Yesterday, the Curlee Hair boys and I ventured out on the campaign trail. We volunteered for a college buddy of The Committee. We were hopeful he would win his election, but he did not. He was running as a democrat, and as you know, the dems did not fair well yesterday.
The Curlee Boys did just as well...they did not fair very well on the campaign trail. After about 30 minutes, they were ready to pack it in and head home. Once we got to the election spot, they waved to passing traffic and held signs for about 2 minutes. They spent the remaining 28 minutes digging in the dirt pile located directly behind us. They found pieces of broken colored glass, rocks...a.k.a. dinosaur bones, and sticks. It was quite the chaotic event for them. After listening to the whining, I just couldn't take it any more and ran them over to their grandmother's house, where they were declared the worst campaign volunteers ever!
It wasn't so much that I was looking for perfection. No. When I signed us up to stand at the school where local voters were assigned to vote, I was hopeful to expose them to the American dream. The dream that anyone that is willing to serve, can step up and run for election by U.S. citizens to serve those same U.S. citizens.
It is not that I am hoping the boys will run for political office one day. However, I am hoping that they will be willing...willing to serve others in their community, willing to volunteer their time to help somebody of integrity reach their personal dream, willing to put aside differences to make their community be a better place, willing to look another in the eye and say, "Yes, I will do my best to help you and your children.", willing to lend a helping hand down to those that have fallen, and willing to be a proud citizen of this country remembering what others have gone through to give us the freedoms we now enjoy.
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.
~Edward Everett Hale I'm not sure that 2 minutes of holding a campaign sign and 28 minutes of digging in the dirt outside of a voting precinct taught the three older boys all of these lessons. But, hopefully over time and with more community events, each boy will grow to see the difference we can all make in our neighborhoods and communities. I hope you will too!
10 Ideas for Helping Your Community (that we can all do!)Volunteer your time and effort with one or more of these community service ideas.
1. Reach out to a neighbor in need. Every neighborhood has people or families in need, from elderly or handicapped shut-ins to struggling single-parent households.
2. Perform an act of random kindness. Buy healthy snacks for your office or the teachers at your child's school. Pay the tolls for several people behind you. Give an umbrella to someone stuck in the pouring rain. Learn more ideas here:
Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
3. Mentor children at your local school. library, or neighborhood center. All organizations that deal with children need adults of any age to work with the children in a variety of ways, from after-school tutoring to recreational and sports activities.
4. Serve at a local soup kitchen or food bank. There is no greater gift than helping feed those in your community who are down on their luck and would go hungry if not for the service provided to them.
5. Donate blood. You can help save the life of one or more people simply by giving a pint of your blood at your local blood bank or during bloodmobile visits to your community, school, or office. (And if you can't give blood, help organize a blood drive for those you can donate!)
6. Volunteer at the local animal shelter, rescue group, or humane society. The animals are part of our communities too, and many of these shelters and rescue organizations need much help to achieve their missions.
7. Visit a volunteering-related Website to find multiple opportunities to serve. One of the greatest benefits of the Internet is the amount of Websites that can help connect people with local organizations that desperately need help. Find these volunteering sites on our sister site, QuintCareers.com:
Volunteering and Nonprofit Resources.
8. Pick up trash along the road, at a local park, or along the banks of a river, stream, or lake. Many times there are organized efforts to clean some of these locations, but there is nothing stopping any of us from picking up litter when we see it. And smokers? Put the butt in the trash, not on the ground.
9. Help build a home with Habitat for Humanity. Working with Habitat not only literally builds the community, but also helps welcome a needy family who would not have a home without the help from people in the community. No building skills are necessary to volunteer.
10. Contact your local United Way, Red Cross, or Salvation Army for discovering new service opportunities. These and other local aid organizations are clearinghouses for many opportunities to serve in your local community, making a difference in the lives of your neighbors.
