Thursday Update

Wow - these past 2 days have been so hectic and stressful! This is when I REALLY wish I wasn't the only ChemoMom in ChemoMoms of Mobile!!! :D

I think I have put about $50 in gas in my little car with bad A/C just to save money on all the driving I have been doing! I made a huge circle today, starting out going to West Mobile, then down to the hospital and finally by Brookley then back home. I think bad air conditioning just makes you tired=er - if that's a word!

I visited the cafeteria and got a feel for where the manager wants us to be - I'm not real crazy about it, but we will make the best of it. I thought we would use an hour to decorate, it make take more time because it is going to be pretty difficult and we will have to do some figuring. Also, the elevator into the cafeteria is broken, so anyone who has an IV will have to walk outside to come in the side door (with their nurse, of course).

But I did get a crash course in running the popcorn cart, and I pulled it up to the Treehouse until then. It takes some effort to move that thing! I also dropped off the flyers to be passed out.

The biggest news of the day is that BOTH the newspaper AND the TV reporters will be there tomorrow night! This will be the first official "ChemoMoms" event they have attended! This is my 4th event, but I never had the media involved. There was a TON of red tape and lots of rules to follow to allow this to happen, but I think the hospital will get some good press and hopefully I will finally get some community support? Prior to this event, my church family has really been my only volunteers. This time my Gulf Coast Tres Dias community has stepped in and really makes up most of the volunteers for tomorrow night. Yay!!

We were not able to get cheeseburgers donated...they officially want 2 weeks advance notice, and I didn't have the letter then, so I will know next time. Therefore I am going to have to BUY 40 cheeseburgers/hamburgers. I received a $10 donation last night from a lady at church and that paid for the popcorn and oil I bought, so hopefully someone will help with the $40 we will need to pay for the burgers. Thankfully everything else has been provided!!

We DID get a donation from Chick-Fil-A of 2 trays of nuggets, so that will really help out in the food. The reason I still want the burgers is mainly for the parents who aren't able to come because their child is sick or too little. I get to go door-to-door and greet the parents and actually give THEM a drink and a burger. That is the main reason I do ChemoMoms - for the PARENTS.

If you are planning to bring your children when you help tomorrow night, please try to feed them before they get to the hospital. We will have PLENTY of snow cones and popcorn, but I don't really know how we are going to stretch the chicken and burgers. I know my own children will be tempted to get into the nuggets, but I want to make sure the kids from the hospital get theirs. At the end of the night, we will certainly give away the extras!

Tonight I am going to call everyone that I know has volunteered. If you don't get a phone call from me, please call me because I might not remember everyone! Thanks so much!

With HOPE,
Tammy 406-5820 (cell)