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Natural Awakenings Naples and Fort Myers

It’s Never Too Late: Micky Enright Models the Life-Changing Adventure of Service Work

Jan 31, 2011 11:32AM ● By Lee Walker

By age 74, most individuals are looking for fulfillment in a retirement haven; not Micky Enright. Satisfied with her glowing career in real estate, the 32-year resident of Naples gave herself the gift of performing humanitarian work for her 70th birthday. Today, she shares her time and talents with Ecuador Project Hope, a nonprofit organization that operates under the guidelines of the Global Help Foundation, located in Naples.

Enright encourages others to realize that it’s never too late to do service work, dive into a new, life-changing adventure or journey into the unknown in their own city or a foreign country. She models this role every day in Cotachchi, Ecuador, where she works with the Agualongo preschool in an ongoing project whose mission is to give poor, indigenous children between the ages of three and five a safe and happy school environment.

“Service work offers great personal rewards,” says Enright, who has committed to a year in Cotacachi to meet the people and experience the project up-close and personally, something she urges others to do.

Enright recounts recent activities and work at the school that were made possible by donations to Ecuador Project Hope: teacher training, a new bathroom and a new refrigerator. “Although we couldn’t do this work without donations from generous individuals, we are still looking for people that are willing to come here and give of their love and compassion, as well as their skills and talents,” advises Enright, who offers the use of a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath condo for a nominal fee.

The condo was donated to her so that she and other volunteer humanitarians can serve the community. “I recently had two Neapolitans for 10 days, who brought much-needed school supplies,” she enthuses. “Also, Nancy Hannigan, another Neapolitan, moved here two years ago and opened a restaurant, where volunteers meet to enjoy a leisurely meal or a cup of coffee.”

Emphasizing that Cotacachi is a safe area and the culture of its indigenous people is very peaceful, Enright says, “I hope that my story will inspire readers to step out of their comfort zone and do what actor Alan Alda suggests: ‘Leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.’”

Adds Enright, “I can attest that every word of Alan’s observation is true.”


For more info, contact Micky Enright at [email protected] or EcuadorProjectHope.org.