Volunteer At A School - They Need You

My youngest son is 4 years old. He recently started preschool at a nearby church. I was as excited about this milestone for myself as I was for him. I planned to dedicate my new found free time to working diligently on my current novel. Then I read all the paperwork that accompanied my son's admission. Surprise! I was expected to volunteer in Ethan's classroom at least three times during the school year.

At first, this frustrated me. I went to my selfish place and figuratively had a tantrum that my little piece of freedom was being encroached upon. I didn't stay there very long because I realized that my little boy's childhood is speeding by as fast as lightening and I didn't want to miss it.

Yesterday his eyes lit up and he held my hand as we walked into the school. "This is so awesome, Mom," he said. I helped his teacher, Ms. Kelly, prepare the crafts, serve snack, and clean up at the end of the day. Ethan stayed near me all day and occassionaly blurted out to one of his classmates, "Hey, that's my mom!" Now it was my turn to beam with pride.

I watched the children's reactions when they found out they were making puffy flowers with glue and shaving cream...messy, fabulous fun....and I was thankful to be there and be part of it. It did me a world of good to remember the joys of childhood and how simple life can be if I don't complicate it.

Ms. Kelly appreciated the help and thanked me at the end of the day. I'm going back in May to help her again. Our children's teachers need us - our time, our commitment and our support. Also, our children need us to participate in their education. If they see learning is important to us then it will take on a new meaning to them.

Educators complain that parents use schools as babysitters and surrogate parents. What if adults had to sign a contract to volunteer in the public school where their child attends - like I had to for my son's preschool? Would things be different in that community?

Sign up with a teacher to be a helper for the day. Elementary schools are always looking for volunteers, as are secondary and high schools. Don't be leery of the big kids. They need us, too.

PSI Seminars - My Weekend of Discovery

When my staff partner and I opened the doors on the September Basic PSI Seminar, we saw a lobby full of nervous, apprehensive people. From all walks of life – real estate agents, mothers, constructions workers, nurses, teachers, retirees, teenagers –they filed quietly into the auditorium. PSI doesn’t advertise so the students were there on the recommendations of friends, family, or business colleagues.

They were nervous and frankly a little scared because the Basic Seminar isn’t easily described or encapsulated in a brochure. It’s an experience. And as I watched the weekend unfold, I was reminded that the individual experiences are as unique as blades of grass in a field . The “ah-ha” moments the previous students discovered might be completely lost on this newcomer. By Sunday night the mood changed completely and each one left with a proven set of tools for reaching their goals, a deeply personal inventory of themselves, and a renewed excitement about the future.
They came in looking isolated and left with hugs. We had to shoo them out of the auditorium because they were having so much fun exchanging email addresses with eighty plus new friends. They left knowing that the aloness they’d felt before was just an illusion. We are all connected.

This morning I discovered a quote from a graduate named Mark Montoya. He said this about PSI Seminars - “Crucial to my development as an adult and a successful sales and marketing professional was my enrollment in the PSI Seminars, a series of seminars that empower people to change their lives. Attending the PSI Seminars helped me hone my leadership skills, understand the importance of goal setting, expand my capacity for success, and develop real integrity.”

I witnessed the transformations and empowerment Mark spoke of. I watched as, in a safe environment, the students won back lost integrity and self respect, taking personal responsibility for their lives. They set goals for the future. This was like a foreign language to many of them. Decades had passed since one woman had dared to dream of anything for herself. I listened as they shared about their lives, each story resonating with me and others in the room. A few brave souls allowed people to really KNOW them for the first time in their lives.

As a volunteer staff person, I took part in the exercises, too, giving me the opportunity to do the personal work again and set my own 90 day goal. I took a clear look at where I am and the greatest clarifier was the students. I uncovered my answers through their stories and my interactions with them during the exercises.

All of them are awesome, wondrous human beings. I’d love to have a big party and invite the whole group! Helping out with a personal growth class or any personal development work you believe in is a gratifying way to make a difference in the world. Take someone you care about to a church retreat or tell them about a support group that worked for you and accompany them there. Go with friends to see leaders who motivate you or get an extra ticket and invite that person at work you hardly talk to. Give back to them some of the valuable information that’s been passed on to you. Better yet, go learn a new concept together!

Make a Difference Day - What are you doing on October 28th?

A few years ago in Tallahassee, Florida, 350 people gathered to help Disaster Services hand out over 1000 Disaster Information Packets, to help prepare their community for weather related and other threats. How were they able to rally 350 people to help walk neighborhoods on a Saturday morning? USA WEEKEND Magazines organized effort Make A Difference Day provided the platform and people all over the country answered the call.

This year, Make A Difference Day is Saturday, October 28th. Now is the time to begin planning a project to help your community. It can be as simple as collecting clothes for a women's shelter or as labor intensive as opening a new feeding center for the homeless in an abandoned storefront. The beauty is you decide what your town needs, the problem you are passionate about, and how to make it happen. Then execute your efforts this fall on October 28th.

Last year, newly adopted 12 year old Adam Selmon listened to his mother read from the USA WEEKEND magazine about Make A Difference Day. Adam, who was adopted from an orphanage in Liberia, had an idea. He took his African drum to the park and played for passersby. Through donations for his beautiful music, Adam raised $207 to help orphans in his homeland, especially his old friends at Benjamin Britt Academy.

For his efforts, he received $10,000 from Paul Newman's foundation Newman's Own. The money is helping African orphans through a charity in Adam's hometown of Norman, OK.

The Make A Difference Day website, http://usaweekend.com/diffday/index.html, has a fun project idea generator that will help in brainstorming ideas for projects. The generator lists examples of projects done in the past that might spark your interest, such as the story of a 13 year old who collected 8,500 pair of socks for the homeless; or a couple who used their store to advertise for donations to buy a pre-constructed home for a local family who lived in a tent.

Whatever you chose to do, it's a great opportunity to be part of something larger than yourself and maybe win a $10,000 donation for your favorite cause.