Day 37 -- Attending volunteer orientation and CARE talk

"Not all those who wander are lost."
---J.R.R. Tolkein

I was a bit all over the map, or at least in different corners of it, with my service focus today. I attended a volunteer orientation of Greater DC Cares at the Mount Pleasant Public Library in DC in the afternoon, then headed in the evening to a talk by a woman from the non-profit organization CARE.

At the volunteer orientation, about 60 people of different ages listened attentively to a talk by a Greater DC Cares representative as she discussed the myriad volunteer opportunities in the DC area. Short term, long term, leadership-focused, team oriented, youth-related -- you name it, it's offered through this organization. It was very inspiring to see such a robust turnout and such enthusiasm for volunteering among the attendees.

At the CARE talk, about 15 people gathered in the warm and friendly home of Phyllis Levinson, a terrific woman who is also in MoverMoms. The speaker addressed the whole issue of women's health during pregnancy and childbirth, and discussed what this wonderful organziation is doing with partners across the globe to safeguard women's maternal and post-partum health so that families can thrive. Loads of food for thought and very inspiring to learn about the work that is being done on this issue, primarily in Asia and Africa.

Had to leave a fun tour of the National Cathedral that I was doing with family and good friends to get to the orientation, and had to go out in the pouring rain to get to the nighttime gathering. But as is usually the case with these kinds of events, I was so glad I went. I left thinking about the many entrenched societal problems both locally and globally, but left knowing that very dedicated people are addressing them in creative and persistent ways. Makes me want to do my part, whatever that part may be....