LIVE UNITED Y’All!

Here at Metro United Way, we often ask the question, “What are you passionate about?”  We ask the question of potential volunteers when we’re trying to figure out what volunteer opportunities they might most enjoy doing.  We ask it of donors so we can help them connect their philanthropy to the causes they believe in most deeply.  We ask it of companies so we can determine how Metro United Way can help that business express its social conscience and become a better corporate citizen of our community.

But what is passion, anyway?  Webster’s Online Dictionary defines it as: 1) strong feeling or emotion, 2) something that is desired intensely, 3) any object of warm affection or devotion.

So, the question is, what causes or issues do you feel most strongly about?  To what do you devote your time, energy, talents, and resources? Of what greater good do you want to be a part?   Whatever it is, find a way to become an advocate for that cause and use your passion to benefit others. 

For example, I have a friend who has a heart for older adults who live alone.  She devotes a portion of her time to cleaning the homes of these people, which meets their need for a healthier living space, provides them with socialization once a week, and gives them the comfort of knowing that someone is checking on them regularly.  I have another friend who is passionate about the restoration and preservation of historic homes.  He spends a portion of his time helping his neighbors with home repair and restoration projects, is in the process of restoring his own Victorian-era house, and opens his home for the holiday house walk to raise money for and awareness of his city’s historic preservation efforts.   Another friend cares deeply about the soldiers that serve our country overseas.  Each week, she writes notes of encouragement and appreciation to U.S. service men & women, makes fleece blankets to send to them, and advocates for veterans.

So how about you?  Whether it’s animals, the arts, the protection of the weak, cooking, knitting, civil rights, antique cars, sports, or gardening, there’s a way that you can use your passion to educate, uplift, encourage, and challenge others.  I challenge you to find a way to do just that.

General advocate, Community, Giving, passion, service, Volunteering

I am struck by the growing sense of possibility for personal, community and national brighter futures that is emerging as the inauguration approaches. Very many people seem to believe that the opportunity for institutions, including government, to change for the better is more real than it has been in many years.

At the same time and perhaps more importantly, large numbers of people also believe that institutions by themselves, including government, will not be able to create the neighborhoods, communities, and the nation for which we long. For that to happen, it will take a vast outpouring of commitment and participation in creating better neighborhoods, schools, communities, workplaces, etc. Many of us who want things to be better, are willing to become committed and active in working toward the common good.

And the largest and strongest group ready to make that commitment and become active participants are the young people in their twenties. They are aching for a way to make a life of making a difference.

Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) have introduced S. 3487, The Serve America Act. A major legislative initiative to expand and improve domestic and international service opportunities, the bill will recruit Americans of all ages to do service work in health, education, environmental protection and anti-poverty programs. S. 3487 will expand opportunities for people to serve their communities at every stage of life, from students and working adults to retirees. The original cosponsors include both presidential candidates, Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL), as well as Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT).

Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter makes a compelling case in his column, “Don’t Muffle the Call to Serve” in the January 10, 2009, issue. According to Alter, national service should be part of the next economic stimulus package proposed by the Obama administration.

“Consider this: for 1 percent of the stimulus, about $7 billion, Obama could create 8 percent of the 3 million new jobs he has promised. Those 250,000 new national-service slots would simultaneously fulfill his campaign pledge to young people. And with 15 years of scandal-free AmeriCorps apparatus in place, service jobs can be established with Rooseveltian speed, an important criteria for inclusion in the stimulus. At about $20,000 each, AmeriCorps jobs are also much less expensive than those in construction.

“The other standard Obama has wisely applied to the package is that every dollar spent should help the country long-term… Service develops the talents of those who perform it as well as those they help. It changes lives. And communitarian thinking is contagious. Each year, AmeriCorps’s 75,000 full-time members leverage another 1.7 million volunteers.”

Seems like a bargain to me.

Advocacy, Education, General, Health, Income, Volunteering Common good, Obama, recovery, service