Ringing the Bell for Salvation Army

I volunteered to ring the bell for the Salvation Army this Christmas season for a few hours in Moorhead. This was my first time ever volunteering to ring the bell and I'm so glad I did. Sure it may have been a little cold, but I really saw the best in people. Almost everyone who passed by had to give a few dollars or any change they had in their pockets. It was nice to see such generosity, especially going towards a great cause.

The Salvation Army provides hot meals for people who do not have the funding to feed themselves. I have to sit and give thanks everyday for the blessings I have been given. Something that may seem so simple, like getting up to have breakfast is something that many others do not have the comfort of having. The Christmas season is about giving :-) I hope we all found a way to give back to our community this holiday season!!

Always,

Bethany Beniek

CMN Fundraiser

Pizza Ranch located in Dilworth, directly outside of Moorhead, agreed to partner with me and the Miss Moorhead Organization to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network (CMN). Fifteen percent of all the sales that evening was contributed toward the fund. It was a great success!! We made more than our goal of $250!! Thank you Pizza Ranch for hosting this event and everyone who came to support this great cause and to eat some incredible pizza!!

Bethany Beniek

Eventide Nursing Home

On Monday, December 21, Paige and I went to visit the Eventide Nursing Home located next to Concordia College. We got to serve cheese cake and coffee and visit with the residents. One of my favorite conversations was with Bessie and Gladis. They were dear friends who play aggregation together every evening. I used to play that game with my grandma when I was younger and I forgot how fun that game trully is :-)

Bessie has a cat named Arthur who loves to be pet, they said he is sooo spoiled! I know when I get a pet it will be spoiled too! They were so lively and chipper it was nice to talk with them. They of course had to make fun of their own age and I finally asked them, "How old are you?" and they replied cheerfully, "Oh hunny I'm 93, and Gladis here is 91." I was SHOCKED!! They did not act that age at all, I told them they didn't look a day over 70 and we shared a laugh.

They gave me some tips of wisdom that I will never forget:

Tip #1 - Keep your mind working, play simple games like sudoku or aggregation to keep your brain running

Tip #2 - Sit up straight, don't get used to slouching or otherwise it will catch up to you

and Tip #3 is the most important - Always have a good sense of humor!

Thank you Bessie and Gladis! It was so nice meeting you!

Always,

Bethany Beniek

Big Brother's Big Sister's

Happy Holidays everyone! Now that finals are over and after having a few days to recover from the semester, I finally have some time to sit down and tell you a little bit about my little sister Ashley. Now she isn't my "real" little sister, we were matched together through the Big Brother's Big Sister's (BBBS) of America Organization. We meet together once a week for an hour during school and simply hang out, chat with each other, and play games :-) Ashley and I were matched in September and we clicked immediatley! We couldn't stop talking, we had so much in common. She even has a German Shepard as a pet, which by the way will be my future dog (I LOVE DOGS-I never had one because my mom was allergic)! Ashley is in 5th grade and recieved her first cell phone in October, we have been texting each other almost every day since then!

If you didn't know, "Mentoring with the Big Brother's Big Sister's of America Organization" is my personal platform and I have been involved with promoting this incredible association for over 2 years. Please visit http://www.bbbs.org/ if you want to learn more about the program and how you could get involved in your area. The movement of BBBS has been helping children for over a century and is deemed the most effective youth mentoring program in the United States. Its success is based on an exceedingly effective, yet surprisingly simple concept: a One-to-One friendship between a mature, caring adult volunteer and a child who can benefit from that friendship. The organization reaches out to all children between the ages of 6 and 18, but places a special emphasis on the children who are deemed "at-risk," many of whom reside in a single parent household. One of the most rewarding characteristics of being a big sister myself is forming a strong friendship with someone who really looks up to you. I love getting texts from Ashley saying, "When are we meeting next week?!" when we just met earlier that day. Not only does she get excited to see me, but I get very excited to see her as well :-) I don't consider it volunteering anymore, it's just time out of every week to hang out my good friend.

With Christmas rapidly approaching I wanted to get Ashley something special, but I didn't want to just buy her something from the store, I wanted to get her something that we could do together. So I decided to make a Tie Blanket with her that she could keep as her gift :-) We had a lot of fun making it! It's tye dye on one side and blue on the other. The photo is of Ashley and I showing off our final product :-) She said her other sister at home will be so jealous, I laughed and told her that she should probably share it with her.

I can't tell you enough how this organization has changed my life and how important it is to think about becoming a volunteer yourself. Just within a 10 county radius of the greater twin cities there are over 800 children on the waiting list to get a big brother or sister. Children who simply want someone to rely on, someone they could talk to and possibly get help from. If you have any questions about BBBS, please don't hesitate to ask me!

I hope everyone is getting their Chritmas shopping done and getting their stretchy pants out for all those home cooked meals :-) I can't wait for my Mom's cheesy mashed potatoes, I can honestly eat 4 helpings!!

Always,

Bethany Beniek