Earlier this month it was my honor to deliver the commencement address at my alma mater high school in Bellefontaine, Ohio. There’s always something safe about going home. Mary Rutan Park still has its four tennis courts and the pool is still open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
As I encouraged Bellefontaine’s 202 [...]
Filed under: Children, Education, Family, In the Neighborhood | 2 Comments »
By Laura Bain (guest columnist)
(Laura Bain is a reading specialist in a rural Ohio elementary school and is passionate about the importance of teaching kids to read. She’s also one of my dearest friends. – Jane Hess Collins)
I have the most important job in the world, and I love it. For very little [...]
Filed under: Children, Education, Guest Bloggers, Literacy, Mentoring | No Comments »
It’s now a few days after Sept. 11. Every single one of you remembers what you were doing that day seven years ago. I was in India teaching English to Hindu orphans. Here’s what I remember:
The Muslim neighbors who let us watch the 9/11 updates on their television while they served us tea [...]
Filed under: Children, Faith-based, Humanity, International | 1 Comment »
by Tina Smith Houchin (guest writer)
A few years ago, I began reflecting on my life and my place in this world. I had always lived in Logan County, Ohio, and wished I had experienced more of the world. I also questioned if I had been a positive influence on others.
I was determined [...]
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The world needs more good daddies. And so I convinced my husband to join me on a two-week service vacation at a children’s orphanage in Peru this past March with the ulterior motive of providing the kids with the chance – maybe their only one – to have a positive experience with a wonderful male [...]
Filed under: Children, Family, International | 4 Comments »
Our glass of life can be either half-full or half-empty, depending on what we see. And with that, my holiday gift to you is three short vignettes of a few people whose glass is always half full. Enjoy.
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Sarah is your typical 25 years old, trying to balance school, marriage, work and sanity. [...]
Filed under: Children, Faith-based, International, Military | No Comments »
Going back to the Ronald McDonald House at night is like going back to my parents’ home. There’s a fire burning in the fireplace and a plate of food set aside in the fridge just for me.
Written by a mother staying at the Ronald McDonald House, her entry in the house journal says it [...]
Filed under: Children, Disease, Family | 1 Comment »
Sometimes a service project flops. The good news is that my “failed” volunteer project happened while I was in Hawaii (nothing can go too badly in Hawaii, right)?
While planning this dream vacation, my friend and I resurrected a service project I did with a family-focused non-profit in Honolulu back in 2000. The project, [...]
Filed under: Children, Family | 1 Comment »
“One hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove or what kind of clothes I wore. All that will matter is that I made a difference in the life of a child.” Between you and me, I always thought that saying attributed to Forrest Witcraff was pretty [...]
Filed under: Children, Humanity, International | No Comments »
“Volunteers needed for Shelter Night” the ad from a family shelter pleaded. Anyone 16 years old or older was invited to play with the kids for an hour while the parents learned life skills on Wednesday nights.
This particular shelter houses entire families. According to the website, it provides temporary emergency housing and supportive [...]
Filed under: Children, Family, Homelessness | 1 Comment »