August 25, 2010
William
William enjoying hamburgers
My friend Ann invited us over for dinner the other night. Her family is hosting an exchange student from Kenya and she wanted us to meet him. William is seventeen years old and a high school senior. This is his first trip ever outside his country.
I went with my youngest son, Sam, niece Nicole, and Joe, my brother-in-law. Sam and Nicky are William’s age so we were eager to introduce them.
Ann made a delicious dinner – salmon, chicken, salad, good bread. Most of us ate fish, but not William. He has lived his whole life far away from water and fish is not something he is used to. But he seems open to trying things that he is unaccustomed to, and much of what he sees in his new environment – he has never seen before.
William belongs to the Masai tribe and lives near the Masai Mara National Park in south-western Kenya. His parents are farmers and he is the tenth of eleven children. An excellent student who speaks English beautifully, he has worked hard for everything he has achieved.
This is a trip of many firsts for William. This is the first time William has flown in an airplane. William is not used to western food, or living in a large house. His family lives in small communal huts. William is not used to technology, but has already started a facebook page, made a PowerPoint presentation about his homeland, and will be getting a cell phone soon.
What struck me most about this young man is his poise and sense of calm faith in himself. William showed us pictures of his family and schoolmates and spoke about his culture with great pride, but also unclouded honesty. Things are what they are, and he has the fortitude to see them as such. He told us that many Masai boys have to make a decision whether to become Masai warriors or receive a western style education. Becoming a warrior is a complicated ten year long indoctrination process, so many boys are opting for the less rigorous western schooling.
William hit it off with Sam and Nicky right away. The kids wanted to introduce him to their friends, take him to the movies, and have him join their teams.
Later in the evening, Sam and William went outside to play soccer. They talked and kicked the ball around for a long time. When they came back in tired and laughing, all we grownups could see was two boys – having fun. Same the world over.
August 2, 2010
Organizing
Creating order out of chaos
My sister Branka is a great organizer. Creating order out of chaos gives her pleasure and a sense of accomplishment.
She approaches each challenge systematically and with purpose. Currently, she is working on my basement.
The task is daunting, believe me, I have been avoiding it for years. But a few weeks ago, the basement got flooded, and something needed to be done right away.
Thank goodness that Branka was willing to adapt this project as her own. My gratitude is beyond measure.
First, she cleaned the place up. We had tons of books, bags of children’s paraphernalia, Branka’s and Joe’s belongings. She went through everything, organized keepsakes in labeled plastic boxes and threw away the rest.
Then she painted the ceiling white, the walls sunny yellow, and the bookshelves sparkly white.
Next, she will be overseeing the tiling of the floor – our brother-in-law is taking on that job. We bought creamy beige ceramic tile and I can’t wait to see what our basement will look like when it’s installed. It will make doing the laundry almost fun!
All I can say is – thank you, dear sister, for bringing order into my life!
May 24, 2010
Relay for Life of Canton, 2010
Relay for Life of Canton, 2010
Last weekend, RepairClinic.com participated in the Relay for Life fundraiser in Canton, Michigan. This is an inspiring event that celebrates the lives of people who have battled cancer, remembers loved ones lost, and fights back against the disease by raising money for research. All the money is donated to the American Cancer Society.
At the Canton Relay, teams of people camp out at our local park and take turns walking or running around a path surrounding a small pond. This is the second year that RepairClinic has participated in this event and we all find it very moving and inspiring. The event starts with the survivor’s walk. Participants stand on the sidelines and cheer those who have battled the disease. I always cry when I look around me and see young children, mothers with babies, middle aged people, senior citizens. No one is immune to this disease. Still, as hard as it is, there is healing and comfort in the support and cheers from other people, in their love and encouragement.
This year’s Relay was a huge success. These are the official numbers:
The Relay For Life of Canton celebrated 347 survivors, had 1,283 participants, honored the battle of over 3,630 loved ones with luminaria and raised $248,062 for the fight against cancer! We exceeded the community’s fund-raising goal by $8,062!
RepairClinic thanks all of you for your help.
