A year ago, at his inauguration, Barack Obama urged Americans to get more involved in community service.  Since then, many organizations, including Jewish Community Services and Jewish Volunteer Connection here in Baltimore, have seen an increase in inquiries about volunteering.  As we observe Martin Luther King’s birthday, it’s uplifting to observe that in the current challenging economic climate, people are coming forward and coming together to help others.

Joining the ranks of new volunteers are recent retirees, as well as people who have been laid off, many of whom are still searching for new jobs.  Both groups find they can still draw on their experience and skills to make positive contributions.*

Whether you’re currently seeking work or not, the question is: how do you keep on feeling vital and valuable?  Everyone needs a reason to get up and moving each day.

Doing something useful for others is a great incentive to take a break from your own problems.  And in the process, an amazing thing happens.  JCS volunteers of all ages agree that helping others can open up your world, bringing meaning and purpose to your life. 

Herb Shuman, a semi-retired JCS Friendly Visitor and grocery shopper for homebound people, says, “Volunteering makes me feel good; it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done besides taking care of my mother.  It fits very well into my life.”  As a Mitzvah Mobility volunteer, Ellen Gold, mother of three teenage children, drives and escorts JCS clients who need help getting to medical appointments.  “I love the interaction,” she says; “I’ve met fascinating people whose lives are so rich, and who often express their appreciation for my help.”  “A lot of people don’t realize they can potentially change someone’s life for the better,” says Russell Singer, a thirty-something JCS Big Brother, reflecting on his own rewarding experience as a mentor and friend to his ten-year-old Little Brother, Ryan.  A local attorney, who volunteers at the Jewish Legal Services monthly clinic for people with limited income, says, “Part of the obligation of being licensed [as a lawyer] is to give something back to the community.  It’s part and parcel of being Jewish as well.” 

A Mayo Clinic study shows that “people who volunteer 1 to 2 hours a week are healthier, live longer, and are more satisfied with their lives compared with non-volunteers.”  Did you get that?  You can actually improve your quality of life by helping someone else only an hour or two a week!

Maybe you’ve been considering volunteering.  Tap into your skills, energy and enthusiasm.  Right now, JCS needs more Mitzvah Mobility drivers, and boys in our community need Big Brothers.  You can join groups visiting Jewish prisoners in Maryland facilities, or choose another activity that appeals to you. 

To quote from Aesop’s Fables: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”  To get involved and make a difference, visit www.jcsbaltimore.org/volunteer or call410-466-9200.  You’ll feel great.

By Beth Land Hecht, LCSW-C, Senior Manager, JCS Volunteer Services, and Gail Lipsitz

*AARP Bulletin, June 2009   **”Prevention Magazine,” January 2009

Visit the JCS website at www.jcsbaltimore.org

How many times have you resolved to lose weight, eat better, drink less, stop smoking, work out, or call your family?  You’re not alone.  According to http://www.usa.gov, the most popular resolutions are: to lose weight, manage debt, save money, get a better job, get fit, eat right, get a better education, drink less alcohol, quit smoking, reduce stress, take a trip and volunteer.  It’s not hard to make list upon list of all the problems we need to solve.  Resolutions tend to focus on what we are doing wrong; they are broad and long term.  The danger of making these lists around the New Year is that they are often forgotten or broken within a week – or a month if you’re lucky.  Have you ever resolved to go on a diet, only to eat a second helping of dessert the next day?  When this happens, the tendency is to spiral into negative-speak and defeatist thinking, which doesn’t get us anywhere except staying at the same weight and feeling angry with ourselves.     

All we have is today – and each day we are given the opportunity to make choices.  So, instead of making resolutions, let’s look at an alternative – setting intentions.  An intention, according to Encarta, is something you plan to do or the “quality or state of having a purpose in mind.”  Intentions connote a more immediate state of mind.  “I intend to eat only until I am full.”  Intentions can be set every day, or right before a meeting, party or event.  Setting positive, short-term goals feels more manageable and more realistic for many of us.

When we stop looking at what is wrong, we begin to see what is right.  Do you really think it matters if you haven’t been able to lose five pounds and your kitchen cupboards are disorganized?  Perspective comes from gratitude.  Try looking at what is going well in your life.  If you are overweight, be grateful that you have food on your table.  Stop complaining that you don’t have the latest Blackberry, and be grateful that you do have a phone that works and people who care enough to call you.  If you feel underutilized at work, find ways to be more helpful and be thankful that you have a job in this economy. 

If you need more help with gratitude, try writing a list of your blessings or doing something of service to others.  Find a local soup kitchen or visit a nursing home.  You can also call Volunteer Services at JCS 410-466-9200 or visit http://www.jcsbaltimore.org/volunteer. 

The Alcoholics Anonymous twelve-step recovery program reminds members that life is “One Day at a Time.”  Here are some thoughts selected from one of their brochures, “Just for Today.”

Just for today I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle my whole life problem at once.

Just for today I will adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my “luck” as it comes, and fit myself to it.

Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways; I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out; if anybody knows of it, it will not count. I will do at least two things I don’t want to do - just for exercise. I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it.

Just for today I will be unafraid. Especially I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful, and to believe that as I give to the world, so the world will give to me.

By Colleen Brady Lippens, Health Educator, Prevention Education, Jewish Community Services, Baltimore, MD

Share your comments, experiences, and insights with readers on this new blog. 

Jewish Community Services helps you solve life’s puzzles, offering you guidance and support when you are looking for solutions.  For more information, call 410-466-9200 or visit http://www.jcsbaltimore.org.  JCS is an agency of THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore.