Give It Up

Having both grown up in our smallish town, the Hubs and I had one "museum" that was the destination for most school trips, birthday parties and family days out. Our museum is part zoo, part park, part historical re-enactment.

After entering you walk through a small building and out onto a wooded trail, to your right is the farm, farm animals, out buildings (restored farmhouse, barn, blacksmith shop, general store, etc) to your left are the wild animal exhibits (Florida Panther, Grey Wolf, Otters,) and straight ahead is the snake house.

Behind you is the plantation house, the slave church and the first school for black children in the state of Florida all restored, all awaiting your exploration and imagination.

A place of many childhood memories for the Hubs and I, the museum is extremely close to our hearts. It is the one museum that we have a family membership for and that we visit often with Z.

Where we lack in the funds to be able to make donations, we are able to offer our time and energy.

Every year in October, the museum hosts a huge benefit to raise money. The Hubs and I volunteer to mix drinks, serve food, park cars or sell T-shirts. The event features several local restaurants, open bars and a live band. It gives us the opportunity to see old friends and a night out without the girl.

Most  of all, it gives us the opportunity to serve our community, to help out an organization that is near and dear to our hearts and to do something good so that (hopefully) our grandchildren will be able to benefit from the same experience that we grew up with.

If there is a program or organization that you care for, that you want your children and grandchildren to experience - VOLUNTEER. Make the time for things that are important to you. Many places have varying types of volunteer opportunities - answering phones, pledge drives, serving at fundraisers, mailing postcards too benefactors. It is never too late, it is never too little.

Just give it up - what to you is a few hours could be the difference in keeping places like this around for future generations.