Ned Erickson: UPDATE Week of February 22

DOUBLE UPDATE

The Director was away last week so the UPDATE did not happen. So we will cover two weeks in this episode.

Explanations are sometimes necessary...

Every once and awhile I get questions like: "Y'all have more than ten people, isn't that illegal? Or why aren't y'all masked?" These are great questions, and I apologize if I haven't done a great job explaining. If you go back through past Updates you will see that I have tried.

Nevertheless, prior to the program and throughout this journey, we have been working with medical professionals to come up with smart, wise guidelines on how to keep each other and others safe from COVID. This requires that we stay vigilant when we are around folks outside our bubble. It also has required prolonged mask wearing weeks after holidays. It has also entailed getting tests. And it also has required us to adjust a lot of what we normally do in person, to virtual or outside.

No doubt: We have also had a lot of grace and protection. Since August, we have had two Fellows get Covid. One got it prior to the program and brought it here! We were able to quarantine her and keep the rest of our Fellows Covid-free. We also had a Fellow over Christmas break get Covid, and she managed to quarantine prior to returning. During the program, we have experienced a few potential exposures and have been forced to have Fellows quarantine, but they have all ended up negative. Praise the Lord. Our biggest fear has been that we would have a spreading event through the house. And six months in, we have been able to avoid such a thing. Not to say, that this week, things could all go haywire. But thanks to our amazing consultants and the hard work of our Fellows, we are thankful and hopeful about the spring.

Thanks for asking.

VACCINATION VOLUNTEERING

One huge highlight for February is that our Fellows have had the honor of volunteering at one of the mass vaccination sites that Novant is doing.

Together, we have accumulated 240 hours of service in the month of February!

It has been such a meaningful experience.

I spend half the time wiping away tears as we get to help the elderly in our community get a "shot" at some hope.

VALENTINES

If you didn't know, Valentines Day was last Sunday.

Emily and the team baked a killer cake.

Gal-in-tines

The spread

We had some visitors

We call them auxiliary Fellows

Haley hung out

I got to hang with this beautiful lady

CELEBRATING BAILEY

Bailey turned 23 this week.

We basically took all of Friday to celebrate her

That led into another celebration with her host parents

CLASSTIME

Classes have resumed. We are working through some great curriculum put out by Leadership Edge, Inc.

Bryn and Owen complete one of the exercises together

AJ and Michelle discuss

Rob Alexander's course is also going on. It is just as good via zoom! Rob is that amazing

Todd Melby, the president of Leadership Edge joined us one Friday

He prayed for us...the Fellows weren't napping.

AXE THROWING

We have been adding a little spice to our spring.

near miss

Since we are unable to go out as much into the community, we have strategically placed in some safe excursions for our group

Batl Axe Throwing was kind enough to open their joint just for us!

Super fun. Y'all should try it!

CHURCH

Bryn went to an Ash Wednesday service

Bryn and Brianne hang out after church.

This year has actually been pretty sweet on the church front. You would think that this part of the program would have suffered. And of course, things aren't what they usually are. But what it has offered us is an opportunity to be creative and do what we can do as well as we can do it!

WORK EXCURSION

Owen multi-tasks

You got to get in exercise somehow

AJ brought Bailey to work last week

AJ doing some relationship building as part of his NCS job.

RECREATION EXCURSIONS

Fellows and Fun both start with F - so we try to incorporate as much fun as we can into the week

Pilot Mountain is thirty minutes from Winston.

Other Fellows prefer pedicures

Then, there is local eating establishments

Meg doesn't want to share

And going out for ice cream

And meals

The Fellows also built a fort in the Community Room

Maxing it out

FAMILY FRIENDS

There is ongoing debate, not that it is a competition, about whose family friends are the best.

Joanna and Katie Lyall and Troy Shaffoe did their best to put their names on the top this week.

RECRUITING UPDATE

Welcome Mallory Bryan! Mallory is another Virginian who has found a home in North Carolina. She will be graduating from NC State as a Park Scholar with a degree in Bio/Medical Engineering and a Minor in Health, Medicine and Human Values. Yes, she is a smart cookie.

But what really blew us away was her desire to learn and grow and build a life of meaning. She is going to play an impactful role in our program next year, for sure.

I cannot wait for her to come. Welcome Mallory!

GIVE