I didn't sleep too well last night; it's 70 in Athens and humid. I think we're expecting rain today and I can't wait for cool rainy weather. Cook up a storm, bring in some firewood.

Apparently two of the Moms at the Shelter nearly got in a fight this weekend, indirectly started because one older child didn't treat a younger child well and the Mom corrected the other Mom's child. Anyway, the two Moms were very upset, the night staff was upset, the case manager only slept a couple hours and came to me for help. I tried to suggest to her that, although we certainly don't want violence, people lose their temper in lots of situations, including families and friends, and it's not the end of the world, even though we need to take action. The four of us met and I think the Moms will both have counseling. They know they could be put out of the Shelter for fighting. One of the things we need to do, at the Shelter as well as in other situations, is minimize the drama. The residents (and staff) tend to analyze and revisit who said what all the time. What we need to do now is go forward. I felt wise and effective, but we will see how it goes today and in the future.

I was invited to a luncheon sponsored by the Junior League about collaboration. I met the new superintendent of schools and enjoyed talking to him. He seems very down to earth and approachable. He wants to improve the dropout rate and seems to feel that some of the blame lies with CCSD policies, a refreshing change. I am not sure he and I would agree on every topic, but I admire his willingness to be honest with me. Vicky Clark was the speaker; toward the end we were talking about how to end collaborations that are not working. If you are putting more into a partnership than you are getting out of it, it may be appropriate to politely wihdraw. She used as an example somewhere she worked years ago. They had a volunteer training program for young people sponsored by Nestle. They decided to stop it because of Nestle's selling formula in third-world countries where the water wasn't safe. I raised my hand to say that we buy a lot from Walmart, but Walmart contributes to poverty and homelessness. Tina, from the Food Bank, said that wasn't true, she had worked there. We talked a little afterwards. She said she had started there at almost $10 and got benefits even though she was part-time. Joan (from Project Safe) told me afterwards they have struggled with this for years. Being good stewards of the donations given to you means buying the cheapest, right? I'm even having trouble of thinking of a local retailer who sells khaki pants and polo shirts. Is Goody's or Target better than Walmart?

Ray was really tired after his weekend and short night Sunday, so I left work at 2:30 and brought him home to bed. I made supper, watched TV, and went to bed.