Acumen Solutions to the Rescue

We are so impressed and pleased with the outcomes from our volunteer project with Acumen Solutions. Over two days and ten hours of physical labor, Acumen Solutions employees built a new shed, completed an outdoor walkway, and built a new cover for our sandbox. Each of these acts will improve the quality of service we are able to provide to low-income families.

The shed was a monstrous project, made all the more difficult by the most arcane, asinine set of directions ever written. In fact, one group had already tried to assemble the shed one year prior to this volunteer project. The shed sat for one year in ruins under a tarp on our playground, and would have remained there for all eternity had it not been for a few brave souls at Acumen Solutions. It required not only an ironclad determination to decipher the instructions, but also an extra trip to Home Depot and three more hours than had been originally been planned. The team that worked on the shed braved the longer work period, a fierce assault of mosquitoes, and a nearly sweltering day. In the end, they defeated my arch-nemesis. For the all the bad talk about the shed, it will really benefit the children at our Birchmere center. With the shed now assembled, we will be able to purchase more outdoor toys and equipment (such as hot wheels, easels, water tables and balls) to promote the healthy physical development of the young children in our care. Plus, playing outside is just plain fun! Before the shed, we were limited in the number of outdoor toys and equipment we could have because (1) we could not leave them outside for fear they would be stolen and (2) we did not have the space indoors to store them. So thanks to our volunteers we will now be able to provide even more outdoor activities for our children!

Our volunteers also built a new cover for our sandbox. Each year, we have to replace the sandbox cover as it becomes warped by the rain and sun over the course of the school year. When it becomes warped, it no longer keeps the rain and animals out of the sandbox. This year, our team of Acumen Solutions volunteers went above and beyond the call of duty in an effort to create a more sturdy cover for the sandbox. They also painted the cover with a protective seal to keep out the moisture. It is my hope that their added efforts will keep our sand dry and in good condition for the children for a longer period of time.

Finally, our volunteers completed an outdoor walkway that connects the path leading from the back of our facility to the front door. The families we serve all live within walking distance of our center, and many take this path to get their children to our front door. During rainy days, the uncompleted portion of this path became a pool of mud, making for a messy trip to and from our program. This meant our families got dirty and our classrooms got dirty as all that mud was tracked in from outside. It may seem like a small thing, but completing the walkway improves the quality of everyone's experience by creating a cleaner, more professional environment for our families and program staff members. Not having to constantly clean the floors or children's shoes and clothes means more time can be spent providing quality services.

Again, it was a tremendously successful volunteer project. We are all thrilled by the outcomes and so appreciative of the time and talents given by our team of Acumen Solutions volunteers.

With Sincere Gratitude,

Ryan and the CFNC family