Something New: Dog Fostering

My furry weekend house guest.
Isn't she cute?

Last fall I had to say goodbye to my Chey dog.   It was rough.    

After almost 10 years of having my dog as a constant companion, I was pup-less.    

For the first few months, I knew it was too soon.

And the weather got warmer.   Everywhere I went there were happy dogs with their happy people.   

In the park.  At the farmer's market.  Relaxing on patios.

I was happy, but where was my happy dog?

Then someone let me know that there was a local service dog organization that needed weekend fosters.

Weekend fosters?   It's brilliant.   For both dogs and people.  

For the Dogs

The dogs are being trained throughout the week at their facility.   On the weekends they get to break free of the kennel and enjoy a relaxing weekend in someones home.

For the People

During the week, it's crazy.   Between work and play I'm not home very long.   But now on the weekends that I am home, I can have a furry four-legged house guest.   A house guest with very good manners. 

The Verdict

I'm still pretty new at this.   I've only had my foster pup of awesomeness for a few weekends.  

So far?   I love it.

If you're interested in fostering a dog, contact your local rescue organizations.    Many organizations rely on fosters to help with dogs in transition on their way to forever homes.             

How to Volunteer (part 3): Leave the Country

Is volunteering a regular part of your life? Can you think back to the last time you served someone? Are you looking forward to the next time? Are you ready to do it for the first time?

Volunteering has become such a part of the American landscape that most high schools have a community service requirement. Whether you are 12 or 82 you can get involved in your community or the world at large. Looking to find your way?

This is the third post in a series of How to Volunteer.

If you want to read the first post first or the second post second, go right ahead.   If you're feeling crazy and want to start with this one, go right ahead.  

Leave the Country

If you tell someone that you want to do volunteer work abroad there are a variety of different responses you might get
 

Option A:  That's awesome.  Can I go?

Option B:  Why are you going to another country to volunteer?   There are plenty of people here that need help.

Option C:  Why are you going there?  Is it safe?   I heard about ___________ in _________on the news.

Hopefully you'll get support and encouragement Option A style.   But you want to be prepared to react to someone who isn't as excited about your international adventure in service.    

 

Personal example:  Before I went to Thailand I heard option C at work: "I heard about the riots at the airport in Thailand."   That was true.    But I had a riot-free adventure while I was there.

How to respond to Option B?   Be honest about your reasons that you want to go abroad (culture, language, adventure, faith, etc).   If you're thinking about this kind of trip, you probably already volunteer locally. 

 

International volunteer opportunities fall into two categories:  It Finds You and You Find It.

It Finds You

I've gone on international volunteer trips to Costa Rica, Mexico (x3), Guatemala, and Thailand.   Thailand was the only trip that I searched for and planned from start to finish.   The five other trips happened through church and friends.   Your networks are the easiest way for this experience to happen organically.   

 

Usually the destination and project has already been determined by someone else.   A good friend is going to Cambodia later this year on a volunteer trip.    A year and a half ago if you would have asked her if she had any interest in visiting Asia she would have said no.   Then she heard a guest speaker and did her research.    Now she's bouncing off the walls in excitement.  

The trips that found me - and who I traveled with:

Costa Rica - a spring break mission trip in college - we taught VBS at a variety of small churches

Mexico 1 & 2 - my church in Indianapolis had a partnership with a church in Playa del Carmen - more VBS....can I say that I love juegos (games)?

I love games.  Anytime.  Anywhere.

 

Mexico 3 - a friend worked for a water non-profit, Healing Waters International, and we went to learn about their organization and did volunteer projects while learning about the local area and culture

Guatemala - a youth mission trip with Habitat for Humanity's Global Village...and a one day project with Healing Waters

You Find It

If a trip hasn't sought you out (yet), you can start looking for opportunities that fit where you want to go, what you want to do, and how much you want to spend (international volunteering is not free - more on that below).

First - ask friends or family who have done international volunteer work.   Where did they go?  Who did they work with?  Did they like it?   If you don't have a personal connection, start with a simple search for "international volunteer" and see what comes up.   Identify an international non-profit or relief organization and check to see if they have volunteer or educational trips.   You should thoroughly research any organization you decide to volunteer with, possibly check references of people who have traveled with that organization and consider the following:

• What will you be doing?
• Do you need to speak the local language?
• What in-country support is provided?
• How many hours per day will you be working?
• Are you working in partnership with locals or working alone (or just with your group)?
• Will you have a chance to explore local attractions, festivals or learn about the culture?  (one of my best memories on Mexico #3 was dancing at "Marimba Park" along with the local community out to enjoy the band)

Bring on the marimbas!

