Wednesday, March 27th, 2024

Happy Anniversary

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To all the OPR faithful,

According to Angela today is OPR’s one year anniversary since we first opened for business in Pass Christian, MS. I thought it was yesterday, but she’s better at remembering anniversaries than I am.

It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year. It’s even harder to believe that what is now a global charity started out as two people working together by the seat of their pants just trying to do a little good in the world.

The year has had it’s ups and downs. Many times we found ourselves overwhelmed by the emotional impact of our work and meeting those who have lost nearly everything.

Other times, we have found ourselves overwhelmed by the sheer weight of the task that we have taken on.

Speaking only for myself, I’ve been feeling that I may have bitten off more than I can chew. Running this organization is short on reward and long on stress and labor. My morale has been beaten down to the point where my OPR work seems like a 10 page term paper that’s due tomorrow. I look for anything to take my mind off of it. Usually, that anything turns out to be whatever is on TV.

I realize that goes against everything that I said about this project when it was started. I said that I was in it for the long haul and I meant it. I didn’t want OPR to be one of those aid organizations that springs up in the wake of disaster, but disappears rapidly without fulfilling its promises. I still mean it, but I’ve been in desparate need of inspiration.

That inspiration has been Angela, my wife and OPR’s treasurer. She has been behind the scenes supporting OPR since day 1. Her work on and for OPR has been a tireless guiding force in taking this organization to where it is today.

So while I sit with my butt glued to the couch, Angela can be found packaging up prints and getting them ready to mail out. She actually gets excited when a new shipment of restored prints arrives at our door. Where I see more work, she see’s the fruition of our goal. She pours over each print often smiling while thinking about how much it will mean to the image’s owner to receive it.

A year after OPR’s birth, we have over 1,000 volunteers across the globe working for no other reason than to help a fellow human being. I find myself recommitted to the goals and ideals of this organization because of a single person’s effort. So as I thank all of you who have joined OPR in its mission, I especially thank Angela for providing me with the inspiration to keep going.

Happy anniversary everyone. Keep up the good work.

Dave

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