Philanthropy and Philosophy

In a meeting today, one of the icebreakers was to reflect on a time that you 'gave' philanthropy and received philanthropy.

That made me think. That thinking (plus boredom at the all-day meeting) led me to create a list of all the volunteering/community work that I've done. I was pretty surprised. Take a look; I've been involved for nineteen years already!

--3rd grade (1987): Adopt-a-whale project. We adopted an Orca named Nugget. (We may have voted on the name.) We then created a life-size papier-mache orca that was hung in the hall/ceiling by our door.

--4th grade (1988): Adopt-a-grandparent project. You totally couldn't get away with this now: our whole class walked a couple blocks to the local nursing home and hung out with the old folks. My 'grandparent' was Merle, who always gave me candy.

--6th-8th grade (1991-1993): working with the 5th grade orientation program (led/organized by my mom [I went to middle school where my mom and stepdad taught; a very affluent, well-known district; I stuck out like a sore thumb but I was in it for the academics]).

--6th-8th grade (1991-93): in a community group called, I think, "Together!" We did your basic awareness stuff and did a couple walks, though I can't for the life of me remember what for.

--11th-12th grade (1996-97): Planned Parenthood Teen Council

--12th grade (1996): in a special health class where, either once a week or four days a week, we all drove down to the nearby elementary to tutor at-risk first and second-graders.

--12th grade (1997): Seattle AIDS Walk

--12th grade (1997): for Senior Marketing class, held a stuffed-animal drive to benefit the fire and police departments. (You know, to bring to traumatized children)

--freshman year of college (1998): volunteer project at a church soup kitchen serving homeless/at risk teens.

--sophomore year (1998-99): Lifestyle Advisor (campus peer health program with about ten different subprograms): Positive Body Image

--junior and senior year (1999-2001): University Health Education Leadership Program (after I transferred to UW)

--junior and senior year (2000-2001): intern at Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention (EDAP; merged with AABA in 2002 to become NADA)

--2002: AmeriCorps NCCC: extra volunteer hours performed with/for: Bea Gaddy; a church soup kitchen; Habitat for Habitat; a park near the Delaware Water Gap in New Jersey; DC Peace Corps ceremony; Baltimore Reads; New York Cares. Service day projects: cleaning a Baltimore bird sanctuary (made a trash dump by locals); cleaning up Baltimore streets

--2003-2004: Habitat for Humanity of Eastern King County (about once a month)

--2003-2004: Seattle Works TeamWorks events (12)

--2003, 2005: TrailBlazers Operation Muscle

--2005: New York Cares bi-annual events (2)

--2005: MLK Day of Service

--2005: TrailBlazers work; benefit

--2005: Katrina donation drive at school

--2004-present: teaching!

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Dang, look at that! I had forgotten about most of this; I need to make a fancy resume version for future non-profit endeavors.

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Volunteering is fun and easy! You should do it.

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Sorry for the dull post. :)