Get Up & Dance…

Hey, yeah you
In the back of the room with those concrete shoes
It's okay, to cut loose
Oh, it ain't about how you move, but what moves you
We're so consumed with what we think we're supposed to be
That we stop living like we know that we're free                                                                                                                                                                                                                      - Happy Dance by Mercy Me

As I watched from the back of the room in my concrete shoes, during the inaugural Shining On Our Purpose event on Friday, March 22, these lyrics from Mercy Me’s  song Happy Dance came to my mind.  I was amazed at the joy I saw on the faces of the residents and staff of Village Northwest Unlimited as they danced together on the dance floor.  The joy was contagious.  I witnessed pure happiness as the residents let loose and truly enjoyed their time to shine.  The smiles on the faces  of the individuals served, the volunteers, the parents and our staff, made the all the work of planning and organizing the event so worth it.  As they danced and sang along with the songs DJ Patrick played, the stars of the night glowed with excitement.  They were without a care.  They were enjoying the moment,  They were living and they were free.  They were who they were designed to be.  It was one of the highlights of my career at VNU.   Seeing all these people forgetting about all their problems and just being happy, made even this old man with concrete shoes want to dance.

Thank you to the committee who planned, organized and fundraised for the event.  Shining On Our Purpose was a huge success, thanks to the selflessness of the committee, the volunteers and the staff who worked during the event.  Once again, VNU  staff demonstrated their desire to provide meaningful experiences for those we are privileged to serve.  Shining On Our Purpose surpassed all my expectations.  It was an incredible evening of celebrating the people we serve.  If you missed it, you missed something special.  It was a Happy Dance!

Brian Robyn                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Director of Human Resources