Moms Who Give Back: Project Linus

Most of my friends have their plates a little too full these days. With all of the conveniences that we have to multi-task, free time goes by the wayside in favor of fitting more into our days. A generous family in Palo Alto started a foundation years ago to provide below-market rent and a housing purchase program to families just starting out; in exchange the requirement is that the recipients of the deal will give back to the community in their spare time, however they can.

From the website: "The California Family Foundation helps low-income families work towards home ownership. The Below Market Rate Housing Program rents homes in eastern Menlo Park and East Palo Alto to families who have good credit, a growing income, are willing to perform community service every month and who are ready to be homeowners in 3 to 5 years."

Cindy and Jenny live in some of the foundation's rental houses as their husband's begin their careers. These gals are inspirational to me; I've asked them to share their story to empower other young people. Teenagers, families, and groups can all do community service for Project Linus.

"Our Mission is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade, washable blankets lovingly created by volunteer blanket makers or 'blanketeers'.

"On Christmas Eve 1995, an article titled Joy to the World appeared in Parade Magazine. It was written by Pulitzer Prize winning photo-journalist, Eddie Adams. Part of the article featured a petite, downy haired child. She had been going through intensive chemotherapy and stated that her security blanket helped her get through the treatments.

"After reading the article, Karen Loucks decided to provide homemade security blankets to Denver's Rocky Mountain Children's Cancer Center, and Project Linus was born.

Project Linus has delivered over 3,000,000 security blankets to children around the world. With nearly 400 chapters in the United States, our organization continues to supply blankets to children in need. Although Project Linus originally donated blankets to pediatric cancer patients, recipients now include any child who is seriously ill or traumatized in some way -- in other words "children in need of a big hug."

Thanks to Project Linus and the California Family Foundation for inspiring this service opportunity to make a difference in children's lives. I'm not sure how many blankets Cindy and Jenny have made, but they are setting a great example for their own families and for all of us who know them. According to Jenny, Stanford pediatric fellow's wife and mother of four beautiful little girls, with another baby on the way:

"I’ve enjoyed working with Project Linus because I’m a busy mom without a lot of time. I can make blankets in the free time I have in the evenings and still feel like I’m contributing to the community. I especially love the idea of serving a child in need. The project welcomes several types of blankets so you don’t have to be an expert seamstress to participate. Its relatively fast, easy and inexpensive and my older children can watch, help and learn to develop a servant’s heart."

Find out how youth and families can do good works by making blankets and delivering them to local fabric stores for distribution, visit Project Linus: http://www.projectlinus.org/

The 10-Minute Volunteer

Working in a high school environment, I have come to appreciate the value of small fragments of time: five-minute passing periods, ten minutes for brunch, and thirty-five minutes for lunch. Usually the adults skip those latter two increments. There is one round institutional clock in every room, sometimes two, each being a few seconds or a minute apart. I have learned exactly how much time it takes to trek from one end of campus to the other: five minutes from the north portables on the Embarcadero side, to the science classrooms in the 1700 building. We move with the sound of the bell, a pattern that has caused me to jump even when I hear a telephone ring: "Time to go," my brain signals.

Today, the clocks and bells sounded louder than ever in my mind, deadlines and expectations mounted with the hours and I soon felt overwhelmed. That's when I usually go into "tidal wave" mode, and just try to keep my head above water: invite 250 students to Saturday school, meet the career day guest speakers and publicize the next event, field parent calls about their students' attendance, find the microphones for today's career day. My jobs at Paly are completely disconnected but somehow I weave threads from one student to the next: one thousand eight-hundred or so of them, and one of me. At 3:50 p.m. this afternoon my nearly-sixteen-year-old daughter Grace called to remind me that I promised to take her to sign up for Drivers Ed. "No way," I thought." I stayed last night until 6:00 p.m. and tonight doesn't look any better." Then I heard something louder than clocks, bells, or telephones in my head; it was the "Cat's Cradle" song by Harry Chapin, reminding me about the fleeting years with my kids.

