Volunteerism

I am a member of the Junior League of Atlanta. Attending a JL event for me is like going to the gym. I moan and groan about not wanting to go because I’m too busy, but then once I go I am always very glad about how it makes me feel and grateful for the wonderful things in my life.
On Tuesday I attended a “Self-Esteem and Empowerment of Others” Foundations event. I have to admit that I attended because I needed another meeting credit. What I thought might be an interesting program though ended up being a GREAT program. One thing that I really like about Junior League, is that every event I attend I meet really amazing, interesting women. One of the girls I met and chatted with for awhile is getting her PhD in Organizational Psychology. Her job entails the study of behavior in work settings and to coach executives on being effective leaders, managing time, etc. Another girl I met told us about her experiences working with DFCS (very awful and sad) to working with men in the Fulton County Jail System (very rewarding). One of my most favorite JL moments was meeting the very inspiring Ron Clark of the Ron Clark Academy and listening to his remarkable story.
The Foundations program itself was very interesting. One takeaway is that you can’t just empower people – you have to empower them AND give them skills. They go hand in hand. When you’re in a position to make a difference, you have to give someone the necessary tools to get to the next step.

Long after people forget what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.
--Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid, Beyond Booked Solid, The Think Big Manifesto