Wonder Bands

Growing up, my mom and dad always made volunteering a part of our daily life - doing Meals on Wheels on holiday mornings, helping to build a house for Habitat for Humanity, serving food or cleaning at a local homeless shelter, visiting patients at a neighborhood nursing home. As an adult, volunteering is an integral part of my life and I couldn't imagine not giving back at least a few hours every week. One of my favorite quotes from John F. Kennedy is,

  "For of those to whom much is given, much is required."

I try to live my life that way, and hope to pass down that same vision in my future children the same way my parents did with me. It always puzzles me when I hear people say how they wish they could volunteer, or they  "should" volunteer sometime. Just do it. Stop saying you are going to one day and do it. EVERYONE is busy, but how you spend your time is all about priorities. If you really looked hard at where you spend your time (all of it), you would realize that you DO have time to give back........get up a few hours earlier on a week-end, forego a girls shopping day, or (gasp!) DVR your favorite TV show.

One of my favorite volunteer opportunites is visting the children at Children's Hospital in Detroit dressed as my favorite superhero - Wonder Woman. I'm lucky that I have an amazingly talented Costume Designer at work who made me a fabulous costume complete with boots, bracelets and Golden lasso! I decided to have some 'wonder bracelets' made so I could pass them out while I played games and visited with the kids. When I put them on the child's wrist, I always remind them that these will help give them hope, courage and strength during their stay. I've even been know to wear one around the office a day or two ;)