GIFTS OF THE HEART

 

sheahandheart

“Each of us can look back upon someone who made a great difference in our lives, someone whose wisdom or simple acts of caring made an impression on us. In all likelihood it was someone who sought no recognition for their deed other than the joy of knowing that, by their hand, another’s life had been made better.” – Stephen M. Wolf

In the past few months,  the e-NABLE members have been working on new designs and improvements and making hands here and there – but the biggest accomplishments are not the hands themselves that are being created….it is the laying of a foundation that will help spread this “e-NABLE Maker Movement” concept – far and wide.

We are building our “Global Collection” of volunteers and they are learning how to make these hands and in turn the people who they are making hands for – are now offering to make them for others and “Pay it Forward” so that others like them can know what it is like to “Get a hand” from someone they may never meet – simply for the sake of helping.

There are designers who are spending countless hours designing and sharing those designs as open source so that not only can people download their work and print them out – but they encourage others to take those files and improve upon them! They are not asking for reimbursement for their time – they simply want to help make someone’s life better.

There are makers who are spending their own money to print out test prints of designs, creating parts for people they will never meet, prototyping new creations and not once asking for payment. They love what they are doing. They want to make a difference.

 

We have numerous people in our community who are behind the scenes – keeping track of incoming inquiries, matching recipients with makers in their area, answering emails, writing blog posts, finding sponsors, creating forms and print work, putting together kits, making tutorial videos and so much more. None of them ask for credit or recognition. None of them ask for payment for their time spent doing things that most of the community will never see.

How can these hands cost only $50 to make? What about paying for the research and development? What about paying for the bad prints and the mess ups? What about the printer costs and the electricity used?

Because we have over 1300 people who are working together from thousands of miles apart – to make this happen.

And we do not ask to be paid for their “Time” spent making a difference.

You can’t put a price tag on a gift of the heart.

You just can’t.

mead

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