Success by 6

I wholeheartedly agree that a good education starting early in life makes all the difference. It is true what Mrs. Emily Baker said on Monday night, a child's education and well-being affects us all. They are the future generation. They are the ones who will be taking care of us. Doesn't it make sense that we should first take care of them, you know, while we still can? 

That is where organizations like United Way and Success By 6 come in. Their goal is to advance the common good, specifically  focusing on income, education and health. Success By 6 is a program that is specifically geared toward giving children a good, quality education from an early age. Seeing as the first five years of our lives are potentially the most important learning-wise, SB6 is definitely a noteworthy program, especially since each division is uniquely tailored to the community's needs. Kids who are educated from an early age are less likely to fall behind as opposed to kids who sit idle from ages 0-5. The aforementioned are more likely to graduate and get jobs.   

As for volunteer opportunities for SB6, there is a program called Better Beginnings. We would be interacting with the children, all the while encouraging child development through reading and games. We would serve as models to the kids. And let me just say that being a positive influence on a little boy or girl is one amazing thing. This is why I am considering volunteering here; there's also the fact that they don't really have volunteers yet... Oh, and the Girlfriend Gala sounded interesting! Too bad I can't go. 

Get ya head in the game.

MUST. DO. ALL. THE. HOMEWORK. AND CHORES. AND... basically:



It is September. Already bogged down, Marcela? TOUGH LUCK.

A Place to Heal.

The Healing Place. What a great idea to have come up with! I mean, everyone goes through some bad things in their lives, but not all have someone to get them through it all. That's what I liked to learn about the Healing Place: they are there for everyone in tough times.

Kay Parker spoke to us about the Healing Place, and she really made me want to volunteer, especially when she said all we would be involved in would be helping out with the kids. For a while I thought that I would have to listen to their problems and help them get over them, but in all honesty... I am a HUGE crybaby. I've been like that since I was little. SORRY I'M A SENTIMENTAL PERSON.



Good thing she gave us some tips on dealing with grief:

1.) Be honest. Especially with yourself. If you are sad, TELL YOURSELF YOU ARE. Don't shrug it off.
2.) Be expressive. Go ahead, cry your hear out, laugh your head off. It'll make you feel way better.
3.) Be physical. (Yeah, at first I though, WHOA.) But releasing energy in some way will get your mind off your grief. Just make sure you don't hurt yourself or another person/ living thing...
4.) Be aware of what you are thinking. This one kind of goes with #1 in that you can't tell yourself not to think about being sad, or else it will make you even more sad. Denying that you are thinking a certain way is in no way honest.




Anyhow, I was really glad when she confirmed that we would merely get to hang out with the kids and do something like this:



OR




Or, you know... swing or something. Anyway, Mrs. Parker asked if we were to take a job in which we didn't get paid, what would it be? I could definitely be a video game tester for no pay. Just kidding. I would say that working for a non-profit would probably be the way to go. Though, I have no clue what I would do. Or where I would live. 0.o But hey, I'll know when I can fill in the blank on: "I was born to _____."

 It's gonna take me a while...

YES.

I'm Baaaacckkk.

HELLO NEW YORK! I mean... UNA!


My Internet has been acting up for a while now... 
so I'M SORRY THIS IS LATE.

Anyhow, this year we get to start thinking about volunteering. Which is great, because I need to feel accomplished in some way other than academically. I feel like I have all the school stuff down but... that's just school. I definitely need to have a life outside of my classrooms at UNA. (A social one would be nice, too, but you know what they say: Sleep, Study, Party... Choose Two.)

I was thinking, for my volunteer stuff, that I could go to the Florence Animal Shelter and do some hours there because OMG DOGS. PAWS would be a good one, too.



Cats are nice, too, I guess...



MOVING ON, THOUGH. I also thought about going to the Hispanic Clinic, because... you know... I speak Spanish. So many people have told me to help out there, but I have no idea why I haven't. That will definitely be taken into consideration this time around. *Jots down on arm.*

Maybe with the speakers we'll have, I'll have more ideas, but other than those, I got nothin'.