In an attempt to get some more local experiences prior to the onset of cold weather, I added some philanthropic and volunteer activities to my calendar for today. As usual, I was up very early and left my house at about 0645. To reach my first event, I drove (via I-89 and I-91) to Claremont and attended the Community Fall (Fundraising Breakfast) at the the Claremont Soup Kitchen (arrived at 0730). I’ve supported them for several years but had never been inside the building. This wonderful organization makes three meals every weekday for members of the community and serves dinners on weekends & holidays. They also run a food pantry, self-serve (free) produce station and summer lunch program for kids in the area. It was great to see the staff in action today - hope I can someday return as a volunteer at one of their Holiday meals! To get to my next event, I left Claremont (0815) and drove (via I-91) back to White River Junction (arrived at 0840). The Upper Valley Aquatic Center was holding their September Celebration Event and they had asked me to volunteer. For four hours, I helped park cars and we used EVERY available space (including the grass). Still, the people came! It kind of felt like a game of Tetris at times but, somehow, we got everyone in a spot. I think there could have been 1000 people in attendance! During a break, I was able to get a delicious lunch at "Let's Get Loaded" Food Truck. The staff also gave me a piece of cake that was shared with all the attendees. At the end, I got to participate in some of the festivities and even high fived “Splash” (the UVAC Mascot). After I was finished (1315), I drove over to West Lebanon and did some shopping at Shaw's. While there, I saw one of my happy hour friends (Bob) and his wife. Done at the store by 1340 I drove home instead of going to Enfield for another festival - feeling tired. I was at my condo by 1400. Despite the fact that I didn't get to do all of my planned activities, I still am glad that I got to be a part of my active and energetic community!