May 5, 2010
RepairClinic.com Raising Money for Cancer Research
RepairClinic.com Outreach Committee
RepairClinic’s Health and Wellness committee held a fundraiser luncheon for all our employees yesterday. They were helping our Outreach committee raise money for Relay For Life®.
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life® is a fund-raising event that gives people around the world a chance to celebrate the lives of cancer survivors and people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. Relay For Life® raises much-needed funds and awareness to help the American Cancer Society save lives from cancer.
At RepairClinic.com, our Outreach team has been collecting money for Relay For Life® for a number of months now. We held three fund-raising luncheons. RepairClinic donated a large number of items for a popular employee bargain sale (we raised $896 there). Different individuals in our group have been doing their part to inform their families and friends and raise money that way. Our goal is $2000. We are slowly getting there.
For yesterday’s luncheon, we had a healthy spread – a lovely salad bar with lots of toppings. This was on the menu:
- Fresh, crisp lettuce
- Baby spinach
- Several kinds of rolls
- Meats: turkey, ham, salami
- Hard boiled eggs
- Vegetables: onions, cucumbers, tomatoes
- Beans: garbanzo, black and sunflowers seeds
For dessert we had brownies, lemon bars, a number of delicious cookies.
Our lunch was a success and we raised over $345.00 towards our goal.
Relay for Life is taking place Saturday, May 15th and Sunday May 16th. Our team will be there the entire weekend. Please help us with your donation!
April 19, 2010
What is RepairClinic.com?
RepairClinic.com Warehouse
What is RepairClinic.com and what does it offer you?
- RepairClinic is an on-line source for home appliance parts.
- It offers online trouble-shooting, maintenance tips and expert advice.
- Most parts can be delivered the next day from the huge warehouse inventory.
- An additional 500,000+ parts can be special ordered, typically adding only a few days to the shipping and handling process.
What products does RepairClinic.com sell?
Parts and accessories for all major household appliances, including:
- washing machines, dryers, stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, dehumidifiers, humidifiers, garbage disposals, trash compactors, freezers, ice makers, water filters, and vent hoods.
What brands does RepairClinic.com carry?
RepairClinic.com carries parts and accessories for all major brands.
What makes RepairClinic.com experts in appliance repair?
RepairClinic.com has a staff of experienced appliance repair technicians, who make up the on-line customer advisers.
- Each individual has more than ten years of experience repairing appliances and have serviced all major appliance brands.
What is RepairClinic.com’s return policy?
RepairClinic.com offers no hassle, customer-friendly returns:
- Within 30 days of receiving the order, customers may return any item in its original condition for a full refund of the purchase price.
- If RepairClinic.com makes an error in the shipment, customers will receive a refund for the shipping and handling charges in addition to a credit for the returned part.
Who are RepairClinic.com’s customers?
Any person who needs an appliance part or help in fixing their applainance.
March 12, 2010
March Staff Meeting at RepairClinic.com
Dave and Adam - ready for lunch!
RepairClinic staff meeting in March couldn’t have come on a more different day than the last time we met. The February meeting took place on a cold winter day after a huge snowstorm. March 11th was a mild and sunny spring day. I wore my sweater that morning, the first day of the year that I didn’t need my coat.
Raina ordered sandwiches for lunch, and my job was to stop at our local supermarket and pick up a number of salads, potato chips and, of course, the fresh flowers that we always have for our meetings. I had placed the order several days ahead of time, but when I stopped to pick it up, nothing was ready. I had to stand and wait while two young ladies chopped vegetables and made salads on the spot. I have to admit, I was not pleased. But I tried not to get too stressed, or look too impatient while I walked the aisles for over an hour.
The rest of the day went well. We set up tables, filled vases with flowers, and soon people were lining up for food. The lovely spring day made everyone seem relaxed, less fugitive from the cold winter world. People piled their plates high with sandwiches, salads, chips, and desserts, and laughed and conversed with each other.
RepairClinic has an outreach committee that helps needy people in our community. Right now, we are raising money for the Relay For Life event in Canton, MI, so a young woman from the American Cancer Society came to speak to our employees about it. Relay For Life is a two day fund-raising event that celebrates life and cancer survival, while providing funds for research, education, advocacy and service. Many RepairClinic employees volunteer and everyone is eager to help out.
