Day of Service Remix

Day of Service Remix: Volunteer Year-round

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is January 20th and my day of service project is still undecided. I normally plug into a local project that benefits children. Usually a service project is lined up by the first week of January, my friends are recruited for a youth focused project and we’re swinging hammers, paintbrushes on schedule.  Not so this year.  I admit I have been engaged with the launch of the self-publishing marketplace, social responsibility temporarily dropped off my radar, which is an indication that I need to plan future Days of Service more effectively. That’s why I decided to do a Day of Service Remix- volunteer year-round as the opportunities fit my schedule.

Life gets super busy for authors and it is even a fight to keep the writing schedule you set up.  Day of Service Remix is your way to volunteer year-round when it works best for you. First of all, don’t worry if you cannot do it on Jan 20, 2020.  Select a day or multiple days that your schedule allows and be of service to someone who could use your help. There are national days of service in pretty much every month this year. For your convenience, I’m including them courtesy of The National Mentoring Partnership. This is not an exhaustive list, find your passion and plug in to a project or better yet, create a service project and a way for friends and family to volunteer.

January

• National Mentoring Month – Thank Your Mentor Day –January 30
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day –“Make it a day ON…Not a day off!”

February

• Corporate Philanthropy Day
• Random Acts of Kindness Week

March

• AmeriCorps Week
• Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning

April

• National Volunteer Week (usually the 3^rd week in April)
• Global Youth Service Day
• Earth Day

May

• Join Hands Day (first Saturday in May)

July

• Mandela Day (July 18)

September

• National Day of Service and Remembrance –September 11

October

• Be the Change Day –October 1
• Make a Difference Day –4^th Saturday of October
• National Pro Bono Week

November

• International Volunteer Managers Day –November 5
• Veterans Day –November 11
• National Philanthropy Day –November 15
• Family Volunteer Day –3^rd Saturday of November

December

• International Volunteer Day –December 5

My Day of Service Remix for Youth Literacy

I got to thinking, this delay in identifying a project seems like a great opportunity. Begin the new decade with a Successful YOU! Day of Service.  Plus, it seems a good idea to adopt a specific area of focus and identify a partner organization to leverage our impact.

Successful YOU!® is adopting youth literacy as its social responsibility area and dedicating our annual Day of Service to this foundation pillar of every advanced and prosperous society. Reading is the source of many of the wonderful life experiences I have.  I believe every child should be supported in learning to read and explore the possibilities that books open up. 

What does your Day of Service Remix look like? Partners are welcome

Who are you partnering with? Well, if you have a foundation or non-profit in the area of youth literacy, I’d welcome a connection with you.  Let’s leverage our skills, ability and time to increase literacy among children.

What problem would you like to solve? Comment here and find like-minded authors to collaborate with to bring a solution.  One of my biggest takeaways from The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey was the circle of concern and circle of influence.  It is absolutely true that efforts within your circle of influence gradually expand it. You can fix things in your circle of concern by doing the most in your circle of influence.