www.lcup.net

The organization that I volunteer with, LCUP has a new website at www.lcup.net. Although this a local charity group, if you go through their website, you will see various links to other foundations like the Gannett Foundation (I was employed by Gannett Publishing years ago, great company...still owns USA TODAY and many other papers), and other literacy groups. If you have a few extra hours per month to help someone in need, tutoring is a great way to make new friends, to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride, and especially, to help someone with specific needs that get real results for their personal goals. Someone may just need help writing resumes, filling out personal records, reading English, studying for college, state or local exams such as driver's license or employment papers. Some people's need in the LCUP are dire and unique- such as teaching them about our monetary system and how to open a bank account so they may be ready when they are employed. Some are as broad as helping someone who speaks English learn how to speak it more clearly, so that they do not feel they are overlooked professionally (this is a commonly expressed opinion and worry about ESL clients).

Also, there is so much that a tutor ends up learning...from their student. I have always had many Hispanic friends, however I never knew the details of so many private concerns and stresses that my Columbian student has as a grown professional woman, who is working for a secondary degree. She, like many others, has insecurities about being a minority in her workplace and in the schoolroom, and we talk openly about these issues and most importantly, try to solve problems.

Anyway, all of us are "super busy". This seems to be the new badge of honor among our generation...how "super busy" we all are. How many cups of coffee we need, how over scheduled our kids are (mine are not and never will be), how much we "do do do"...but really, are we filling our time with events for us, and then claiming to be "busy"?

I have learned the past years that alot of my "business" (full time work, at times two jobs, and adding in Chamber of Commerce events, networking, etc) I also filled with with more events about "me". Once I started to realize I could spend time with my children, and have some free time every few weeks in the evenings..then I found that time for someone else. Volunteering has changed my life. My kids never knew about the charitable things I did before they were born, but you can bet they know my student, and serving their community is high on our priority list for them to be responsible young men.

Wow- it's crazy windy right now....I need to bring down our patio umbrella before it blows up on our roof like it did last year. Tornado weather coming!

Anyway, try to volunteer when you can. It will make your heart happy and will truly change someone's life.