It took a good long time to explain not only the concept of weighted blankets and lap pads but how we wanted access to rice to fill them. It caused more than a few raised eyebrows. At one point, Joan didn’t even want to translate what I said to her; “I cannot ask that because that is wasteful.”
We may or may not have felt a bit like this over the course of that 30 minute conversation with a director.
But, eventually, we got more to a place like this.
We took a walk into the depth of their kitchen pantry where a big round cook wearing full on cook-gear showed us the rice storage room where there were at least 25 big 25 lb. bags of rice. We offered to buy a bag from them but in the end, they said we could use it since it wasn’t going to be wasted.
Success.
I showed my muscles and asked for the big ole cook to bring it to the conference room for us. He laughed and then pointed to a metal push cart nearby.
Three of the team spent a good long time filling those things. In the end, the kids and staff loved them, like really loved them.
{wiping sweat from our brows}
