A friend once said to me "What do you have a sign on your back that says "Ask me, I'll do anything..." (?)

Yeah, it's kind of like that.

Personal Philanthropy

My family doesn't have great endowments with which to donate to causes. I do have time, energy and a little ingenuity. Chris & I have always felt that it's important to give back. Volunteer work can be frustrating at times: it can be a lot of, well, WORK, generally of the unpaid variety. If you are in charge of something, you often have to mediate many different personality types, you interface with whatever organizations needed, have responsibilities and deadlines, and sometimes end up kicking yourself as to why you signed up for this in the first place., but for the most part it is rewarding. Maybe it's having found my niche in the community....it feels nice to know I've done something good for someone or something. I want my kids to know that HELP (ing) is not a four letter word. It really made my day when I would go to the school and I get big smiles and waves from the little kids (You're the lady from scouts!). I suppose this is sort of a brag page in a way, but I don't do that very much, and yeah, it'll give the rookies something to work towards.

It's was just a Halloween Party....

It all started innocently enough. I joined the PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) when my son was starting kindergarten at Teaticket School I joined it for a few reasons. First, I am not much of a natural social butterfly. I'm quiet and introverted by nature and it takes me a looong time to make friends, I don't party or do much outside of work, so joining was sort of a way to get to meet other people. Second, my Mom was a part of the PTA when I was growing up, I saw first hand many of the great things she helped do for our school including a new playground and help at the annual fair they held (I love my Mom, she's awesome) Third, I had this idea in the back of my head that the more involved I was with my kids' school lives and their subsequent friends, etc, that the less likely they were to end up on the wrong path so to speak. Call me overprotective (a lot of people do) But I've always been under the impression that a lot of young people who end up doing drugs, alchohol or other forms of self-abusing behavior to extreme (not talking about just trying things for the sake of curiosity) may not have if they just had someone to talk to or provide positive role models.

So, first year of PTO, I joined the Halloween Party Committee (Halloween being one of my most favorite holidays :) and had an awesome time helping create a great event for the kids. The second year that I was in the PTO, I came face to face with a harsh reality that faces many volunteer organizations - the person who had chaired the event the year before wasn't interested in doing it again, and without a Halloween Party Committee, there would be no Halloween party. So after several heart to heart discussions with the PTO Pres (one Mrs. Jan Souweine, who became a very dear friend, mentor, and to blame (er I mean thank) for my subsequent years of volunteering) I decided to take the plunge and run the committee. I ended up running the Halloween event for 6 of the next 7 years that my kids were at that school, and became somewhat of a legacy as far as that event went. I went on to chair many other events over the next years, held both the Vice President and President positions too.

(PTO) Teaticket Elementary School PTO 2001-2008, 1 year as President 4 years as Co-Vice President. Chaired various committees including Halloween Party, Spaghetti Supper, Holiday Fair, Spring Reading Program, created the PTO website

Teaticket School Council, 2006-2008 Council Member

(BSA) Cub Scout Pack 41, 2005-2008, 2 .5 years - Pack Committee Chairperson, 2 years as Assistant Webelos Den leader, organized 2 Blue & Gold banquets, Pinewood Derbys and various other events.

(BSA) Boy Scout Troop 42 2007 to present, Fund Raising Chairperson, (Popcorn Colonel) Blanket Fairy

(GSEM) Junior Girl Scout Troop 784, 2007-present, Troop leader

(GSEM) Girl Scout Service Unit - Falmouth/Mashpee - Unit Organizer/Registrar. Created & maintan the SU Website:www.falmouthmashpeegirlscouts.com

(CCD) St. Anthony's Faith Formation Program - teacher, 2005-2008