A substitute whom I had already complained about came in rather abruptly, looking for her paperwork. There were six other people standing outside the door waiting to be helped and I didn't care about anything anymore; I just wanted to go home and pick up Grace to sign up for driving lessons. I'm not sure what was going through the substitute teacher's mind, but she must have seen I was outnumbered. She said, "You know, I have ten extra minutes until my ride arrives so I'm going to give you a hand. What can I do?" I was shocked. I knew she wasn't getting paid to be there, or to do anything more than cover her classes for the day. Exhausted from working alone when there should have been two of us in the office, I pointed to a pile of envelopes and asked her to file them. She fanned out the envelopes and tucked them away, then offered to do another job with her remaining four minutes. "I can see you need some help," she said, as I attempted to take phone calls. She would have stayed longer, but I knew the price of missed driving lessons would be worse than Harry Chapin's warning so I told her the office would close for the day regardless of loose ends hanging. Irene didn't have another assignment lined up for the next day, but by volunteering out of kindness to help for just ten minutes she proved her worth. I arranged to hire her for tomorrow!

Volunteering often leads to paid work, see The Ladders Article:
http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/volunteering-opportunities-pay-off

Day of Darkness

I would like to thank the students and staff at Palo Alto High School for their overall amenable demeanor today. I don't remember ever having to spend a day in school with no electricity, but unfortunately due to a nearby catastrophic plane crash, our city was without power all day. As a coworker and I prepared to leave toward the late afternoon, we commented to each other about the quiet, peaceful nature of the campus today. But walking down the dark hallway, I remembered the reason why we experienced this day of darkness and all of the families whose lives have been torn apart since 8:00 a.m. this morning.

I found it both poignant and ironic that our Environmental Initiative club had just promoted their event, "Eco Awareness Week" January 27-29. I helped spread the word for Thursday, January 28th, Day of Darkness - "a day in which teachers [were] encouraged to take a stance against energy consumption by turning off the lights in their classroom." So, today, as a sad reminder that we can leave a smaller carbon footprint even while in school, we were forced to have another day of darkness--as was the entire town of Palo Alto due to the fallen power lines at the crash site.

We commemorated the environmentally friendly car maker Tesla last year during our Career Month, and this year during Eco Awareness Week. Now, perhaps we can switch the Day of Darkness to February 17, in honor of the tragic deaths of three Tesla engineers. Today was not a planned day to go without electricity, but we are reminded it can be done. Read Michael Abrams' account of the Environmental Initiative event, and see what you can do to make a difference for the environment.

Our event went very well. When you have such events, the pressure really gets ramped up and that is when you can tell who is a leader. I was pleased to see people who hadn't previously been as active in the club really become a part of the team and help out. One thing we will do next year is have a different planning strategy...Also, we all agreed that we need a better advertising strategy for next year's earth week and all future events - it seemed like a lot of people would have participated if they had known more about what to bring for the tie dye day and to bring their bike to school on the bike race day. One event that I was very proud of, though, was bringing the Tesla to school. Everyone, including teachers and students I didn't even know, were so interested in it.

Cool Community Service Inspiration: The Environment

• Create a celebration! Check out University of California, Berkeley's Earthweek Event for ideas: http://earthweek.berkeley.edu/
• Join an environmental group or club, such as the national nonprofit Alliance for Community Trees: http://actrees.org/site/getinvolved/volunteer.php, or contribute time or resources to local tree planting organizations such as www.canopy.org in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  
• Incorporate the Environment into learning, check out One Planet Fundraising: http://oneplanetfundraising.com/default.asp

The Volunteer Florist

As I walked into my little office in the high school Guidance Center the other day, I noticed the most thoughtfully arranged flower display atop our secretary's desk. Even though we were all bundled up on a foggy February morning, the bright blooms brought an air of freshness to our century old building. I was a little bit jealous of Jenny, seated with the flowers at constant eye level, but she informed me they were for the entire department to enjoy. They were not from her secret admirer, but from a dedicated parent volunteer who decided to share her talents and spread some cheer .

