Author Archives: Jane Collins

Chairman of the Board

Someone told me 20 years ago that if you want something done, ask a busy person. No one, I’ve decided, is busier than a nonprofit executive director, and this posting is a shout-out to them by way of my whining … Continue reading

Posted in Board Membership, Group Work, In the Neighborhood | 3 Comments

The Polar Bear Plunge

When my daughter-in-law Sarah challenged me last April to the 16th annual MSP Polar Bear Plunge to raise money for Maryland’s Special Olympics program, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Then, the closer it got to the … Continue reading

Posted in Disease and Illness, One-time, cause-related, People with Disabilities | 1 Comment

Preventing Blindness with the POB

As my husband drove me to the metro for my Prevention of Blindness (POB) project during the NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo, he casually mentioned that he was getting his eyes checked and hoped he didn’t have glaucoma.  He sometimes … Continue reading

Posted in Adults, Disease and Illness, People | Leave a comment

Busting a Move with CityDance

You have got to love a nonprofit that teaches dance, conflict resolution and self-esteem–and performs at the Verizon Center. When Sarah Levy, the CityDance Community Programs Coordinator, asked me to help out at a DREAM rehearsal–where nearly 150 3rd –5th … Continue reading

Posted in Adults, Arts & Culture, Children, Education, In the Neighborhood, Kids, Life Skills, People, The Arts | Leave a comment

Helping out in a Hypothermia Shelter

When the temperature gets down in the 30’s, that normally means flannel blankets and nerdy pajamas. For the homeless, sometimes it means sleeping in a church. My husband Mike and I discovered just what that was like when we volunteered … Continue reading

Posted in Adults, Homelessness, In the Neighborhood, People | Leave a comment

Dedicate to Insulate

Help insulate a low-income family’s home and save them up to 30% off their next utility bill. By Jane Hess Collins AmeriCorps members Dorothy Shepard and Ryan Baesten, assigned to Rebuilding Together Alexandria, stayed warm by hauling these heavy bags … Continue reading

Posted in In the Neighborhood | Leave a comment

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (or anywhere)

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington ICON 11 Talent Showcase winners Question: What do District of Columbia Mayor Vincent C. Gray, Georgetown University Men’s Head Basketball Coach JohnThompson III and Roy Hibbert Jr. of the Indiana Pacers have … Continue reading

Posted in Adults, Children, Homework Assistance, In the Neighborhood, Job Preparation, Kids, Life Skills, Mentoring, People | Leave a comment

Boys & Girls Clubs

The girls from the Dunbar Alexandria-Olympic site of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington rock their handmade napkin rings.   Good news! The Dunbar Alexandria-Olympic site of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington (BGCGW) in Old … Continue reading

Posted in Adults, Children, Homelessness, In the Neighborhood, Kids, Mentoring, People | Leave a comment

The Neighborhood Dish

For hundreds of nonprofits in metropolitan Washington DC, a little donation goes a long, long way. We asked a handful of the area’s earnest, hard-working and small nonprofits what local restaurants and catering companies they can count on over and … Continue reading

Posted in Donating, Hunger, In the Neighborhood | Leave a comment

Wrapping it up with The Reading Connection

In December of 2005 I volunteered to gift-wrap for the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia and discovered that teenagers rule the world. Two pretty teens worked with me, and when they smiled, complete strangers stuffed the donation box with cash. Fast … Continue reading

Posted in Holidays, Literacy | 1 Comment

“A” for Effort with Higher Achievement

  Chana Rabiner needed a substitute mentor for the three fifth grade girls she tutors with Higher Achievement. When she emailed me the lesson plan, all preconceived notions of substitute teachers as babysitters dissolved. The lesson plan was detailed, structured … Continue reading

Posted in Children, Education, Homework Assistance, Life Skills, People, Tutoring | Leave a comment

Dining for Good with Dining for Women

According to MasterCard, last year I spent nearly $2500 on dining out. That’s just over $200 each month. What if I took one week’s cost of dining out and instead had my girlfriends over for dinner and we each donated … Continue reading

Posted in International, People, Women, Women Empowerment | Leave a comment

Healing Foods at Smith Center

  I was on my third handful of peanut M&Ms, just enough to qualify as lunch, when Smith Center emailed me with the ideal volunteer project. Would I assist their guest chef, Elizabeth Petty during a cooking demonstration of raw, … Continue reading

Posted in Disease and Illness, Environment, Hunger | Leave a comment

Soaring with Luke’s Wings

  The thought of asking anyone for money–aside from my parents when I was 11 years old–has always terrified me. What better way to address that fear head-on than to help with the Luke’s Wings Second Annual Homecoming Gala on, … Continue reading

Posted in Donating, Military, Military and Veterans, People | Leave a comment

Welcome to the Catalogue for Philanthropy’s Class of 2012!

Hors d’oeuvre, wine and black-and-white clad waiters circulating among elegant guests are standard for most VIP receptions. Leave it to the Catalogue for Philanthropy to include inner city underserved boys, standing proudly and nervously next to their Life Pieces to … Continue reading

Posted in Arts & Culture, Children, Donating, The Arts | Leave a comment