Laugh Long & Prosper ’Mary and the Motel From Hell’

Mary and the Motel from Hell Yes, there is a lot of bad stuff going on in our world and lately it seems like even more than usual. But these are the times that I like to lean on a quote by the incredible sage, Mr. Rogers. He said, ‘’When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’’’ Over the next few podcast entries, I would like to tell you about some of the helpers who work for http://www.CityStreetOutreach.org http://www.CityStreetOutreach.org is a local outreach program that is a 100 percent volunteer-run, donation- based and all-inclusive registered charity providing food, clothing and assistance to those in need and/ or living in poverty across the greater Toronto area. I’m proud to say that in a very small way, I am part of this organization. I’m hardly a saint. In fact, I volunteer for very selfish reasons. It has been good for me emotionally, physically and mentally. In one of my previous podcasts, I told you about Alex and Grace, the co-founders of http://www.CityStreetOutreach.org In this podcast, I would like to tell you about one of the first volunteers whom I met on the front lines. Her name is Mary. I want to tell you a tale about Mary and the Motel from Hell. I met Mary on one of the first nights that I volunteered for City Street Outreach a few years ago. Mary is physically one of the strongest women that I have ever known. She could pick up 3 cases of water and 2 cases of pet food without blinking an eye. Meanwhile I was crumbling under one can of cat food. Mary is incredibly strong in another way. She never asks for help for herself. She always asks for help for others and no matter what you give Mary (big or small), she is always very appreciative. You would never guess the kind of adversity that Mary faces every day because she always greets you with a smile, a laugh and/or a thank you. In spite of her circumstances, Mary is one of the most grateful and positive people that I have ever met. I remember the first time I took City Street Outreach supplies to the place where Mary lived. Mary and her family were living in a motel room off of Kingston Road in Scarborough. The place should have been condemned years ago. The owner clearly did not care about her tenants. It was only after a newspaper article shamed the owner and local politicians that the place was finally condemned. Thank goodness Mary and the other tenants were re-located to more humane residences.... http://www.CityStreetOutreach.org http://www.JudyCroon.com