After snapping a photo of Jenny adorned by the flower arrangement, I proceeded with my day happy that I at least had a donated plant in my office to remind me of winter's end. Lunchtime approached, and I knew it would be a quick snack in the microwave. As I walked toward the vintage kitchen at the end of the corridor to nuke my leftovers, I spotted a glowing woman carrying a large floral arrangement, similar to the one on Jenny's desk. I stopped to find out if she was indeed the maker of these elaborate decorations, and to discern the nature of her motivation. There's no secret, just passion that drives Mrs. Anderson to design flowers for the staff at our high school. She simply loves flowers and has learned all about the varieties available in each season. She makes a stop at Trader Joe's for blooms and cuts them to suit her fancy, placing them in decorative containers as her service to the school community.

Theresa Anderson, and talented people like her, are usually happy to share their artistic skills by teaching others. She took floral design classes at nearby Filoli Gardens, an estate in the woods that has become a nonprofit to promote horticultural endeavors and interests. (Check out their website to see all the ways you can make a difference: www.filoli.org) Theresa, in turn, would love to share her new found knowledge of the trade with high school students or any volunteers that would like to help keep our campus fresh. I've never heard someone say, "Gee, I wish I hadn't received that darned bouquet," so if you're looking for a simple way to make a difference, try it with flowers!

Cool Community Service Ideas: Horticulture

• Plant seeds or have a fundraiser for money to buy flowers, arrange in vases and take to your school or church. My congregation is adorned weekly with arrangements by volunteer florists.
• Make corsages for Mother's Day, or boutonnieres for Father's Day, donate to a nearby care center or Veteran's Administration hospital.
• Plant wildflowers: try Hobbs & Hopkins wildflower fundraising program, see www.protimelawnseed.com/wildflower-fundraising/. "We supply our packaged wildflower seeds, planting instructions and all other necessary support. Your group then creates and applies their own custom labels. Friends and family are happy to buy these special and personalized wildflowers for their home and as gifts for others. It is a welcomed and Earth friendly alternative to traditional fundraising methods."
• Donate a tree at IKEA to benefit AmericanForests.org, you can select any amount at the checkout stand.
  

Reaching Out

Sometimes it takes picking up the phone and dialing the number of someone you've never met, or sending a seemingly random email in hopes of a response; another time you send a long letter describing your need. But somewhere along the way, help does come--eventually. My friend Clemencia sent me a text message the other day, wondering if I had any community service ideas for her young adult son who is going through a difficult time. He eventually decided to sign up as a volunteer at the local Veteran's Administration hospital. Their volunteer recruitment process is a test of patience, so I encouraged Clem to tell KC to hold on and not give up. I hope the VA realizes quickly that he is not just a number on a spreadsheet of volunteers, but an individual with unique talents to offer. Please don't make him wait too long for a phone call...

The challenge in signing up with large organizations who employ volunteer coordinators is that most agencies are backlogged and overwhelmed. Call it a result of the economic downturn, or a sign of big bureaucracy; there are not enough hands to manage the work. In the meantime, what is a young person to do when he wants and needs to get out of the house and involved in the community? A proven technique to find good works connections is the "informational interview."

The popular career search book, "What Color is Your Parachute," by Richard Nelson Boles, promotes the idea of making connections in the world to find out more about a particular career path. I also encourage students to use this tool when looking for volunteer opportunities; at the very least they become better informed, at best they might land the perfect volunteer opportunity. Young volunteers like KC can get lost in the shuffle of the VA's online site, the subsequent forms and training requirements. If he has the time to wait, it will pay off. In the meantime, he could--with a little help--ask a few care providers to talk to him about their jobs and end the conversation with a connection request: "Do you have any volunteer opportunities here, or do you know anyone in the health care field who does?"

As mentioned in Boles' book, It's a good idea to carry a list of questions to ask when interviewing. Here are some that I developed with my students in the Life and Career Planning course:

• What is the most gratifying part of your work? The most challenging?
• What is the most important advice you would give to someone who is just starting out?
• If you could go back to high school or college, would you choose a different path to this career? What would you do differently, or the same?
  
