Volunteering at EHS and Giving Back Time

Volunteering is, for me, a way of giving back to my community and my world in gratitude. It make my life richer along the way. I believe that giving money alone is great but not enough so I give of my money and my time. It keeps a balance and everything in perspective, whether my life is easy or hard in that moment. Today was NY CARES day when volunteers go into the schools and paint murals and clean up. I have also, from time to time, worked with Habitat for Humanity and even got my photo taken with Jimmy Carter at 135th Street once

EHS stands for the East Harlem School at Exodus House, an amazing middle school on 103rd Street with, in my unbiased opinion, extraordinary students. I have tutored there for 11 years and led book groups for the last 3 years, as well as acting as chaperone for trips and leading after-school programs periodically. EHS was started by my friend since high school, Ivan, and his brother. I went by to say, "Hi," and Ivan pulled me into their assembly where the students (ages 10-14) were learning about NGOs. I got a tour with two students and fell in love and the rest, as they say, is history.

To work with the students makes me think, how can I explain these ideas clearly? What is the key to helping this child learn? How can I make books come alive for them the way they do for me? What are they passionate about? And with math, which I am not excellent at, how do I teach the building blocks when it isn't easy for me either?! How can my experiences help them discover how to study, read and do their homework better? What makes their studies relevant to their lives and how can I communicate that? When I volunteer at EHS, my interaction with the students enriches all of us.

What is your passionate commitment in the world? I've never met anyone who could not think of some place or community where they really wanted to contribute when I asked them. For one IT guy, it was a computer lab. Volunteering takes time but it's also fun and rewarding. If you aren't already, try it for yourself and see.