While Willits is not formally involved with Sister Cities International, some groups of citizens have created ties to specific places out in the world. One of those connections is between staff members at Howard Memorial Hospital, and a hospital and orphanage in Valley of the Angels, Honduras. Medical personnel work with the hospital to provide what assistance and supplies they can, while administrative support staff go to the orphanage to spend time with the children and bring books or other useful items. In the photo above, Patsy from the administration team stands on the grounds of Howard Hospital in Willits, and shows three of her favorite photos from a previous visit to Valley of the Angels, including some of the angels at the orphanage. Even as I post this, she and other team members are down in Honduras again. Bless them all, and special thanks to Patsy for graciously cooperating with my strange request.
The first day of each month is always a Theme Day for the worldwide community of City Daily Photo Bloggers, and I invite you to take a look at how their communities connect themselves to the diverse world we live in. Click here to view thumbnails for all the participants.
Thanks also to Jay Gordon, and his fine work writing in the Nickel & Dime about this special effort by Howard Hospital staff, which brought it to my attention.
28 comments:
c'est une bonne et belle idée pour le thème du mois, bravo
this is a good and beautiful idea for this month's theme, bravo
This is beautiful, Elaine!
Very cool. There are many different ways to demonstrate and promote sibling-hood, and it doesn't need to be city fathers shaking hands.
Now that's an original way to show a Sister City Theme. Great. So different.
What a wonderful post.
Very touching, very you...
That is so cool, Elaine. My husband went to Honduras for a week with an engineering/architectural charity that was helping with Hurricane Mitch rebuilding efforts. They spent a week surveying a site and meeting with people in the area who requested their assistance in planning a community center with a medical clinic, church, and all sorts of social services. The people were amazing and my husband kept tabs on the project until his death last year. Now a friend of mine is getting a group ready to go down to another area of Honduras in November to help with an agricultural group for about the fourth or fifth time. Like the folks from your local hospital, I think people who use their vacation time to go help in areas where their skills are needed really have found something special. Three cheers for the Willits medical community forming this ongoing relationship.
-Kim
Seattle Daily Photo
That's lovely to hear!
A really touching post.
Sydney Daily Photo
You live in a town with a heart, Elaine!
Very interesting information. I agree with Chuck. . .You don't have to have formality to form a bond with anther city. Our church has adopted a little town in Haiti, and I hear more about that than the SC program cities.
what a nice way to show a sister city?
I think this a fine example of what sister city could mean. Forging real links with a community or project is real sisterhood rather than just linking one place to another without
exchannging ideas, cutural diffeneces or help. Excellent post on the theme.
Great post today E. Good people doing good work.
This is terrific! Excellent idea for theme day, Elaine! I really love your photo!
It's a sweet way to present your theme day!
A beautiful way to show bonds between people!
I wish you a nice day all over the world through our blogs!
An interesting story. Real people to people links are more important than a formal tie.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful story!
Great idea for the theme. Its also good to read about people forming their own twinning ties and offering a helping hand.
That's a really imaginative interpretation of the theme!
That is the spirit of Sister Cities.
Madison is the ONLY city in the ENTIRE state of Mississippi that has a sister. Luckily that's exactly where I live. :)
I can understand a smaller city like Willits isn't twinned, but a capitol like Jackson? I like your theme idea though. Willits does seem like a community that cares for its own and others.
There are so many kinds of sisterhood and this is one of the best there is. Beuatifully done, Elaine. It know from my volunteer work that it took a huge collective effort to create that photo.
Very original, very much in the spirit of sister cities: reaching out.
What a wonderful and original interpretation of the theme this month.
I love it.
"Louis" didn't register for this meme, but he's had a splendid time visiting those who did.
You are all so kind with your visits and comments. As Kim pointed out, the employees of Howard Hospital taking part in the Honduras trips are doing so on their own time. I admire them so much, and I'm proud to say that we are lucky to have such a highly regarded hospital in such a small city as ours.
Very, very nice realisation of the theme. Real life and a wonderful story too. How marvelous!
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