health professional to be hired for our school district. Mental health is becoming more and more of a prevalent issue in our society, however, funding for mental health services has dropped off. There aren’t enough resources to meet the needs of the people and when it comes to our children, that is unacceptable. Earlier in the month a children’s mental health tax was passed and the commission is currently being formed. This is a blessing to our county to have this resource. Our children are worth investing in.
Another project that I’ve been working on locally is a state funded program called Project Homeless Connect. A one-day event, Project Homeless Connect will offer direct resources for those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless in our area. The goal is to get housing for all of those who come for help. With housing being limited in our area, that might mean that they get on a list for housing, but a plan will be put in place for all that come without shelter. There will also be services such as obtaining an id, getting a haircut, taking a shower, getting signed up for qualified programs to help with assistance, having a hot meal thanks to our local hospital, putting together a resume, picking out professional clothes to interview in, and getting a family picture. A local church will be providing childcare throughout the day. This event will provide us with the information that we need in order to establish a program to help the homeless and needy here in our area long-term.
