Entry bubble Yo, Happy New Year!

By: Nancy | January 01, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

If you and I were in the Philadelphia suburbs where I grew up, we'd be camped out right now in front of the TV, watching the Mummers Parade and discussing our New Year's resolutions.



I'd pull out my list and you'd laugh. I usually make 20 or 30 resolutions; I keep about half. Oddly, it's the same ones every year that I seem not to be able to keep:

  • I will stop consuming junk food like I'm an eleven-year-old boy on an "all you can eat" spree at the local 7-11.
  • My five block walk between the subway and my office will not constitute my only exercise for the day.
  • I will quit hiding my head in the sand and get better-educated about investing.

Yeah, I've got some tough work ahead of me. And I'm starting with USA.gov's special section devoted to helping us keep our resolutions. Whether you're aiming to drop some pounds like I am, or you're resolved to start digging out of debt, breaking habits like smoking or drinking too much or dealing better with stress, this is the place to start.

What resolutions do you keep making—and breaking—like I do?

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Entry bubble Volunteer: It’s the Gift That Keeps on Giving

By: Sam | December 05, 2007 | Category: Home and Family

One of my 2007 New Year’s goals (I don’t like saying resolutions) was to volunteer more.  And with a new year right around the corner, I have to admit I wasn’t that successful in achieving it.  Like many, I found it much easier to give financially than to give my time.

However, this goal will be back at the top of my 2008 list, and this time I intend to follow through.  Before Thanksgiving, some friends and I volunteered at Food & Friends, a wonderful D.C. organization that prepares, packages, and delivers meals and groceries to more than 1,300 people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses.  I also have become involved with One Brick whose motto, ‘commitment-free volunteering,’ is great for a busy gal like me.

I really like these two organizations, but I also want to find some others to share my time with.  Thankfully, USA.gov has a great “Public Service and Volunteerism” page that can help make my search easier.   From volunteer opportunities at national parks to the Smithsonian, there’s something for everyone no matter where your interests lie.

I found the following three sites to be very useful in helping me match my interests (reading, music, the environment) and talents (shopping, multi-tasking, knowledge of all things pop culture) with organizations around the D.C. area.  Please feel free to share other helpful sites along with your volunteering experiences in the comment section.

  • USA Freedom Corps:  Helps you find service opportunities that match your interests and talents in your hometowns, across the country, or around the world.  You can also learn how to earn the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
  • NationalService.gov:  The Corporation for National & Community Service offers information about volunteering and administers several volunteer programs, including AmeriCorps and SeniorCorps.
  • Volunteer.Gov/Gov:  A single, easy-to-use web portal with information about volunteer opportunities.  You can search by keyword, state, activity, agency, and/or date range.

| View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: resolutions   usa.gov   volunteer   volunteering