Trailer load #4 to Food Bank

Folks kept bringing offerings of canned goods straight through New Year's Eve and even through Sunday January 6, 2008, Epiphany. The next day, Food Bank staff unloaded Sunset Hills Neighborhood's fourth trailer load, 310 pounds, bringing the 2007 Christmas season total to 2,974 pounds. This is just one of many reasons we love Greensboro.

Slide Show from Margo Bender

I have to laugh when I think of Sunday (this is Anne writing) Jonathan has this saying 'what if our best idea turns out 100 times better than we think it will?' He applies this question to many things we are pondering whether to do or not. He wondered this about the workshop 5 years ago when we first ventured out in it. I must say, it has quickly surpassed this 'what if' test of worthiness. The fun and growth year to year has been exponential. It's rewarding whenever we hear friends say, "we're going to do this in our neighborhood."

J-Bird and the Soul Central Band took the whole event to the next, next level. A big round of applause goes to Emmett, Lee, Graham and Liam Morphis, and Emmett's Mom, Linda, for making this event memorable in every way. Neighbors brought tables, camp chairs, chicken wire, snacks, drinks, cider, and more. Twin City Brokerage supplied two awesome tents and Bravo Signs designed our banner.

If you have about 5 minutes, click on the photo to the right and view some of the fun we had Sunday on Ridgeway Drive (when finished viewing Margo's slideshow, just click your Internet Explorer back button to return to the blog. Her slide show is a combination of stills and videosk so turn up your volume for even more fun. Enjoy the slideshow and see family and friends having fun all afternoon long. Over the years, Margo has taken more wonderful photos of the lighted Christmas Balls than anyone I know. Her enthusiasm for this project is contagious...and beautiful. THANKS for sharing Margo!

What it Is

What it Is, originally uploaded by cssmith.

by the end of the day:

1. 637 brand new boxes of 100 count mini lights were opened and tested. not one bulb in 63,700 bulbs was bad. (637 boxes of 100 count mini lights plugged end to end would stretch all the way from the corner of Ridgeway Drive to the middle of A&T State University.

2. 1100 feet of 2' wide chicken wire (enough to cover Ridgeway Drive from one end to the other) was unwound and cut into 45" lengths.

3. four hours later, 283 newly made lighted Christmas balls left the Workshop Tent, ready to go new homes. This is "build and release" at it's finest,

4. One dozen kids under 5 played on, in, and under a 3'x4'x6' pile of freshly raked leaves, flattening the pile completely.

5. 5 string-tied limes were launched from a potato cannon (Kablamm!) in front of an expectant crowd. 4 of 5 limes sailed beautifuly over the targeted tree limb only to get stuck on the way down to earth. 1 of the 5 smacked a tree limb 80' high and blew into a million pieces. zero for five but hey, we're in this for fun. and we got to see a lime vaporize on impact. cool.

6. One 6'x8' trailer got filled 2 feet high (557 pounds!) with canned and non perishable food for Greensboro Urban Ministry's food pantry.

7. $735 in monetary donations was given to Greensboro Urban Ministry - You could look at this way, each strand of lights wrapped on a Lighted Christmas ball generated $1.15 for Urban Ministry.

8. Jonathan learned to operate a bucket truck.

9. J-Bird and his band delighted 300+ new friends.

10. Ridgeway Drive was officially renamed "Soul Central Avenue."

11. Neighbors committed to installing and overseeing food collection boxes for Urban Ministry for the month of December.

Sunset Hills in action

The trailer was the holding place for the Food Bank items brought by those coming to make lighted Christmas balls.

J-Bird and the Soul Central Band provided lively music to keep the fingers flying while bending chicken wire and wrapping lights.

I have many more pictures and I will either post some here or link to another site with photos.