A cause that you already support is a good jumping off point.   A friend who sponsors a Compassion child was able to travel with them to the Phillipines a few years ago. 

In 2008 I decided I wanted to take a month off to volunteer and after doing some research and reading through other volunteer's blogs, I decided on Cross Cultural Solutions.    What I liked was that they offered housing, meals, cultural activities, language lessons and established work sites.  Every volunteer program is different.   Some offer a lot of support (you might even say "hand holding") and others are more self guided and require you to take the lead.  

International Volunteering is not Free

Let's just put that out there.   Deciding to do international volunteer work is not free.   Or cheap. 
Why?

• You usually have to fly there
• You have to pay for lodging, meals and transportation
• You often pay a program fee or make a charitable donation
• You want to do fun things while you're there (this includes eating a lot of ice cream)

I recently researched a 5 day trip that I would like to take with an organization that I believe in.   Let me say that I could take a 7 day Caribbean cruise (including airfare from Denver) for about half the cost.

The type of organizations that you go to help are on a budget.   Volunteers help gets the work done as well as promoting international understanding and community.   The relationships you build are as important as the project you are doing.    The majority of work should done by local volunteers so that the community is commited (Habitat is a great example).  

If you plan ahead, there are opportunities to fundraise.   If you're working through a US non-profit, friends, family and complete strangers can often make tax deductible donations towards your trip.   You can learn more from the organization you're working with.   Have a bake sale, work a side job, ask for your birthday presents to go towards your volunteer adventure - there are a lot of options if you're willing to do the work.   Whenever I've traveled with church groups, fundraisers are a part of the program and help defray the costs.

Think about it.   Research it.   Then ask yourself...     
Should I do it? 

You won't be sorry.

The Changing Face of Youth Mission Trips

 

Building Houses in Guatemala - 2010

 

 

It's Sunday morning.   I'm drinking my coffee.  

And checking the progress of the 2013 youth mission trip via Twitter.    

 

Twitter.

 

Live updates as the mission team heads to Chicago by (slow-moving) train.

 

(the time machine travels back 20+ years....)

 

It makes me think back to my first youth mission trip from Wisconsin to Ontario, Canada.    I was in 6th grade.    We drove via carpool.   At each rest stop you had to switch cars so that you would meet new people.   Each car had a CB radio to keep in touch.  Mom knew I was having a good time because I sent her a postcard.      

 

Some things don't change.   Kids are excited to go away from home.  They stay up late at night.  Everyone gets dirty and doesn't care.  Uno is back in style.   Girls take a break from wearing makeup.

 

Some things do change.   Technology is the big one.   Kids are asked to leave their cell phones at home.   The goal is to be 100% in the moment with the people you are serving. 

 

The important thing?  Kids taking time off in the summer to serve others. 

 

Did you go on a mission trip as a kid?   Or as an adult?   What was your best experience serving others?     

How to Volunteer (part 2): Get Out of Town

Is volunteering a regular part of your life? Can you think back to the last time you served someone? Are you looking forward to the next time? Are you ready to do it for the first time?

Volunteering has become such a part of the American landscape that most high schools have a community service requirement. Whether you are 12 or 82 you can get involved in your community or the world at large. Looking to find your way?

This is the second post in a series of How to Volunteer. 

 

If you want to read the first post first, I'm not going to stop you.   I'm also not going to enforce any rules or tell people that you didn't go in order.    This could be your small rebellion for the day. 

 

Get Out of Town 

 

Where were you on 9/11?    Do you remember taking (or wanting to take) action to help?   I was off work that day and while running errands in Reno, stopped by the blood donation center.   They had a line out the door and could not take any more donors.     They told me that the need for blood would continue and could I come back in a week or two?

 

Think back a few weeks to the first tornado that hit Moore, OK (there has been another tornado in OK since then...and probably more to come).  Almost immediately you could make a financial donation.   But what about a donation of time and service?  One organization that I follow on Facebook, Mercy Chefs, deployed their mobile kitchen within 24 hours.   And they were looking for volunteers from Oklahoma and neighboring states who could assist. 

