Get Started Today!
Why I Love AMTA
AMTA Lends their Hands (and a couple of feet) to Extreme Makeover Home Edition
From December 13th through 17th, 2012, 22 members of AMTA-NC participated with over 3,000 other volunteers in building a new home for the Friday family in Lincolnton. The Fridays were tagged by ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition (EMHE) because of their long history of making a home for foster children (more than 30 over the years). In April 2011 they adopted five children into their family to prevent them from being split up into multiple foster homes. While the Fridays had two other children already, their modest, 3-bedroom brick ranch was stretched beyond its limits. EMHE brought its designers, builders and volunteers to Lincolnton to replace the Fridays’ home with an 8-bedroom, 4,900 square foot one of a kind showpiece. A Christmas special in 2012 will feature the Friday’s story and the seven day, 24/7 build of their new home.
As part of the EMHE volunteer contingent, our AMTA-NC members manned a 20×20 tent for five days, providing chair massages from 8am to 12 midnight daily.
As part of the EMHE volunteer contingent, our AMTA-NC members manned a 20×20 tent for five days, providing chair massages from 8am to 12 midnight daily. Nine therapists were willing to share their talents for multiple days of the build. AMTA-NC provided all our volunteers with a t-shirt that identified them and let the EMHE volunteers know we were there to assist with their aches and pains. Due to the very physical nature of the labor the volunteers were performing, there were lots of back, arm, hand and shoulder issues. Many of the workers had never been exposed to massage treatment before and were grateful for the results from their therapy. Some EMHE workers had complaints of leg, knee, ankle and foot issues. Overall our members gave 118 treatments to a combination of men and women from 18 to 75 years of age. Due to the efforts of our therapists, these volunteers left the AMTA-NC tent and went back to work feeling refreshed and relieved.
We should all be proud of the efforts of the 22 therapists and their commitment to the massage profession during the build of the Fridays’ home. Despite construction site conditions, cold temperatures and a water feature running through our tent during one day of rain, our members performed admirably. This special event made an impact on individuals that have never had a massage previously, and it showed them the relief that massage can bring to their lives. In addition to my thanks to all the volunteer therapists, I would like to thank Kathy Howard and Jaci Krause for the opportunity to organize this special event for AMTA-NC.
Julie Nelson
The Walking Tree, LLC
2 Responses to AMTA Lends their Hands (and a couple of feet) to Extreme Makeover Home Edition
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
There were many opportunities on site. I spoke with several that had never had a massage in their life. Teaching them what a good therapeutic relationship is like and how important it is to talk with your therapist about what pressure they like and what type of massage they want. Another was surprised that I would work on his “stinky feet”. It became a teaching opportunity for what massage could do for plantar fasciatis. I am sure there were many teaching opportunities at EMHE. I am thankful for the opportunity to participate. Thank you AMTA.
Julie did an amazing job organizing the event. Extreme Makeover only gave us a 7 day notice and Julie pulled together an energetic team in very short order.
I want to thank her and all the therapists who worked the event. They were able to expose many people to massage that had never received it before. Volunteers taking care of volunteers, all for a worthy cause.
Cindy Rankin
AMTA NC President