• What are the best lessons you have learned in developing your career?
  
• Do you have a mentor, or someone who has inspired you to succeed in your life and work?
  

If you pursue the path with a purpose, the answers to these questions will inspire new ideas and keep the creative thought process open. Remember to end the interview with the question, "Do you have any opportunities here, or can you introduce me to someone who might?" I have found in my own career search that most people are quite happy to be of assistance in this way. I was given the chance to meet with a De Anza College professor the other day, and within the hourlong discussion he introduced me to the perfect connection for my quest to develop a civic engagement and community service program for youth. It takes a little work to research and find the right contact, but I'm sure if KC can make a personal connection with someone at the VA or another healthcare agency, he will become more than a number on a database of applicants. He can stand out based on the unique talents he has to offer as a volunteer, and later if he desires, as a valued employee.

Interested in healthcare volunteer opportunities? Try these.

• Visit the elderly. Visit a local resident care facility to see which of their patients need visitors. Plan a schedule, and bring specific activities each time. Some patients can only listen to a story, but others might be interested in puzzles or card games. One volunteer at our high school even developed a poker club with seniors in a care center last summer--too cool!
  
• Host a blood drive. Our school's Key Club (affiliated with Rotary Club) recently sponsored a drive for Stanford Blood Center. See this article about Yerba Buena High School's drive, http://bloodcenter.stanford.edu/press/releases/2009_12_7_YerbaBuena.html
• Promote awareness of organ donation. Make posters, distribute organ donation cards. http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/organ-donation.htm
• Develop a hand washing campaign for your school or workplace to combat the spread of disease. Make a logo for your promotion on posters, flyers, local media, social networks. Use this kit from the Minnesota Department of Public Health, http://www.health.state.mn.us/handhygiene/curricula/projectideas.html#student

Community Service Today, and Every Day

As Bob and I started out on our Saturday afternoon excursion we stopped to check on a student volunteer who was helping with a community service clean-up project on his own. He had begun a few days before and just needed to finish. I was concerned to see him taking a break when I arrived, but as he toured me through the facility I understood that he had been on task. Leaving him with a verbal list of to-do's in order to put a lid on his efforts, I went about my day wondering what really motivates teenagers and young adults to serve.

Some students with whom I have worked are desperate to do anything that can be counted as community service because they have court-mandated hours after finding mischief and getting into trouble with the law. Others have the same desperation, but only due to the pressure from their parents to rack maximum hours for their transcripts in hopes of Harvard admission or a hefty scholarship. I find the most enjoyment from observing the efforts of the other two groups: 1.) students who find something they are interested in, and they pursue it through service, and 2.) students who simply find joy in giving of themselves, and in doing good.

We adults know the difference between doing something because we are required to by an outside authority and because we want to; speeding tickets and taxes come to mind. The creative juices do not flow when we are working to check off the boxes. Last fall I spoke with Megan Fogarty, manager of the John Gardner Public Service Fellowship at Stanford University, about the motivation to serve. She mentioned that Stanford had considered making service and volunteering a graduation requirement, but during an informal study the board decided the requirement produced an undesirable effect, the opposite of altruism: obligation.

In working with those who request my assistance in designing purposeful projects to give back to the community, I have begun to distinguish the subtle characteristics between required service and desired service. When the motivation comes from within, from one's unique talents and interests, the experience is gratifying and growth-promoting. When it comes from an outside source, such as a requirement, the result is often accompanied by a sense of drudgery and dread, (ex: "let's get this over with.") So, in honor of Martin Luther King and the National Day of Service, the third Monday in January, I hope that we can all look inside ourselves for the individual gifts that we have to offer and create something from those commodities, something that was not there before: genuine good works.

