I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands . You need to be able to throw something back. ~ Maya Angelou

While thinking about the topic for this blog entry, I was inspired, in a strange way, by the recent tragic events in Haiti. More than 150,000 people were killed, and hundreds of thousands more injured, during the violent 7.0 earthquake that rocked Port-au-Prince to its core. The global response, however, to the plight of the people of Haiti has been a beautiful sight to behold. Millions of dollars have been pledged and given by citizens, rich and poor, from all over the world. Donated food, water and medical supplies are now flown in on a daily basis. Thousands of doctors, nurses and rescue workers have put their daily lives on hold to travel to Haiti to help feed and care for the millions of Haitians struggling to put their country back together.

The earthquake in Haiti reminded me of another horrible tragedy that happened in recent years on our own soil: Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath that devastated the Gulf Coast. We were all in shock to see the images of angry citizens in need of water and dead bodies outside the New Orleans Superdome. In response, citizens of the world rallied around those in need, and welcomed with open arms those who were forced to leave their homes. And again, many volunteered their services to help put our Gulf Coast cities back on the map again.

While these are wonderful examples of people of all types and skill sets stepping up to the plate in response to a cry for help, I have been thinking about the notion of proactive volunteering. Now, I am the first to admit that I am one of those who really only thinks about “giving back” when natural disasters occur, or during the holidays when my family and I participate in the Salvation Army Angel Tree program, or if a friend or family member is in need of a little financial help. This is all good and well, but couldn’t I do better than being “reactive” or “seasonal” when it comes to helping out those in need in my city, country and world? Is this the example that I want to set for my two children? (more…)