It was a hot summer day and members of the beneficiary selection committee were walking through King’s Ridge: an upcoming apartment complex CASA that will provide housing in Wake County. We were all given hard hats to wear as we toured the building, sorting our way through wires, exposed insulation, and workers on the job. It was so exciting to be on the actual site of King’s Ridge and it made me feel like CASA trusted us as student leaders the same way we trusted them.
When we made our way into an apartment to see an example of a layout, I was filled with emotion. I could imagine a family moving in and having their own space for potentially the first time. I pictured how the walls could be decorated, where kids would sit to do homework, and how this bare apartment would soon be turned into a home. The designers were incredibly thoughtful with the floorplans, allowing a balance of open space and privacy in each apartment which made me feel even more confident in this project.
Touring King’s Ridge that day allowed me to visualize the impact we could make with Charity Ball. My friends and I whispered about how cool the building was and how much we hoped CASA would be picked as the beneficiary. We ended our tour, I loosened my hard hat, and I walked away ready for the fundraising work to begin.