Read Susan Ellis' article, "Why Volunteer," for more benefits and motivations of service. Her top 5 reasons:

• to feel needed
• to share a skill
• to get to know a community
• to demonstrate commitment to a cause/belief
• to gain leadership skills

http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/motivation/why-volunteer.htm

Response Time for Haiti

I first learned about Foyer de Sion Orphanage in Port Au Prince, Haiti, three years ago when the Morgan family (www.morganstar.com) presented an inspiring video called "Gate of Hope", about reaching out. We had a room full of women ages twenty-five to seventy-five, and we knew very little about Haiti. We could not have read a hundred books to compare with the beautiful depictions of children without homes in a forgotten land. Their video (www.foyerdesion.org) to promote awareness for the orphanage was compelling. Recently when we were putting together plans for our fall Humanitarian project another friend, Jennifer, suggested she wanted to make t-shirt dresses for children. I knew just who could use them.

Cindy started making calls to the stateside connections for the orphanage, and later a shirt donor came forward to provide all eighty of the brightly colored tees. All we needed was fabric to sew onto the bottoms to complete the dresses, which was found by requesting the leftover supplies from neighbors and friends, and low-cost yardage from Wal-Mart. Luckily, Jennifer was persistent enough to carry this project beyond the one-day service event, with several ladies working to help finish the last twenty dresses. She is now gathering them for delivery via yet another friend, Krys, to the Idaho family who works with the orphanage and who will transport them. So goes a service project of many hands over several months.

When I spoke to Jennifer to see if I could have a photo of the finished product, she mentioned that she was glad she had something to focus on when her own disabled daughter had surgery in November. Besides involving so many different people to complete, another beautiful side to this story is Jennifer's ability to give of herself in following through, regardless of her own situation. I believe all of us who have had anything to do with dresses for Haiti have been deeply touched lately, wondering if the children would ever survive and receive our gifts. Thankfully, all is well at Foyer de Sion; other orphanages and schools were destroyed in the earthquake.

There are so many of us who have been touched by our involvement with this project: I was inspired years ago by Randall and Deanna Morgan's moving video of the children, Jen was inspired by the book "101 Things You Should Do Before Your Kids Leave Home," and Cindy became the facilitator. The anonymous donor was generous enough to order dozens of brand new t-shirts, still others brought in fabric, and dedicated seamstresses sewed on the flouncy skirts. More will be involved in the delivery, and I wonder if it might have been simpler to mail something from Venezuela. But then, we would not have felt so deeply connected when catastrophe struck last week. And that is the value of good works, not the cost of time or materials to produce the end result, but the way it stitches all of us together.

Get Involved: Relief for Haiti

1. See the video, donate to Foyer de Sion. http://www.foyerdesion.org, click on "View Gate of Hope Video."
2. My Latest Tweet, thanks in part to Paly's American Disaster Relief club: TEXT TO HELP HAITI NOW. $10 to Red Cross: "Haiti" to 90999. $10 to Clinton Foundation: "Haiti" to 20222. $5 to Wyclef Jean: "Yele" to 501501
3. Read this touching blog: University of Portland graduate Molly Hightower has left a legacy of service in Haiti. It will inspire you to take action in your own unique way: http://mollyinhaiti.blogspot.com/
4. Gather and donate jeans at any Aeropostale store to help homeless teens in Haiti: http://teensforjeans.com. Thank you to Paly student Maria for taking on this very project for the Living Skills class requirement this weekend--even on your birthday!
   
5. Host a bake sale, like several schools in our district are doing this weekend. Proceeds are needed to help Partners in Health provide medical relief: www.pih.org.
6. Check out this inspiring blog from Bellarmine College Prep student Bobby Moon: http://www.eightdaysinhaiti.com/. Read about his experience: http://www.mercurynews.com/los-gatos/ci_15445051
   

T-shirt Dresses for Haiti (and other causes)

• Jen's favorite: thismamamakesstuff.googlepages.com/t-shirtdress

• Step-by-step: www.craftsofchaddsford.com/tshirtdress.htm

• Jazz it up: www.sewfunpatterns.com/tshirtdresspattern.html