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Perspective Newsletters
Winter 2003
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
Page 2
 Beginning
with this issue, as Director of Programs, Francesca Creo will begin to contribute
articles that deal with concerns or issues from both campuses.
Greetings and Happy New Year from all of us at the Lincolnia Educational Foundation!
In this article, I am going to urge you to add a resolution to your list for the
New Year and suggest that you and your family consider volunteering.
Before doing so, however, I want to sincerely thank our current Leary School volunteers
and let them know how much they are appreciated by the staff and students of both
schools. Many thanks to Mrs. Nancy Cliff, Mr. Gus Ruvelas, Ms. Diana Tanner, Ms.
Carolyn Tyson, Mr. Edward Lacy, and Ms. Chellene McLaughlin at the Oxon Hill campus
and Ms. Betsy Moize at the Virginia campus.
Leary School has primarily recruited volunteers to participate in our reading program
but we also welcome volunteers to share their experiences and special talents in
many other areas. If you are interested in volunteering at any of the Leary School
programs, please contact either Ms. Brancheau (for volunteer opportunities at Leary
School, Prince George's County, at 301-839-5486 or myself (for volunteer opportunities
at Leary School of Virginia) at 703-941-8150.
While we hope you can find time to volunteer at one of our sites, consider making
volunteering a part of you and your family's life. Consider these thoughts from Susan
J. Ellis of Energize, Inc.
"People volunteer for a wide variety of reasons, especially wanting to help others.
But it's also OK to want some benefits for yourself from volunteering. Some people
are uncomfortable with the notion that a volunteer "benefits" from doing volunteer
work. There is a long tradition of seeing volunteering as a form of charity, based
on altruism and selflessness. The best volunteering does involve the desire to serve
others, but this does not exclude other motivations, as well.
Instead of considering volunteering as something you do for people
who are not as fortunate as yourself, begin to think of it as an exchange.
Consider that most people find themselves in need at some point in their lives. Some
day you may be the person with the ability to help, but tomorrow you may be the recipient
of someone else's volunteer effort. Even now you might be on both sides of the service
cycle: maybe you are a tutor for someone who can't read, while last month the volunteer
ambulance corps rushed you to the emergency room. Volunteering also includes "self
help". So if you are active in your neighborhood crime watch, your home is protected
while you protect your neighbors' homes, too. Adding your effort to the work of others
makes everyone's lives better.
Think about how much you receive when you give and consider why you want to volunteer.
You may have several different reasons. Remember that the motivations you have to
select the place to offer your services may not be the reasons why you stay. Once
you're on the volunteer job, you will continue to serve as long as you feel that
your efforts are accomplishing something, that your talents are appreciated, and
that you make a difference And if you also like the people with whom you work, so
much the better!
As long as you are truly serving through your volunteer work, isn't it wonderful
that such an exchange occurs? In fact, it tends to strengthen your commitment to
volunteering when you can see the benefits to both the recipient of your efforts
and to yourself. And it is much more comfortable than "charity" because it upholds
the self-esteem of those with whom you volunteer."
Come volunteer with us!
Francesca Creo, M.A.
Director of Programs
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