Walk Into the Future

Category: Networking

  • Volunteer

    The Salvation Army states, ‘We are dedicated to doing the most good’ when researching the organizational mission statement.

    This simple concept caught my eye as I looked for opportunities to volunteer and make a difference in the local community.  There are multiple local organizations geared to help others, but the Salvation Army was a great starting point to dip my toes back into the volunteer world.

    I reached out to their Volunteer Coordinator to check on the process and see what opportunities they had available.  She was quick to reply and let me know they always need help in the Retail Store, but the most pressing need was organizing the donated items for the Library.

    I decided to tackle the Library project since it was identified as a pressing need.  Turns out they had hundreds of donated items (bibles, hymnals, books, games) but no real organizational structure for the room.  My task was to bring some order to the Library and get items off the floor and on shelves—easy enough!

    Took me a little over two hours to create an organizational structure for the donated items and get everything on the shelves.  This project was not rocket science, but it was something the staff needed done to enhance their operations and introduce visitors to the Library.

    I shared a little about my academic and professional background with the Volunteer Coordinator and quickly discovered I could help them in additional ways.  Her major volunteer need for the holiday season will be Red Kettle bell ringers around the city.  Statistics show volunteer bell ringers garner more donations than paid bell ringers.  This is because the volunteers truly want to be there and are more engaging when greeting potential donors.

    I’m using my local network of contacts to help the Salvation Army with their recruitment program to find bell ringers for the holiday season.  I’m sure they will have a few other projects I can lend a hand with and enhance programming to meet their needs.  Looking forward to a long and productive partnership with the Salvation Army.

    What organizations can you help in your local area?  What special ‘skills’ can you lend to enhance the organizational mission and make a difference?

    Make it a great day!

    Volunteer

  • Thanks for Walking with me!

    Interesting to note the people who have continued to walk with me into the future.

    I have an amazing set of friends, some who have been with me for years and others who have joined my journey more recently.  I appreciate the time they invest in me and do my best to return their investment daily.

    A large part of my journey is the inclusion of my friends in this walk.  The daily interactions (texts, emails, calls) I have with my friends allows me to continue to grow and know I’m making a positive difference in their lives.  I get great joy receiving a text about a professional accomplishment or huge ‘money move’ (Cardi B. reference) from my friends.  This keeps me motivated to continue to find ways to help others exceed their stated goals.

    The ability to make a difference daily has not diminished at all.  Walking into the future has provided me additional avenues to help others while experiencing new adventures in my life.  The ability to be available for conversations, texts and emails without schedule constraints is the best aspect of my walk so far.  I’m enjoying being able to branch out into multiple areas (travel, leadership, life, music, etc.) while walking into the future.

    Really looking forward to seeing what else this walk brings into my life!  I’m sure travel and mentoring will play a huge part!

    Thank you to my Board of Directors who keep me balanced daily!

    Thank you