Mar 11, 2009
Inaugural MS Service Day a Huge Success
On Friday, March 6th 2009 22 volunteers and 12 staff of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society North Florida Chapter went to the homes of three Jacksonville women who are affected by MS to help with household chores that they were unable to accomplish due to disability caused by MS.
“This day was a huge success”, says Chapter President Jennifer Lee. “The volunteers were able to make a real, lasting and important impact in the lives of these families affected by MS. It’s great to see the community come together for the inaugural MS Service Day”.
Every aspect of a person’s life can be affected by MS. Vicky Watkins, who was helped on MS Service Day remembers a difficult decision she had to make when she retired from the federal government: “When my salary went from $70,000 to $12,000 the first thing to go was our lawn service.” Vicky, who uses a wheelchair was thrilled to see her hedges trimmed, debris removed and lawn mowed by volunteers from PPR Staffing of Jacksonville Beach.
Among the tasks the volunteers completed were painting, pressure washing, yard work, and simple repairs. The most heard question of the day came from Chapter Trustee Walter Steele who asked, “When are we going to do this again?”
Thanks to the Law offices of Tracy Tyson Miller, Ace Hardware and the Home Depot for their donations for this great event.
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between brain and body and stops people from moving. With the help of people like you, the National MS Society addresses the challenges of each person whose life is affected by MS and helps them stay connected to the great big moving world. The North Florida Chapter was founded in 1973 and is dedicated to a world free of MS through funding research and programs for people with MS and their families.
For more information on MS Service Day, MS or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, contact us at 800-344-4867, msnorfla@fln.nmss.org or www.nationalmssociety.org/FLN