"I was the Executive Director of SCUFFY for nearly twenty years. I could see first-hand how our Board and member agencies really try to make a difference for the better in Shelby County. Now that I am retired, I do volunteer work for the Shelby County Cancer Association and Shelby Senior Services, two of the SCUFFY member agencies. I also help SCUFFY any time they ask. I believe that all of the SCUFFY agencies are viable contributors to the quality of life in our community, and I am happy to continue serving them as a volunteer."
--Jackie Meloy
"Volunteering for Meals on Wheels, a SCUFFY agency, doesn't put a big dent in my time. It takes two and half hours or less a couple of days a month for a partner and me to deliver to the 25 to 30 recipients. Some get a hot meal for noon, a cold one for evening. Some choose only the mid-day meals. All of them get a warm greeting and a smile from the volunteer. And what do we get in return? The comforting knowledge that we volunteers are helping to let these recipients remain in their homes. And that's a blessing for all of us. Thanks, SCUFFY."
--B.C. Williams
"When my troop decided to go to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, all I could think about for months was the trip.
My excitement turned to sadness two months before I was supposed to go. I was diagnosed with diabetes.
That night, I lay in bed repeating the same questions: Why me? What did I do wrong?
I was angry at the world.
The next day I found out that my diabetes could be controlled with a special diet and insulin injections to keep my blood sugar at a normal level. Best of all, the nurse told me that I could go to Philmont! I decided that this was a test, and I was going to an A-plus.
Sure, it was challenging. I had to figure out ways to keep my insulin between 32 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, even on the trails. Usually I would carry a thermos with ice. But ice wasn't always available, so I filled the thermos with cold water from the stream. Other times, we scraped just enough frost out of the edges of the freezers when they were available.
I also added a morning snack to keep my blood sugar up. I never found myself lagging behind. It was just like there was nothing wrong with me.
I brought back a lot more more than souvenirs from our 70-mile trek. I brought back a realization that just because someone has diabetes, that shouldn't stop them from fulfilling their dreams."
--Adam J. Scott
This article was also published in Boy's Life, the Boy Scout magazine. |