 

When disasters strike in the US, people want to help right away.   Even if they don't know what to do or where to go.   If you already have ties to a service organization (ie, you're already a trained volunteer with Red Cross), you may have the inside scoop on helping on the ground right away.    Often, if you are not close by, the easiest way you can help is by making a financial donation.   For some people, that fits the need to help.   Others are looking for a way to donate their time and skills.   So how can you get out of town to volunteer?

 

Relief / Services organizations say they don't need any more volunteers right now.   Now what? 

 

Don't think that your gift of time, talent or energy isn't needed if you can't get in on the "action" when a situation first occurs.     In many cases volunteer help is needed for weeks, months, and even years after the incident. 

 

After any national disaster, the rebuilding takes time.  Volunteers are needed long after the news coverage ends.    Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.    In 2008, I went with a group from my church to New Orleans and volunteered with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.    The need was still great.   People would stop us in the Home Depot parking lot to ask how they could get assistance from volunteers.   That was two and half years after the hurricane.   

 

One of the houses we worked on in 2008 - New Orleans

 

In 2012 Team Effort had youth work/mission camps in Joplin, MO all summer to help with tornado recovery and rebuilding from the tornado in 2011.   It wouldn't surprise me if next year they have camps in Oklahoma to help with the same.   (read about our mission experience in Joplin here).

 

How to Find Opportunities

 

Often it's easier to volunteer in a group with like-minded individuals - especially if you are wanting to travel to volunteer.  Many hands make light work as the proverb goes.   This could be with your church, a civic organization, or a school group.   Look to see what connections you may already have in the location you'd like to go.    Does your company have a store/branch/office there?  Does your community or social group have a chapter there?   Do you have a sister church there?  

 

These contacts are on the ground and can better assist you to find out what help is needed and where.   You might be thinking about running a clothing drive.   Your friend/colleague who lives there might tell you that gift cards to grocery stores and gas stations are what is needed.

 

Relief and Service organizations may have information posted on their websites as well.   Red Cross has a detailed page on all the ways to volunteer.   

 

Plan Ahead 

 

Take the time to research the location, the people you want to serve, and what the needs are.   Often, volunteers need to bring supplies or donations, as well as raising funds for travel.    The bigger the group, the more time you'll probably need.   How will you get there?   Where will you stay?  How will you get around?   What do you need to bring?  Do you need skilled labor or just willing hands?  The time you spend in planning is worth it.   

 

Start a Family Tradition

 

A friend once told me that she and her family try to find a way to volunteer in some capacity, even if it's just for an hour or two, every time they go on vacation.  It's a chance to meet people they wouldn't normally meet on vacation and a chance to reinforce the value of service with their children.    Maybe it's playing with animals at the shelter.   Participating in a park cleanup.   Serving food at a soup kitchen.    She said that sometimes finding a task was easy...and sometimes it required a lot of creativity.    

 

Volunteers are Needed.  Consistently. 

 

You don't have to wait for a disaster to get outside your comfort zone to serve in another city or state. Food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, children's programs, and home building/repair take place daily in cities all over the country.   You just need to say, "How can I help?"

 

 

Have you ever volunteered in another city or state?  

Where did you go?  What did you do?  How did you get involved? 

 

 

How to Volunteer (part 1): Find Your Cause and Work Backward

Is volunteering a regular part of your life?   Can you think back to the last time you served someone?   Are you looking forward to the next time?   Are you ready to do it for the first time?

Volunteering has become such a part of the American landscape that most high schools have a community service requirement.    Whether you are 12 or 82 you can get involved in your community or the world at large.   Looking to find your way?   

This is the first post in a series of How to Volunteer. 

Find a Cause and Work Backward

Start by asking yourself this question:  What am I passionate about?
 
Cancer research and funding?   Helping children learn to read?   Finding forever homes for rescue dogs?  Feeding the homeless?   Job Coaching?  Building/repairing houses?  Children or youth at your place of worship? 

Every cause under the sun has a non-profit.   And every non-profit needs volunteers to get things done so that their operating budget can go towards their goal.   I recently went to a volunteer orientation for a service dog program in Denver.     They told us how thankful they were to have a volunteer came in every week to file.   Yes, that's right.  File.   Non-profits need people to file, answer phones, stuff envelopes, raise money and advocate for the cause at community events.   They also need people to volunteer for their big fundraising or community events.

