Wow, I’ve been busy lately. I know most of you really want a detailed
explanation of Camp Korey, especially if you followed all my posts and pictures
on Facebook—and it’s coming—but this isn’t it.
Instead, I feel the need to reflect on some amazing projects I’m apart
of and how God works to tie things together in our lives even when we never saw
the connection.
Of course, if you read the blog you know I’ve had a
life-changing experience by participating in Partners in Policymaking over the last
six months. I learned an incredible
amount about disability, disability rights, advocacy, inclusion, community,
policymaking, etc… I know it changed my
life and the lives of those closest to me.
I also knew that with this new knowledge came the burden and happy
responsibility of using it beyond my own family’s benefit. I’ve been trying to figure out how that’s
going to look and God has been directing me down paths—some way before I knew
they would connect so beautifully.
Right now I am neck deep in a phenomenal project from the
Heart Campaign called I Heart Rogue Valley.
In a nutshell, the Heart Campaign is a faith-based effort whose goal is
to initiate lasting change in communities through volunteer service projects
and dynamic live events. We had our
first Heart Campaign day of service in the Southern Oregon last November,
called I Heart Ashland with over 500 volunteers. Now the movement
has spread and I Heart Rogue Valley will attempt to place 3,000 volunteers in
Southern Oregon on service projects, all coordinated on July 28th to
show the people of our valley that Love Is ACTION and showing God’s love begins
with serving others. 
I am helping coordinate projects through my church in
Ashland. We have over 400 volunteer
opportunities in Ashland, Talent, Phoenix and Medford. I am passionate about this event since I was
fortunate to be involved in the coordination of the last one and saw how
amazingly God moved and changed lives in the community. What I learned from our last event (and was
reinforced through my PIP experience) is that there were a large number of people
who wished to serve but due to health, age, disability, etc. could not find a
project on which to serve—they were all too laborious and physical. It was very important to me to create a
project for I Heart Rogue Valley where people of ANY ability could serve and be
a part of this community building event.
I am so blessed to be leading a 100% accessible project
for I Heart Rogue Valley with 100 volunteers that will help create at least 1,000 care packages for
the homeless in our community. This
project filled up quickly and there are more who wish to sign up, showing me
the need for more accessible projects like this.
Community building is so important, for
everyone. It’s where we find common
ground, it’s how we build relationships, it shows another human being that we
care and they belong. It’s vital…and it’s
especially vital for those who struggle to be a part of a community; those, who
until very recently in our nation’s history, were not allowed to be a part of
community: people who experience developmental and/or significant disability.
What struck me recently is how profoundly my heart has
changed toward people who experience disability. I don’t see the disability first—I see the
person first. I don’t presume
incompetence due to a disability—I’ve learned to presume competence. I’m grateful to be a part of this accessible
project but what strikes me as even more amazing is that at least two other
projects I’m helping to coordinate are being led by people who experience disability (maybe more--I'm not asking people if they have a disability)—and it’s never come up. It’s obvious that they experience a
disability and I could probably name what the disability is, but it has not
been important or relevant to their participation in I Heart. Each of them came to me, just as the other
leaders did, expressing an interest in leading a project. I explained the responsibilities of leadership
and they agreed they could take on those responsibilities. End of story.
I didn’t feel the need to ask them if they were SURE they could do it. They're
responsible adults with talents and abilities and a willing heart to serve in
their community. Why would I discourage
that?
This is what true community is. People from all different backgrounds and
ability are coming together to love and serve one another. The people who serve will be blessed. The people being served will be blessed. Relationships will be born—by those working
together, by those serving and those being served. I can’t express how overwhelming it is to see
complete inclusion and cooperation in action, among churches of different
denominations and among people of EVERY variety. This is truly God’s hand at work, challenging
imperfect people (I mean ALL of us) to love one another, accept each other and
work together for the sake of love. It’s
all about love. Love IS action.
Come be a part of the action…www.iheartroguevalley.org
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