Hurricane Katrina
Mood:  sad
No doubt if you logged on, you saw the link to allow you to donate to the relief effort for Hurricane Katrina. I just wanted to second the call to support the Red Cross and its programs. Many people are at a loss as to how to help from so far away, especially when they hear about the hunger and the desperation. All donations big or small would be appreciated at this time. Sovereign Bank is matching the first $50,000 donations that are made at their branches that are payable to the Red Cross. I have often enough said that I had family that came from Mobile. Thankfully, no one was hurt or is suffering. People are down there without power which is actually considered good in comparison to New Orleans and the state of Mississippi. So...I made my contribution. I hope that others will make theirs if they can: http://www.redcross.org/ Addendum Okay...maybe the bulletin read a bit like the solicitation that organizations send out on a monthly basis but hey, my heart was in the right place even if I am not very original.

Volunteer Orientations
Mood:  lazy
Now Playing: Golden Dreams by David Bowie for the Trainspotting #2 soundtrack
For a reason that I cannot fathom, I signed up to deliver New Volunteer Orientations for a local organization that I volunteer through. Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a pseudo-extrovert. Speaking in front of groups of people is difficult. However, when "preaching the gospel," anything is easy. One of the pillars of marketing is that your customers are your best salespeople. There was a time where I was "evangelical" about the organization. Now my "religious zeal" is tempered with a kind of sobriety. I love the work and the opportunities that I have had because of them. I personally seek something more and as I go on, I find that what I am looking for is not necessarily found in volunteer work. So...my challenge is to get people excited while not betraying that I am not always. I do believe that these are to be my last two orientation for the year. Wish me luck.

Wanting to do good without being tired...
Now Playing: The Soundtrack to Trainspotting
In the bad old days, volunteer work meant feeding someone in a soup kitchen. Now, there are as many oppotunities as there are people. It's hard for a person to know where to go and what to do. One organization that I have volunteered for offers over 200 volunteer oppotunities per month! Each of those opportunities have the potential to offer additional opportunities and well, you have a loaded week and a very tired volunteer. Balance is the key to many things. You don't have to be a superhero to do good. You also cannot do any good or be any good unless you are well. It is one of those things that you learn over time as you grow.

Room to Read Boston Event- Libby Koponen and Children Helping Children at Porter Square Books (Cambridge, MA)
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: The way that you love me by Phyllis Hyman
Time: Sunday, June 12, 2005 3:00 PM
Place: Porter Square Books (www.portersquarebooks.com)
Address: 25 White Street, Cambridge, MA 02140


Join author Libby Koponen for an interactive discussion about Blow Out The Moon, her award-winning children’s book about the adventures an American girl who attends an English boarding school. Libby, who is a popular guest speaker at local elementary schools. Her presentations delight children and engage their imagination. Blow Out The Moon is the winner of the 2005 Massachusetts Honor Book Award for “outstanding achievement in children’s literature.” It was also chosen as one of the “100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2004” by the New York Public Library.

There will also be a short presentation about the “children helping children” Read-a-Thon program sponsored by Room to Read.

Room to Read is an award-winning non-profit organization that has built over 1,550 libraries and 113 schools. Its mission is to help eradicate illiteracy across the developing world. Room to Read currently serves the following countries: Cambodia, Nepal, India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Laos.

For more information about Room to Read, please visit www.roomtoread.org.
For more information concerning the "Libby Koponen and Children Helping Children at Porter Square Books" event, please call 617-764-1145
(ask for Jamie)

What can I say?
Now Playing: Silence
What can I say? I hope to be more diligent as the summer comes along...

Debrief- Tsunami Fundraiser hosted by Room to Read Boston
Mood:  blue
Now Playing: The Soundtrack to Garden State
In case anyone was wondering, the event was a success. Room to Read Boston raised $10,000 for the tsunami survivors in Sri Lanka. Dr. Ruffing and the Sackstein twins were a hit. They embodied what I think is the best in humanity. I don't say that lightly. In the case of the Sackstein twins, they saw a problem and came up with a solution. They did not let people dissuade them because they were kids, which can often happen. They run this venture more professionally than some adults I can think of. Ron Ruffing said something that I remembered hearing as a child. He said that his mother told him that, "those to whom much have been given are those of which much is expected." I was made to feel that way for most of my life. I think it is page three of the "Life as a Black person in America" handbook. I remember feeling very guilty at that point. I speak a lot about how people forget how lucky they are and recalled how I griped about my job, which I chose. I had the freedom to chose something. I complained about being tired earlier and remembered that I really had not a clue of what it meant to be REALLY TIRED. It was great to be surround by a good mix of people. People who were very well off, people who had a little more than enough and people who had enough but wanted to do for others because they realized that fate could have decreed that they could have been the unfortunate ones. If any of you were there and saw someone in a red top and black pants quietly policing the area, that was me. I would also like to hear from you if you were there. I am big on feedback. We are planning another mini-fundraiser in the fall. We also have 3 people who are interested in coordinating our Read a Thon effort. The Read A Thon is an initiative where elementary school kids will read book and collect pledges based on the number of pages that they have read. The proceeds will go to Room to Read to build a reading room. For those of us who are a wee bit older, it is similar to the MS read a thon. So far we have a school in Lexington interested. The three people who were interested last night came from Framingham, Worcester and Waltham. So in all, it was a good night and well worth missing Wife Swap.