What great/life changing thing do you do?

[RyanAmanda]

After a bottle of wine and a long conversation with an old girlfriend tonight, we started talking about the great things we envisioned doing it as kids. Cure cancer, save children, that kind of things. So I started thinking about how all I do is work and spend time with FH and friends. Don't get me wrong, I have a great job and an awesome guy and friends. But I'm not doing anything life changing or anything that's making other people have a better life.

 

So tomorrow I'm going to change that. Any ideas? What do you do that makes the world a better place for others? I'm thinking I'm not going to cure cancer (I can't even stop FH from snoring..lol) so I thought I should start a little smaller.

[TammyB]

Well I wouldn't say I envisioned doing this as a kid, but DH and I donate alot of our time volunteering with a local dog rescue group, Dh also volunteers at a local no kill shelter. We try our best to help as many dogs/cats as we can find a good forever home. I know this might not be the type of response you were looking for, but to us it's our way of helping. We have talked about fostering children in the future, but that is far in the future for us.

[Christine]

I would have to say my job is exactly what I envisioned doing as a kid, and honestly I know I make a difference in this world by teaching, that to me is pretty important. I spend a lot of time with my kids who are all seniors getting ready for college and I work with them at a pretty critical time in their lives.

That being said I am not curing cancer, nor am I creating world peace, but whos to say that one of my students might be the one who does that one day...and I will know that somehow I touched their lives right...but as a gov. teacher I feel really strongly about helping my kids to be the best citizens of this country possible, to particpate, to be educated and give back and that is how I think I give back.

[becks]

I used to be involved with a tutoring/mentoring program for underprivileged kids. That was pretty great. Then my life got busy, and I was travelling for work ALL the time and I had to give it up. I still miss it. While you run into a few rotten kids, most of them are absolutely stellar.

 

I got a note from one of the kids a few years ago telling me that he'd finished high school and was enrolling in community college. He may have been the first in his family to finish high school, and was definitely the first to do any college. I was SO proud!!

 

I'm thinking that after the wedding, when things settle down, I'm going to get involved with some adult literacy programs.

[PenMarie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TammyB Well I wouldn't say I envisioned doing this as a kid, but DH and I donate alot of our time volunteering with a local dog rescue group, Dh also volunteers at a local no kill shelter. We try our best to help as many dogs/cats as we can find a good forever home. I know this might not be the type of response you were looking for, but to us it's our way of helping. We have talked about fostering children in the future, but that is far in the future for us.

Along the same lines as Tammy, we also volunteer to help the domestic ferret. While we don't foster as Tammy does (believe me, it takes a very, very special person to do what she and Cain do), we have given forever homes to ferrets that have been dumped or otherwise left behind. We volunteer a lot of our time with the AFA (American Ferret Association..yup, there's such an organization -- kind of like an AKC for ferrets). It's a nonprofit educational organization whose primary focus is to promote, protect, and provide for the domestic ferret. These little guys are such misunderstood companion animals and really need the ferret enthusiasts to look out for their well being.

[Jessica]

I do (well used to do, I haven't worked in months) ABA Therapy with Children with Autism... I think that definitely impacts their life. I also used to work with adults on the spectrum and considering a lot of my co-workers were totally neglectful, I like to think that my work with them was life changing as I actually interacted with them as opposed to just spending my work day at the computer.

 

I also in the past have worked with emotionally disturbed adolescents as well as adolescents with behavorial issues.

 

As soon as I'm licensed to do counseling, I hope that will be life changing for my clients as well.

 

But I think even the smallest things can have a great impact on someone's life. For instance, every year I pick a name from those holiday giving trees at the mall for economically disadvantaged children. Ok, while buying a kid a toy or a piece of clothing isn't exactly sending them to college or taking away all their financial worries, I'd like to think that I've had a small part in at least making them happy for that day and that can be lifechanging.

[nikkianddean]

This is a great thread! I got that feeling when I moved back to SF a few years ago. I have been a youth mentor with City of Dreams (City Of Dreams) for about 2.5 years now. I have a mentee named Keeana Thompson who is 15. She is a great girl and we hang out, talk about what's going on with her life, school home, etc. We have sleepovers and take trips. It's nice to have some comnnection to a younger generation and hopefully impart some wisdom.

 

I think the most important lesson I have learned from our relationship is patience and I hope to have a positive influence and be a good friend to her

[Jenn79]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JessicaLovesBrian But I think even the smallest things can have a great impact on someone's life. For instance, every years I pick a name from those holiday giving trees at the mall for economically disadvantaged children. Ok, while buying a kid a toy or a piece of clothing isn't exactly sending them to college or taking away all their financial worries, I'd like to think that I've had a small part in at least making them happy for that day and that can be lifechanging.

I try to do this as well, and make a point of giving books in an attempt to encourage children to read.
I hope to do more to advocate literacy among children, once I have a little more time on my hands or a little more money. I often had the chance to do storytime at a local bookstore, and help out with March break activities at the same store when I was still in school, but haven't done so for a while.

[RyanAmanda]

Wow! It's great to see so many making a difference!

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by TammyB I know this might not be the type of response you were looking for, but to us it's our way of helping.

Tammy, that's too funny that you were the first post - the reason that got me thinking like this is that I used to foster dogs! We have two dogs of our own and have had tons of fosters. In January we bought our first home (yeah!) but because prices in Vancouver are crazy we could only afford a townhouse - which came with a strata rule of two dogs max. So no more fosters.

 

PenMarie, that's great about the ferrets. I helped out a girl from a local rabbit organization once and they were so overworked!! It seems the smaller animals often get overlooked so kudo's to you for helping them.

 

That's amazing to see so many teachers. When I was younger (like a lot of girls I think), I thought I was going to be one. I looked into being a big sister a few years back but our lives aren't consistent enough to commit to it.

 

Keep em coming ladies - anyone else out there that makes a difference?

[MrsBroon]

Hello, you all do pretty amazing things. I am a Nurse Specialist and work with people addicted to heroin and other substances, and also people who have alcohol problems. I've had some good results so far.

Does this count as lifechanging??