Chapter 20

‎The morning was starting with a meeting at the county building. Jen was a close to retirement employee. She didn’t mind risking her job because she had enough years in to retire. She had a few bills to pay off I expected. That or something like it was why she was coasting to the finish line rather than walking out that day.

‎‎”So Jen what can I do for Social Services,” I asked.

‎‎”The boss wants to discuss it with you,” she demanded seriously.

‎‎”Sure why not?” I asked. Jen made a call then we waited for the child protective department manager to arrive. It took him ten minutes. In that time I learned more about Jen’s health, grandkids, and her dead husband than I ever wanted to know.

‎‎”Ed Rollins, this is Sam Delray,” Jen said. “My boss.”

‎‎”Sam,”I said shaking his hand.

‎‎”Ed, I hear you want to volunteer with us, why?” he asked.

‎‎”Like I told Jen. I get bored easily, and then I get depressed,” I said. “The Doctor tells me I don’t qualify as clinically depressed. I just need to stay busy. I’m looking for a chance to do some good at the same time. ‎”I don’t want a full time job, but I want my hours to mean something.” ‎‎”Believe it or not Ed, you aren’t the only one who feels that way. I think I can put together something that will be challenging and meaningful for several people like you.” he said. “Are you familiar with the school shootings recently in the news?” He asked.

‎‎”Sure the shootings were a shame,” I said.

‎‎”The school resource officer at one school was a shameful display of cowardness and the resource officer at another was a true hero. We can’t even afford to hire the cowardly officer, let alone a hero.”

‎‎”Why would you need to hire a resource officer at all?” I asked.

‎‎”Good question,” he stated. “We run a daycare for abused families. A place for moms getting away from their abusive husbands to leave the kids while they get their lives in order.”

‎‎”Define get their lives in order,” I demanded.

‎‎”Let’s say the women need‎ to go to court to get some things taken care of. Most of the time they have no one to mind their kids. We have a daycare center almost totally staffed by community volunteers. There is a minimal budget for the daycare.

Then after they get the courtroom taken care of, they have more appointment with social services. Those go much easier if there is a safe place where they can leave the kids,” Sam explained.

‎”As you can imagine, the day care is under a constant threat, even though it is minor, it only takes one incident to be really bad publicity. We depend on those volunteers. They need to know the risk is being addressed. Those people all of them deserve to be protected. That is where you and the others come in,” he said.

The supervisor in me came out at that point. “You are going to need about five people like me to have continuous coverage.” I explained.

‎”Yes I know. So if you help us, we can get an all volunteer security force I think,” Sam said.