Volunteeringto Help Ot<str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g>s… and YourselfByTraciBarnettAs the New Year (andnew decade) beginsmany of us search formeaningful ways to achieveboth pers<strong>on</strong>al and professi<strong>on</strong>alsatisfacti<strong>on</strong> in our lives.One opti<strong>on</strong> worth c<strong>on</strong>sideringis serving as a volunteer forsomething about which <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g>are passi<strong>on</strong>ate. As a volunteer<str<strong>on</strong>g>not</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong>ly do <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> help ot<str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g>s,<str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> also sharpen skills<str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> already have, discovercompetencies and talents <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g>did <str<strong>on</strong>g>not</str<strong>on</strong>g> know <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> had andput those skills into acti<strong>on</strong>.T<str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g>e are more than11,000 women (and even afew men) throughout centralMaryland who serve as GirlScout volunteers, includingTroop Leaders, Service UnitManagers, Troop CookieManagers, First Aiders,Trainers and Troop Triporganizers. After participatingin multi-level formaleducati<strong>on</strong>al and leadershiptrainings, they serve as mentors,surrogates and advisorsto girls ages 5-17 participatingin a myriad of Girl Scoutactivities.Marva Williams, a retiredSocial Security Administrati<strong>on</strong>manager and analyst,has been a volunteer for GirlScouts of Central Maryland’snati<strong>on</strong>ally renowned Bey<strong>on</strong>dBars program for 17 years.This program enables incarceratedmot<str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g>s and theirdaughters to stay c<strong>on</strong>nectedthrough bi-m<strong>on</strong>thly GirlScout meetings at the <strong>Women</strong>’sCorrecti<strong>on</strong>al Institute inJessup, MD. When asked whyshe volunteers she explained40 <str<strong>on</strong>g>Focus</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Women</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>that she lost <str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g> mot<str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g> atage nine and appreciates theneed for girls to stay c<strong>on</strong>nectedwith their mot<str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g>s. Sheadded, “I saw the need—aneed for capable, dependable,willing and committedpeople. I have something Ican share; I can serve as arole model and help ot<str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g>s.”Patty Salazar, a<str<strong>on</strong>g>not</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g>l<strong>on</strong>g-time Girl Scout volunteer,was a Troop Leader formore than 10 years and wasthen “promoted” to ServiceUnit Manager, a positi<strong>on</strong> shehas held for eight years. Justas she helped girls achievesuccess when she was aTroop Leader, as a volunteerGirl Scout manager sheworks to help ot<str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g> adultsdevelop girls of courage, c<strong>on</strong>fidenceand character.Some of the skills Pattyand ot<str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g> volunteers h<strong>on</strong>edas a Girl Scout volunteerinclude: managing time andresources; providing a welcomingenvir<strong>on</strong>ment; problemresoluti<strong>on</strong>; matchingvolunteer talent with needs;facilitating training; and, theability to listen to and acceptnew ideas that may differfrom <strong>on</strong>e’s own. “Managingvolunteers teaches <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> howto motivate people and howto keep them motivated, inspiredand accountable eventhough they are <str<strong>on</strong>g>not</str<strong>on</strong>g> beingpaid,” Patty reflected. “Youlearn that it’s more the carrotthan the stick.”These are but two examplesof meaningful volunteerexperiences. For both ofthese women, the satisfacti<strong>on</strong>they receive from serving asvolunteers and the friendshipsthey have made al<strong>on</strong>gthe way are very importantto them. “When <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> [the volunteer]need help or advice,t<str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g>e is always some<strong>on</strong>e tocall <strong>on</strong>,” Patty said. “I havehad mentors al<strong>on</strong>g the way;it was good to have some<strong>on</strong>eto talk to and to <str<strong>on</strong>g>get</str<strong>on</strong>g> theirperspective.” Knowing theymake a measurable differencein a girl’s life whiledeveloping their own skill sethas had a powerful impact <strong>on</strong>the quality of their volunteerexperience.Girl Scouts has alwaysbeen, and c<strong>on</strong>tinues to be, anorganizati<strong>on</strong> w<str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g>e womenare encouraged to try newthings, step outside theircomfort z<strong>on</strong>e and try theirhand at leadership. In doingso, they serve as role modelsto the girls with whom theyinteract. In this new decadeI encourage <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> to becomea volunteer, for Girl Scoutsor a<str<strong>on</strong>g>not</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g> organizati<strong>on</strong>, andexperience the satisfacti<strong>on</strong> ofknowing that <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> are makinga difference. You may besurprised by the pers<strong>on</strong>aland professi<strong>on</strong>al developmentthat comes with it. D<strong>on</strong>’twait… start <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g>r volunteerjourney today!Traci A. Barnett is Chief Executive Officerfor Girl Scouts of Central Maryland,which provides leadership training,activities and events for nearly 30,000girls ages 5-17 and 11,000 adultvolunteers. Visit Girl Scouts of CentralMaryland’s website: www.gscm.org formore informati<strong>on</strong> about Girl Scouting incentral Maryland.
Miracles Made EasyDear Soul Sisters & Brot<str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g>s in Beingness …Do <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> know how to create miracles?Are <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> aware every<strong>on</strong>e has this power?Are <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> applying this knowledge <strong>on</strong> a daily basis?Miracles Made Easy shows <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> how to claim <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g>r birthrightto create the kind of life <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> want. It is …… a Spiritual Primerfor those who want to discover the power of belief and the power ofthought to make miracles happen as every-day events.… a Powerful Review of Principlesfor those who want to understand how the world really works and howto make it work better for them.… a Doubt-Busterfor those who find it difficult to believe the Universal Truths that guideand support all life.… a How–To Guide to Manifestingfor those who welcome tips and techniques, stories with easy-to-rememberexamples and experiments to try.Once enough people know how to create miracles in their pers<strong>on</strong>al lives,we can combine forces and create miracles to<str<strong>on</strong>g>get</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g> to solve all the world’sproblems… to create a safer, saner, healthier, happier world. Now thatsounds like something worth doing, d<strong>on</strong>’t <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> think?Download <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g>r FREE copy of Miracles Made Easy or order a discountedbook at www.MiraclesMadeEasy.com. Also availableat Amaz<strong>on</strong>.com and local book stores.Remember, every time <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> pass <strong>on</strong> this empoweringinformati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> serve as a positive c<strong>on</strong>tributingforce to creating the better world that is trulypossible. On behalf of all those who will be so glad<str<strong>on</strong>g>you</str<strong>on</strong>g> did—Thanks.P.S. With the coming holiday seas<strong>on</strong>, c<strong>on</strong>sidera gift of Miracles. The book suits teens <strong>on</strong> up.Families will find it interesting, fun reading full ifideas to explore to<str<strong>on</strong>g>get</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>her</str<strong>on</strong>g>.Ann McGillMidWife of C<strong>on</strong>sciousness—Birthing into BeingnessMidWife@AnnMcGill.comwww.MiraclesMadeEasy.com703-262-0620Visit the website for the FREE Downloadable BookFor <strong>Women</strong>, To <strong>Women</strong>, About <strong>Women</strong>
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