June 11, 2014
I've recently had the pleasure of working with a client who was moving from a Garden Home at Friendship Village into an Independent Living apartment at FV. This woman amazed me with her ability to handle so many of the details on her own, selling furniture, giving items away, and not skipping a beat with packing up and making plans for her new apartment. I can only hope to have as much energy, ambition and positivity as she has at her age. It was a delight to get to know her.
Yesterday was the big move day, it was indeed a long day but so worthwhile to see her apartment come to life without so many of the boxes and packing paper piles, etc. My client was so thankful for my help. At the end of the day, we went over to her old home to pick up her cat to introduce her to the new abode. It was just so heartwarming to see it all come together. On the ride home, I was thinking about why I started my Personal Assistant & Concierge Service...and it was for projects like this move...to have the opportunity to get to know awesome people, to help ease their concerns and to work side by side to accomplish the goal with as much ease and comfort as possible. Then to top it off....I came home to a wonderful meal made with care by husband who was concerned that I had such a long work day. I am truly blessed.
I've recently had the pleasure of working with a client who was moving from a Garden Home at Friendship Village into an Independent Living apartment at FV. This woman amazed me with her ability to handle so many of the details on her own, selling furniture, giving items away, and not skipping a beat with packing up and making plans for her new apartment. I can only hope to have as much energy, ambition and positivity as she has at her age. It was a delight to get to know her.
Yesterday was the big move day, it was indeed a long day but so worthwhile to see her apartment come to life without so many of the boxes and packing paper piles, etc. My client was so thankful for my help. At the end of the day, we went over to her old home to pick up her cat to introduce her to the new abode. It was just so heartwarming to see it all come together. On the ride home, I was thinking about why I started my Personal Assistant & Concierge Service...and it was for projects like this move...to have the opportunity to get to know awesome people, to help ease their concerns and to work side by side to accomplish the goal with as much ease and comfort as possible. Then to top it off....I came home to a wonderful meal made with care by husband who was concerned that I had such a long work day. I am truly blessed.
A Single Ray of Hope celebrates 16 years of being in business in July 2022! How is this even possible? It is an amazing milestone for me and I am extremely proud and a veteran and woman-owned business.
Where did the idea come from to open a Concierge Service in Portage, Michigan? Well, myself and two dear friends would gather over frozen strawberry dacquiri's and making jewelry while brainstorming businesses to go into. My friends chose other routes and were equally as successful in their career paths, while I pursued opening A Single Ray of Hope's Personal Assistant & Concierge Service.
Still today, I love being of service to people. I am blessed to meet and work for a wide variety of clients. Individuals of all walks of life....some working professionals both with and without families, retired seniors and their adult children, various businesses and more. I love getting to know people and hearing about their fascinating lives. My reward is knowing that my service is giving them the ability to focus on what is most important to them. It's about the value of time and how they choose to spend it while handing of their TO DO List to a trusted business.
I started my business as a way of giving back to others. My youngest son has special needs and many family and friends helped guide us over the years, providing respite, words of encouragement, providing helpful information of where to go for services and assistance. The term...it takes a village is true. Others helped us and I wanted to help others in return.
Another reason for my business is I saw my mother who raised thirteen children end up struggling later in life with Alzheimers. I'd visit her in her nursing home and think...is this really how life should be for a women who worked so hard to put her children through catholic school by donating her artistic time & talents, staying up late at night just to have a little peace & quiet, stretching a dollar beyond belief, and raising a good family? Mom's put themselves last, we do it willingly but in the end, we are doing a dis-service to ourselves and our families. I thought life shouldn't have to be this hard. How about a providing a service so that people could enjoy life more instead of running in a hundred directions?
Many times, I don't see a lot of my clients....I'm in and out of their home during the day while they are at work. Shopping is done, errands done, dry cleaning is hanging in their closet, meals prepped or cooked, prescriptions picked up, library books returned, service people have been to the home such as plumbers, etc. My business gives my clients some breathing room and that is how life should be lived.
You get the picture. It's about work life balance and peace of mind....for both myself and my clients. Life is short....take time to smell the flowers.