Go Drury!!!

When we were told that we would be a part of the Drury SmartMob as well as Extreme Home Makeover in Joplin, I could barely contain my excitement. The four of us came back to our house, and talked about how wonderful this experience was going to be. What happened in Joplin was terrible, and we were all chomping at the bit to get a chance to make a difference. The SmartMob experience was definitely one that I will remember for the rest of my life. Driving up, wearing my SmartMob uniform, and seeing the work we had to do seemed incredibly daunting. I wasn’t sure that we would be able to accomplish what they needed us to do. But, as we worked together, I was amazed at the impact we made. It started as a dust heap. Then, bam! By the end of the day it was a lush, green, garden that was inspiring. I really loved the SmartMob concept and I hope that I can help out again in the future.

Our Young Athletes Program had its first meeting on Thursday November 3, 2011. We had plenty of volunteers, luckily. The downside was that we only had one child this time. We hope to grow next week, and keep growing in our numbers throughout the semester. The one child that did attend was a joy to work with. We went with her pace. She enjoyed throwing balls and playing with the parachute the most. She was a very sweet little girl. Her mother came with her and we could all tell how close she was with her mother. When we were doing the activities with her, she kept looking at her mother and wanting her praise. It was very sweet. Our first night has definitely made me even more excited to find more participants and really grow this program. I love working with the little girl, and I can’t wait to keep working with more kids.

               -Emily Stebbins