Friday, 05 September 2008
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Evening Discussion: Getting Involved in Your Community
Since I am taking this semester off, I've decided to try to get involved in my community. How? I will tell you. I want to find out how to start a bowling league. Then I want to use that knowledge to start a league for developmentally disabled children and possibly their siblings. It would be a great way to get everyone together, especially since they understand what one other is going through while still participating in a mainstreamed activity. There has to be a way to do it. As for covering the cost, I would LOVE to find businesses to sponsor it so that the the parents can spend less money, or even no money at all. That last part is quite the stretch. Most retail and service industry businesses don't want to pay their employees living wages, so it is difficult to imagine those same businesses helping families of children with special needs, take part in community activities. Still, it is a goal to work towards. If anyone out there knows anything that could help me get started, I would be so grateful as to proclaim that should I ever meet you in person, I would kiss your behind.
My other wish-to-do activity is to get involved with election day activities. I can't tell you how cool I think it would be to volunteer to work at voting stations. My husband told me today that some positions pay 150 dollars, but I would totally do it for free. I just have to be in after school starts and out before the school day ends. There must be something I can do. This year it is working the for the system... next year it could be running for the system!
Are you active in your community, or at least thinking about it? What kinds of projects or activities are you interested in?
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Comments (4)
It is definitely something I am going to start looking into in the new year. I was waiting for my daughter to wean or at least stop wanting to nurse every hour!
Definitely. I was always in service clubs in middle and high school. I wanted to do the voting thing too, but I found out I would have to deliver the stuff to another city afterwards, and I'd rather not travel to a city that doesn't have the best parking...Our community offers a lot of ways to volunteer, but it is hard having to bring the little one around.
Good luck with everything!
I really enjoy working for a non profit part-time. We help homeless children by doing art therapy (www.drawbridge.org). I've been actively involved in the community for years. I'm an accountant and help low income people file their taxes every tax season with taxaid.org . It is very important to be involved with the community because there are so many people who need help. I always believe charity starts at home. :)
I think you have a good idea. You can probably get a discount from the bowling alley. It is very difficult to get sponsor's, but you may try fundraising in your community (Bake sales, putting penny jars at markets). I just did a cupcake bakeoff raising money for teachers and we made $500. I can give you the details if you reply back. You also need to think about the level of difficulty of bowling for developmentally disabled children.
@already_dead@xanga - I found a website that explains the basics of starting a league so I am at a decent start there. The hard part will be recruiting. It is surprising, but there are actually a couple of ways to make bowling adaptive. There is the option of bumpers and then there are guide ramps that can be used and all one has to do is push the ball down this metal rack...it is pretty cool actually. The biggest obstacle I can foresee right now is over stimulation. There are lights, noise, fog machines...that is far too much for some kids on the spectrum so I don't have that figured out yet. It is not a problem for my son but I know it is a problem for a lot of other kids. And finally...time. Even if I find enough people to participate, a lot of families stay busy on an epic scale...trying to schedule work, school, extra therapy sessions (if they can be afforded), blah blah blah.
It will be pretty challenging to say the least, but not challenging enough to make me not want to try. ;)