Step 1: Find a Cause

Step 2: Do Your Research
Talk to someone who works or volunteers at the organization.   Facebook stalk the organization to see what they have going on.   Read through their website.   Many non-profits have a link on their home page that will say either volunteer or get involved.

Step 3: Do It
You need to make the call, send the email, or sign up for the event.   Until you take this step, it's just a nice idea "well, I thought about helping with ______."  If you're nervous about doing something alone, recruit a friend or family member to do it with you.   Remember, you picked this organization, cause, or event because you believe in what they are doing and you want to be a part of it.  And the other volunteers?   They believe the same thing.  Nothing scary about it.    


Ready to Go?
Need a starting off point?  The links below are for events that may be happening in your city this summer or fall.    Most big fundraising walks, runs and rides need a lot of volunteers.   The first year that I volunteered for the Colorado Bike MS, I was taking bikes off school buses and putting them in the bike corral.   How do you handle 3000 cyclists and their bikes?   Volunteers. 

What does a Bike Corral look like?
Now you know

Use these links to find an event in your area and consider signing up to volunteer.

Susan G Komen - Race for the Cure
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - Light the Night
American Cancer Society - Relay for Life
American Diabetes Association - Step Out for Diabetes
National MS Society - Walk MS or Bike MS
March of Dimes - March for Babies
Alzheimer's Association - Walk to End Alzheimers

Where do you volunteer?

Give A Day

I saw this today and thought "Brilliant." Many people donate hundreds of hours of volunteer time a year. There are some who don't volunteer at all. If this offer opens the eyes of just a few people to the joys of volunteering, it's worth it. For myself, I learned about volunteering from my parents; active in both the community and in our church. As a child, you do what your family encourages you to do. As an adult you make a conscious choice whether you will focus entirely on yourself or if you will share your time, talents and resources with others.

Looking for a sign? Here you go.

Palabra a su madre!

On Friday morning, just like at home, I attempted to ignore my alarm as much as possible. Embracing the Latin American lifestyle includes eating dinner late and being social while doing it. Our first stop for the day was Casa Unidos para Siempre, which is a drug/alcohol housing and treatment center that also benefits from water donations from ADU. Our project, to plant a small garden for the residents to take care of. Many of the residents helped with the project, proving the truth of "many hands make light work." Jon in our group, along with one of the residents both have landscape and gardening and steered us in the right direction. Althea had bought some seed and some plants, including roses, herbs and even purple pepper plants. Althea's son Inigo spent his time chasing Bartholemew the cat around the garden for our entertainment.

 

Every place we go, we get snacks, and one of the great treats in Chiapas are the peanuts (cuacuawattes), especially when they are seasoned with chile pepper.

 

Greg and Ryan wrap up our gardening project with the traditional "machete man hug."

We then went to lunch at La Cruz. I had a chile relleno. Ryan and Inigo got their adventure on and had the cow tongue. Our afternoon fun activity was to go to the waterfall at Aguacero, which is an ecotourism location. We had to walk down over 700 steps to get to the base of the waterfall....and then the majority of us took off our shoes to climb up the water fall, which was fantastic fun. Which was good, since the climb back up had us all feeling old and out of shape.

 

Running joke of the trip: somewhere on Friday Ryan got on Greg for "harshin' his groove." For the rest of the trip we identified all things that could harsh one's groove. I'm waiting to see how many days I'll make it back at work before my groove gets harshed. On the drive back from Aquacera to one of the water plants in Tuxtla we started singing in the car, including songs in a round (such as make new friends). Back in Tuxtla I made a sarcastic comment about one of the collectivo drivers and his excessive amount of stuffed animals in the front of his taxi. What do my new friends do? Roll down their windows and tell said driver that I like his collection. What else to do but smile and wave...

 

Our dinner was at a fancy Italian restaurant called Il Giardillo. One thing I've noticed in Mexico, perhaps because of the flu outbreak, is that hand sanitizer is offered everywhere. This restaurant went one step further and all the staff was wearing face masks. I had stuffed sea bass for dinner and a plate of churroitos (they were mini after all) for dessert. The highlight though, was the table side presentation of Jon's Irish Coffee. I'd never seen anything like it. They flamed the glass, set the whiskey on fire and poured a flaming shot over the whipped cream.

