Success at Florence's Comfort House!

It was a hot Father’s Day in Austin, Texas but that didn’t stop lots of dads (and moms and kids) from working in 90 plus degree temperatures to help local children in need.

Florence's Comfort House got a much needed hand from over 50 SCARE for a CURE volunteers who showed up with loads of supplies and tools to help Flo make her house and play yard safe and comfortable for the Montopolis kids who consider the Comfort House a second home. Here are just some of the projects SCARE volunteers wrapped up on Sunday:

• Repaired a ceiling that was falling down
• Built a platform for Flo’s washer and dryer
• Fixed broken doors and locks
• Fixed a damaged roof on Flo’s puppet theater
• Replaced damaged or missing window screens
• Repaired the gate leading into the play yard
• Painted bedrooms
• Scooped poop in the play yard
• Organized toys – and there were LOTS of toys
• And much more!

Volunteers showed up around 10 am and worked until 5 pm or so to get Flo’s house in ship shape, stopping midday for some very tasty lasagna and all the fixings brought by Eli from The Art Institute of Austin. Yummy!

The SCARE crew also did a lot of general cleanup work and trash pickup, in the end leaving Florence’s Comfort House much safer and cleaner than we found it. A big thank you also to the folks from Breast Cancer Resource Centers of Texas who came out to help, as well as non-SCARE volunteers from the general public. Thank you EVERYONE for a tremendous job!

If you missed the event, take a look at some of the awesome media coverage:

KEYE News: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWFhp7xOQSc

KVUE News: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b11jZnVktqs

KXAN News: http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/kxan-austin-austin-police-team-up-to-fix-safe-house

Fox 7 News: http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/top_stories/Good-Deed-for-One-who-Helps-those-in-Need-2010-06-20-ktbcw

News 8 Austin: http://www.news8austin.com/content/local_news/271945/volunteers-repair-comfort-home-for-children

Austin American-Statesman: http://www.statesman.com/news/local/comfort-house-for-kids-gets-a-fix-up-759354.html?srcTrk=RTR_504016

Lab and Haunt-U Heat Up!

People hit the Lab ready to work on Saturday 6/19 and got some things done!
It was hot... more hot... with some extra hot...
but the big fans helped. J

Lab work was, as usual, overseen by our favorite manic Rogue Technologist, Edwin.
He and the divine Debra organized the pneumatics fittings for future use. Yea, organization!

He also led the charge on decorating cupcake cannons. Yes, cupcake cannons. He’s helping a nice lady who wants to shoot cupcakes at her customers at an August event, and who are we to interfere in frosting firing and torte trajectories? The modified gore cannons were tested on Friday and got a liberal coating of steampunk in Saturday’s Lab. I must see this event! But I’m still trying to decide if I’d rather load or play outfield.

The Lab crew then moved out to the SCARE site to hot-glue web the finale and a fence area, leaving the webber with Melanie so she and her minions can continue webbing as they steal time to do so. The final effect should be webtastic!

Come on out to the Lab this weekend and help to make the next Lab report even more exciting! :D

bel

Calling all volunteers: Operation Help Florence's Comfort House set for June 20

What:	Operation HELP Florence's Comfort House
When:	Sunday June 20, 10am – 5pm (lunch served at 1pm)
Where:	515 Kemp Street, Austin, TX
Why:	A Darn Good Cause!

Board members from SCARE for a CURE recently had the honor of meeting Florence Ponziano, the founder of Florence’s Comfort House. We were incredibly impressed with her drive and dedication to the children of the Montopolis neighborhood.

Flo, as she likes to be called, has opened her home and her property to the disadvantaged children in Montopolis as a safe place to go after school. Kids can get their clothes washed, eat a hot meal, work in a garden, create art, work on homework and even play with some ducks. Young mothers often show up to get extra diapers, bottles or blankets, which Flo does her best to keep in stock. Flo herself is the child of a drug addict, and remembers not having a safe place to go after school.

Flo’s House needs some serious TLC if she is to continue to provide a safe and clean environment for the children of the Montopolis neighborhood. Some basic home repairs and a couple of major projects need to be completed, but there are other, smaller projects as well—a garden in need of landscaping, a swing chain that needs replacing, trim that could use a coat of paint and so on. I thought that with three or four people we could fix a few of her problems... but if we could get 20-30 folks together we could really make a difference for Flo and the hundreds of kids who pass through her home every month!

SCARE for a CURE will provide the needed materials and tools, but we need some PEOPLE POWER. I hope to see you out there this Sunday! Wear good work shoes and bring some gloves if you have them. SCARE for a CURE will provide lunch, snacks, music, sunscreen, water and Gatorade.

Thank you everyone for your attention and support!

Jarrett Crippen
President & Co-Founder