For my 40th birthday this year, I wanted the opposite of a party: serenity, outdoor adventure, and introspection. So my husband and I packed our carry-ons and headed to Sedona, Arizona — the West’s most spiritual city and, according to the Sedona Tourism Board, one of the most beautiful places on earth. And after spending just one weekend there, I concur.
Sharing an open office space can be a tightrope to walk, but when done correctly, the benefits are able to truly shine. For starters, sharing an open work space allows for thriving collaboration, the foundation of bringing big company ideas to fruition. An open office space allows two or more employees to work closely, without walls or large physical barriers. The lack of physical barriers does not mean a room with no boundaries -- there are certainly a few things to address before jumping in to this style of work environment.
Marlene Aldrich first volunteered for the Mayor’s Give a Day/Week of Service years ago when she worked for the University of Phoenix. She and a team of co-workers painted and cleaned a local Boys and Girls Club. They enjoyed it so much that several of them returned on a regular basis to read to the children. “I think we really made a difference for those kids, and I know it was a win-win for us,” Marlene says. “It meant a lot to me to hear them say, ‘Hi, Ms. Marlene’ every time I came in.” Volunteering also solidified the friendship Marlene and her co-workers shared, and they remain close even though they no longer work together.
If Peggy Karman’s home were a poem, it would be When I Am Among the Trees by Mary Oliver. Perched high atop the tree canopy and overlooking a dry creek bed below, you wouldn’t fathom that this home was just minutes from downtown. From every room, stunning views of the forest below are all the eye sees. It is a refuge from the hustle and bustle of life outside this Mockingbird Valley home, and it is where Peggy feels at peace. She and her husband Rob refer to this space as their “nest,” and it is where she reflects on Oliver’s poignant poetry: “[to]...never hurry through the world but walk slowly, and bow often.”
Kourageous Kids is a not-for-profit 501c3 run by Hosparus Health geared toward helping any child with a serious or life-limiting illness. Kourageous Kids provides these children and their families with a team of experts to guide them with issues such as symptom control, counseling and spiritual support, and referrals to other community resources.
Louisville Youth Group (LYG), a 501c3, was created for LGBTQIA+ young adults (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual or allied). The primary target age was 13-20, but the nonprofit has found people searching for support for youth younger than that.