We have a number of new and exciting projects going on at RepairClinic and everyone is very busy these days. No one seems to mind, though. People are happy that the company is doing well and that improvements are being made. And everyone is delighted that the harsh winter seems to be giving way to spring.
March 2, 2010
RepairClinic.com Warehouse
Kim Messer in the RepairClinic.com Warehouse
RepairClinic.com has a 50,000 square foot warehouse in the back of its building in Canton, MI. It is a highly automated, modern operation, storing thousands of appliance parts. Thirty-four employees work hard to make the place run efficiently and ship any order that comes in by 6:30 pm the very same day.
All of us at RepairClinic are proud of our warehouse. We are also proud of the woman who runs it. Kim Messer is a force to be reckoned with. Her smile and youthful appearance disguise a tireless leader and a skillful manager. Always open to new suggestions, better ideas, and operational improvements, Kim is fearless with new technologies, and there is nothing she is afraid to learn. She is continually thinking of new ways to make room on the warehouse shelves, to save space, to save money, to improve production, and to make life easier for her employees.
At home, with a husband and four kids, Kim keeps just as busy. She is a golfer, and loves to read and to travel. And just to make life more interesting, she is finishing her degree at Eastern Michigan University, taking two classes each semester. How does she do it? She does it all with good humor and grace.
February 9, 2010
RepairClinic.com Hero Awards
RepairClinic.com Heroes
Years ago we started a program at RepairClinic.com that we call the Hero Awards. There is a section on our internal communication system – the Intranet – where any employee can go and recommend another person for a kind and helpful act. Once a month, at our company lunch, one name is drawn out of the nominated group, and that person is awarded a prize. Everyone looks forward to seeing who the winner will be!
These are some of the nice things people did for each other at RepairClinic during the month of January:
- Ruben helped Brittany and Veronica decipher customer’s handwriting so a check could be processed.
- Robert helped Katicia ship a personal package.
- Dave helped Erika by filling her car tires with air so she could feel safe driving on a long trip.
- When Ruben had problems with his car, he got help from three co-workers: Jim notified him that he had a flat tire; Malissa let him borrow her car; and Dave let him borrow his tools.
- Jayce helped Cindy by checking for her and making sure that an order was correct.
- Samer helped Malissa many times in the camera room by picking up the really big parts that need to be photographed.
- Dave replaced the sensor on Tom’s truck.
- Brittany helped Tim by restarting his computer – it had locked up while he was working from home.
- Ruben stopped at Minerva’s house to deliver something that she had forgotten – it was snowing and the roads were ugly and he didn’t want her to drive.
- Stephen helped Victoria clean her car after the big snowstorm.
- Cassandra assisted Stephanie by taking over a call from an angry customer.
- Scott does kind and helpful things all the time and Stephanie is grateful that he cleaned the snow from her car
- Ruben noticed that Cindy’s car tire was low and made sure to tell her so.
Thank you for making this company a very special place!
January 18, 2010
Helping Haiti
Haiti earthquake victims
In the face of such great human tragedy as the one in Haiti, it is hard to know what to do. Do I look at the pictures; follow the nonstop news stories; pay attention to every detail that is reported? Do I look squarely in the face of the crying children and bear witness to what is happening?
Or do I avert my gaze out of respect and humility and give these people the privacy to grieve in peace? How do I go on with my everyday worries when the magnitude of suffering is impossible to ignore?
Today is Martin Luther King Day, a day to contemplate the fairness of our endeavors, our place in society, and our ability to help others. I stop on this day and wonder about the difference that I am making. I live a fairly ordinary, middle class life. I have a family, I work, and I live in a small university town. I am not a powerful or a wealthy person.
But I still believe that I can make a difference. Even if I provide one meal for one person in Haiti, I have done more than if I had just given up and not even tried. It gives me hope that President Obama has joined forces with our two former presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, in setting up a fund and raising money for the cause. Here is the link to their site: http://www.clintonbushhaitifund.org
If you can help, please do. Every dollar makes a difference.
Gracious Living - Day by Day 