Tuesday, May 8, 2012

summer lovin

In a low moment earlier this week, I was reading about Brooke Ellison, who has been quadreplegic since the age of 12 and who is currently working on her fourth degree and running for office, and I realized that I've been given so many opportunities that I've just turned down or wasted. While I tend to focus on service to the point where it almost becomes an idol, I often don't get much done. Instead of focusing my efforts and following through, I endlessly look for projects to take on, without really following through on any of them.

My new practice is to finish the projects I take on. And the first step in this, I think, is to become clear about what things I am taking on that are worth sticking to: do they fit with what I believe God wants me to do, specifically? Less self-importantly: are they in line with what I'm passionate about? Or are they just nice things to do?

Here's the tentative list of things I'm going to follow through on this summer:

1. Work with CAGeM, the Campaign Against Female Genital Mutilation. This is something I've been interested in since I was a teenager, and I've applied to join them as an administrative volunteer. I'm interviewing with them Thursday or Friday.

2. Work with Amnesty International -- another thing that was super important to me when I was younger. I've signed up for a monthly meeting on Monday, 5/12 and for an advocacy training on 5/23.

3. Form a group of volunteer-mommies in Brooklyn; build a community of moms who are interested in helping others here in the city.

4. Help kids who need attention and care in the city: I've signed up to mentor with imentor and am hoping to team lead a college application workshop for New York Cares, as well as an evening project at Tilden House. I'd like to start a similar project at one of the projects in our neighborhood.

5. Help families affected by the mayor's budget cuts: I'll be at CAMBAs Family Night this Thursday, and hopefully will be talking to Christie about how to help when I'm there.

6. Help people who are disabled get back to work. I'm not sure how to go this one yet, but I have joined NSCIA's New York Chapter and filled out a volunteer application for a local organization that assists the disabled.

7. Help make life better for people in nursing homes: I know the funding has been cut for a lot of programs in nursing homes throughout the city. I want to help but need to find a nursing home that needs volunteers first.

So: there's this summer. I think I'm still held back by wanting to do everything, but at least I'm sticking to these (seven) things, and can actually try and hold myself accountable for doing them, instead of spinning my wheels searching for new ways to help others on Craigslist.

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