Cosas Nuevas:

#66 purple chile peppers, #67 getting a purse rack at a restaurant, #68 adding "harsh my groove" and "puttin' peace / love on" to my vocabulary

 

To see what my partners in crime thought about their experience in Mexico:

Greg www.blogadegregorio.blogspot.com

Shane www.shanesthoughts.wordpress.com

 

Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. " It would be more accurate to say "a small group of thoughtful citizens wearing blue shirts....."

 

Slacker Tendancies

I feel like I've been slacking in proactively seeking out new things this to do this past week.

#17 I started a new position at the end of May. I am now the Associate Relations & Training Manager. I've been a training manager before, but AR (aka the fun stuff) is new and I'm excited to spend more time doing it. Time to say sayonara to worker's comp!

#18 I've committed to getting involved with the "makeover" of the Denver Illini club. I haven't been participating in the past, but now's my chance!

#19 Hiking in Evergreen - Elk Meadow. Yes I hike and yes I've been to Evergreen, but this was a combined effort of 7 people and 3 dogs. It was a part of Jeffco open space and great!

#20 Volunteering for a big community festival (People's Fair). I love to go to big festivals and eat my body weight in funnel cakes, but this time I helped educate people on what could be recycled. And the people watching was not to be missed. Cut off jean shorts, leggings and big earrings that read "SEXY" says it all.

#21 Bratwurst and Monopoly night. Add a few margaritas and it's a delicious and fun combination.

#22 Actually being where a tornado touched. For many June 7th's growing up (my sister's birthday) we spent time in our basement in Wisconsin because of tornado warnings. Yesterday I was relaxing at Barnes and Noble in Southlands when they warned us to stay away from the windows because of the weather. The hail lasted forever, but I thought that was it. Only once they started evacuating the shopping area for a possible natural gas leak (something else new), did I see all the leaves, broken trash cans, jacked up restaurant umbrellas, etc.

Wat Kok Yang Daycare

My volunteer work while I'm here is Wat Kok Yang Daycare with the middle class, the 3-4 year olds. The kids are too cute. They are learning basic English, like their ABC's, numbers, animals, colors, etc, so I try to come up with new games / activities to go with what they already have. The school has 3 classes. The day starts with games and outdoor activities, then moves to handwashing, then class, then lunch then more outdoor play, a little workbook activity, and then a nap (nahwn...my favorite time). We eat lunch with the teachers, then Cha comes to take us home. When we're playing outside, the kids will ask to "moon" which means "spiral" or being swung around by their arms. These pictures are of some of the students in my class. Almost all Thai have nicknames that they use rather than their long legal names. The 12 kids normally in my class are Jab, Nice, Num, Fill, Pak-king, Play, Cream, Jay, Ja, Ja-ea, Mind, and Bai-Tan.

Countdown to Thailand

After many months of planning and anticipation, my trip to Thailand is drawing nigh. (It's not often you can use the word "nigh", so I'll take advantage of the opportunity). Next week at this time, I'll be on my way over the international date line on my way to Bangkok via Tokyo. Today it was 11 degrees in Denver. Today it was 91 degrees in Trang, which will be my home away from home for 3 weeks in February. For your geographic edification I have attached a map of Thailand that shows you where Trang is. I'll have computer access while I'm there, so I can keep you apprised of my adventures in volunteer work, cultural experiences, and international fun. I'm going with Cross Cultural Solutions and my placement will be working in a day care center. Playing games with small children sounds like an excellent way to spend my time.

I'm mostly ready to go. However, my to do list doesn't reflect it. As long as I cross 2 or more things off each day, I'll be ready to hop on the plane on Tuesday morning.

Small Groups Changing the World

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead -

In spite of people worrying that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, good is still being done. Today one of the local community organizations sponsored a day of volunteering with projects all over Denver. We were at local school, where all the planting beds needed some love after a long summer. Mulch covers a multitude of sins in landscaping. So adults and kids together weeded, pruned, and spread mulch by the wheelbarrowful.

Did we change the world today? Probably not. Will parents and teachers notice the change on Monday, even if the 6th graders don't? Probably.

I'm good with that.

In other news, I've moved to Blogger from my previous blog from the past 2 years. Click here to catch up.