Friday, August 28, 2009

Note of thanks for hosting our Board meeting

SOFTIN wants to offer a note of appreciation to Marriott of Ventura Beach for hosting a meeting, yesterday, of our Board of Directors. Allowing us use of a nicely appointed meeting room was a gracious and helpful contribution. The cookies, melon tray, coffee and water were very nice touches. This resort hotel is beautiful and staff members were friendly and helpful to a person. They even checked with us periodically to see if there was anything they could do to make our experience better. We couldn’t have been more pleased.

Our BoD meeting was quite productive. We voted in a new slate of Directors and Officers, listened to officer and committee reports, discussed our escalating services to special-needs people, reviewed our social networking plan, our fundraising event and laid plans for future fundraising and community awareness raising events. Finally, we discussed a sailboat and slip that a wonderful donor wants to give to SOFTIN to help us expand our services.

Life really is sweet when providing special services to special-needs people.

Capt. David Bacon
Executive Director, SOFTIN
www.softininc.org
http://softininc.blogspot.com
dbacon@softininc.org
(805) 895-3273 (my cell phone to call and arrange a donation)

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Changing mentalities during a day of serving special-needs

Running consecutive trips for groups with vastly different special-needs can be a mental and emotional workout. Yesterday, for example… a grieving family came out with us. It wasn’t a case of a family member passing away. It was a case of the father having to leave to serve a jail term. The children and wife were suffering terribly and they needed a family educational adventure to have as a memory. They had a blast and built a beautiful memory together.

Minutes after they disembarked the next group came aboard… children at high risk as a result of their parents’ involvement in the drug culture. They came to us with therapists from our collaborating partner, Child Abuse Listening & Mediation (CALM). They children learned a great deal about part of the world they new little-to-nothing about.

The needs of these two specific groups were very different, yet each was a special need that SOFTIN is perfectly and uniquely positioned to fill with an at-sea educational, self esteem and skill building adventure. It gave the grieving family a time of togetherness and adventure to cherish during the forced separation. It gave the children at risk a look outside the box they usually live in, gave them a taste of adventure and a sense of what lifestyles they could strive to live and what waterfront or at-sea professions they could aspire to.

Meeting varied special-needs is challenging yet equally rewarding because we see so clearly that we are helping special needs people in profound and unique ways. We sure could use your help. Will you contact us and offer to help fund our work?

Capt. David Bacon
Executive Director, SOFTIN
www.softininc.org
http://softininc.blogspot.com
dbacon@softininc.org(805) 895-3273 (my cell phone to call and arrange a donation)

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Car show community awareness event a success for SOFTIN

Hundreds of spectators had a blast admiring well over one hundred show cars decked out in stunning details and shining like a noonday sun at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara. There were muscle cars with engine parts poking up above their hoods and every inch of engine compartment in use. There were classic cars which brought back many a wonderful memory for those of us old enough to remember playing in those cars. There were lowriders with amazing paint jobs and innovative modifications. There were custom-built bicycles that stopped spectators in their tracks. There was plenty to see.

There was plenty to do, as well. A live band, RedFish classic rock band, donated their time to play toe-tapping music inside the domed building the whole day and keep our spirits soaring. Two DJs (Mike “the Cholo” DJ performed as a volunteer and also handled the awards ceremony) played in different areas on the grassy areas outside the building. A fine showing of vendors gave car show owners and spectators alike plenty to shop for. A used book sale table offered attractions to avid readers. A silent auction provided a method for folks to support SOFTIN and buy wonderful goods, services and adventures. A kiddy corner – complete with fun and games – gave the little ones plenty of action and honed their game skills.

The show finished with a raffle drawing and trophy awards for the best show vehicles in dozens of classes. A truckload of trophies were awarded. We wished we had planned for one more category… not for show cars, but for the best dancers. One couple in particular, who did win a trophy for their truck, would also have left with a trophy for best dancers. They just couldn’t help but move to the music of RedFish inside and the DJs outside.

A heartwarming act of SOFTIN mission support brought tears to many an eye. Actually, two acts. The gentleman who won the 50/50 raffle (50/50 meaning that the prize was 50% of the raffle ticket sales money) put his winnings into the SOFTIN donation jug. The second act was when the same gentlemen won the other cash prize (donated along with a raffle prize) and also put that money into the donation jug. His name is withheld by request, otherwise we would shout his name from the rooftops. He’s our hero.

SOFTIN thanks our volunteers and the community (especially the car culture community) for their generous outpouring of support. Proceeds from SOFTIN events support our programs to provide at-sea education and skill-building adventures for the disabled, impaired, victims of abuse, frail elderly and youths-at-risk.

Capt. David Bacon
www.softininc.org
http://softininc.blogspot.com