The Agency

I wish I had Before & After photos that could show you what Lorraine accomplished in an incredibly short time at my small agency's front office, in which an overwhelmed former staffer's work had been compromised due to long-term lack of oversight by a director who suddenly departed. But the problem wasn't only how the place looked (which was chaotic). The problem was also what your mind felt like if you tried to find anything, or tried to work with it once you found it. The place was a mental as well as a physical mess, with almost no routine procedures or sense to the filing - both the folders of paper documents AND the server's electronic filedocs were unnavigable mazes of important materials mixed with redundant and outdated stuff. Everything needed to be gone through and weeded, thrown away, or more logically organized for either dealing with or archiving.

If there was a "Before" pic of the situation and the mind confronting it - hmm-m-m: Imagine mounds of spaghetti with trash sauce. The "After" shot? Well, if I had to continue the metaphor, it would be wide pantry shelves full of clean, well-lighted, logically organized right-sized containers of well-selected ingredients, and a library of choice cookbooks! But please know that this agency had nothing to do with fancy cuisine; it does critical work in helping a vulnerable, challenged Seattle population.

Amazingly, Lorraine accomplished her miracles WHILE fulfilling the former staffer's duties. As she worked the front-office job on a temporary basis, she learned what it entailed and made a map of what she found. Piles of what I'll politely call junk, which had gotten mixed up with important papers, quickly disappeared from the desk and tops of cabinets, while file folders containing the important things lined up obediently in the file drawers, neatly labeled. Lorraine created a Protocols Book for the job that listed the daily procedures for different tasks, important information about the computer system, passcodes for everything (which she organized a locked file drawer to hold), and basic background and contact information about the agency. She made considerable headway on weeding and reorganizing the electronic files and established an "OFFICE" folder on the server complete with necessary info for running the place, templates, and resources for publications including graphics and logos. As a result of her work, anyone who sat in her chair after she left, whether the new hire or a volunteer filling in, would be able to do the job well.

Best of all, Lorraine is terrific to work with. Staff and volunteers adored having her there. She's smart, quick, and flexible. She was tolerant of delays and glitches caused by yours truly as I tried to find my own way through the mess. She's a good collaborator, taking a hazy notion of mine and running with it, making it work with her own special touches. She's extremely hard-working - if there was ever a lull for some reason, she found a new necessary task to start on. But she's no grim plodder - she's SO FUN! She's also a mensch and a compassionate soul - the perfect person to greet some of our needier clients. And she's a woman of perfect integrity; I'd trust her with any of the things and people I love.

Essentially, Lorraine helped rescue this agency. I don't know what I'd have done without her.

Dr. Judy L.

My Home Office - The Last Frontier

After an exhausting 8 month remodeling project, I needed help moving all
my possessions back in to my home. Lorraine was there for me every step
of the way in every room as I unpacked boxes that had been too-hastily
packed months before. Each item uncovered was respectfully considered
using Lorraine’s fast and easy criteria, and in much less time than I
imagined, boxes were removed to recycling and my beautiful home looked
better than it ever did before.

I was particularly challenged by my home office area that had been created
under the new stairwell to my upstairs addition. It was a disaster of the
first order and one that I needed to access continually during the
unpacking process. We decided to leave it for last and when the dreaded
day came to “deal with it” Lorraine was cheery, bright and encouraging,
assuring me it would be more fun than work. Sure enough, within a matter
of a couple of hours, I had an entirely new filing and organizing system
created from my existing boxes, baskets and file drawers. In addition, I
had a side table nearby that she artfully arranged with my favorite coffee
table books and photographs.

Thanks to Lorraine, not only do I now have a wonderfully “Sorted Home”, I
have the knowledge and tools to keep it that way.

Michelle P.

Before & After

Before & After

The "FEMA" Room

As a first-time mother of a newborn, I was overwhelmed at the prospect of facing my "disaster room." For months, I've stared at the clutter in that room, wondering how I'd ever get the shipwreck cleaned up. (Particularly now that my daily life has been turned upside down by the needs of a wonderful newborn!)

Lorraine gave me a five-step strategy for dealing with the clutter, and she even helped me go through the piles of "stuff" in the room. In a little under an hour, we got 1/3 of the room cleared up. It was an amazing experience...she made me feel like this task is manageable, and that I'm capable of clearing out the space given my time constraints and lifestyle. Lorraine reminded me that I deserve to have a space of my own which makes me feel special, and now I'm motivated to keep going! Even with a newborn at home, I'm finding ways to clear the clutter and get the room slowly transformed into a space I am proud of!

A million thanks, Lorraine!

Brooke K.

Before

After