The “Hope Ladies”

While we were working at the Buffalo Federation of Women’s Clubs fundraiser at the terminal a couple of weeks ago, founder of the Breast Cancer Awareness Garden (in the Memorial Drive traffic circle) Pat Klebes told me a great story. A couple of weeks prior, Pat, Carole Mc Dade and Mary Ellen Glynn were doing some weeding in the garden and community volunteer organizer, Ms. Elizabeth Triggs, brought a group of local teens by to see if they could help.

Pat’s first impression, based on the new jeans and sneakers they were wearing, was that the kids would be more of a hindrance than help. And it was true that these kids had little or no experience with gardening, but after a little coaching, the kids really got into it. One of them asked Pat, “who pays you for doing this?”. When Pat replied that no one did, it must have made a lasting impression on these kids.

Ms. Triggs later called Pat and said “I don’t know what you said to them, but you touched their hearts. They call you the “Hope Ladies”!”. Pat told me that she cried when she heard that, and indeed, had tears in her eyes as she told that part of the story. I think those kids were touched by the fact that these ladies would actually volunteer their own time and money to make their neighborhood a little prettier.

Ms. Triggs returned with the kids the following week with about a hundred dollars worth of new flowers and mulch. The kids felt that the garden needed more flowers. And the best part, Pat told me last night that she, Mary Ellen and Carole had attended a couple of the kids’ graduation ceremony the night before, as special guests. The “Hope Ladies”, indeed. They brought hope to a generation that didn’t have much experience with hope.

Thank you Pat, Carole, Mary Ellen and all the regular volunteers of the BFWC who tend the Breast Cancer Awareness Garden. You touch all of our hearts!