Letter to AFA President Randy Becnel from Rachel Kroese, Director of the AFA Midwest Chapter
Randy,
I read your message in the Fencepost publication concerning Chapter projects and the Challenge that you put forth to us at the Chapter level. I want to let you know about the Midwest Chapter’s project that we completed last weekend. I hope it can inspire other chapters to get involved in projects such as this.
Below is a letter that our fence company received from a random person in our community here in Lincoln, NE.The letter just happened to land in the hands of our Chapter President Jayme Pavel and he brought it to the AFA Chapter Board for discussion as a possibility for our project. The rest is history!!!
I want to say that the experience was amazing, and I truly believe that all of us who worked on the project received just as much as Michelle and her family. During the building process we got to visit with Michelle and her kids. She told us the story of how she got to the point in life where she is today and what it is like being a single mom to an infant, and disabled 6 year old son who was never “supposed” to have lived, (and owner of a 20 year old chihuahua). Michelle was very humbled and was brought to tears several times in utter disbelief that we had come to build her a fence. Michelle also found a common bond with one of our volunteers. He gave her kind words of encouragement as someone who had walked in her shoes. We brought our own children to help on the project and they instantly formed bonds with the family and would like to go back again for a visit and to help out the family in other ways.
We had 19 volunteers. The participating member companies were Empire-Netting and Fence (Nebraska) mySalesman (Nebraska) Baker Fence (Kansas), D Roche Fence (Kansas) supplies donated by Jamieson Fence Supply (KC) and Alta Forest products.
On the building end of things the experience was priceless. We all build fence a little bit differently and got to learn from watching different ways it can be done. Working together with our friends from other companies was fun and we all had a great day.
I am hoping that our Chapter Project helps to inspire other Chapters to do the same and be a blessing for someone in their community.
“With every act of love we bring the Kingdom Come -Jason Gray!”
Sincerely,
Rachel Kroese
Director/ Midwest Chapter
Don Schaffer's Letter to the AFA Midwest Chapter
To whom it may concern: Good day
My name is Don Schaffer I live in Lincoln, NE.
I have a neighbor lady who is a single Mother of a very special needs child He was born September 17th, 2013 with a disability known as Hydranencephaly. (Hydranencephaly is where the brains cerebral hemispheres are absent to varying degrees and the remaining cranial cavity is filled with cerebrospinal fluid). He has beaten all odds and celebrated his 5th birthday this year (2018). Regrettably with the child missing so much of his brain he cannot walk, talk, see, and has very, very limited muscle control, on top of all these tribulations the child also has seizures throughout the day and night. Mother cannot work as there no kind of care facilities in Lincoln, Ne. that can care for a child with these kinds of disabilities, so Mother has been caring for child by herself for his whole life and her money is very tight (beings she is able to work
I am sure you get a lot of requests for donations, but I had some time so thought what the heck might as well swing for the “fence".
Child was privileged enough to be granted a wish from the Make-A Wish Foundation – it is what they call a swim therapy spa. It is approx. 16-foot-long x 5-foot-wide and 5 foot deep. Seth thoroughly enjoys physical stimulation so with the jets from the spa pushing on him he gets all kinds of enjoyment, plus the Michelle and Seth have hearts of gold and putting other people’s needs in front of their own, as they have put word out to other families and single parents of special needs children in Lincoln Ne. that are struggling that they are more than welcome to come and enjoy the spa with them this summer. The spa was installed and filled with water (Thanks to our local fire department) Dec. 22, 2017.
My question is: Would your company be willing to donate the material and labor to install a wooden privacy fence or even just the materials and then Michelle maybe could get a reputable fencing company here in Lincoln, Ne. to maybe donate installing the fencing at no cost to her to make this wish become a “total wish” for this Mother and Child.
Thank you in advance for your time and cooperation in hoping to make this very special wish come true for Michelle and Seth
Don Schaffer