Transportation Engineer at the City of Austin
Safety Committee and Volunteer Committee
“I was introduced to Sammy’s House by a co-worker with a special needs child. It was during the recession of 2008-2009 and our firm was in the process of laying off a large portion of their work force. Those that still had a job suffered from “Survivor’s Guilt” while still worrying if we would still have a job the following week. A group of us decided to start volunteering at Sammy’s House on Friday afternoons to appreciate what we have and in thanksgiving for being gainfully employed when so many were not. It didn’t take long before we fully understood that having a job didn’t really matter much when we saw the amount of love, care, and dedication that the Sammy’s House children needed.
The recession ended and work got busy again. The number of co-workers showing up to volunteer started to dwindle as the newly hired engineers didn’t really appreciate what we got from Sammy’s House and the experienced engineers had to spend more and more time helping the new employees. I was invited to join the Board of Directors to keep those engineers showing up with their tools, talents and treasures.
The thing that I love most about Sammy’s House is knowing that is a special place for those children that no one else wants to care for. The Sammy’s House staff provides that care with open hearts and minds. They focus on providing special treatment for each individual child that just doesn’t exist in today’s day-care environment. I am always reminded of a favorite quote when I think about Sammy’s House. “No one stands as tall as they do when they bend down to help another.” I consider myself very fortunate to be able to serve these precious children and work with a truly amazing group of Staff, Volunteers, and Board Members.”