ARE WE DOING ENOUGH TO GIVE BACK?

I've been doing a little research on volunteering and charitable giving, specifically in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. I wanted to share some of them with you:

VOLUNTEERING

• According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 26 percent of Americans volunteer.

• The volunteer rate fell in 2007 for the second straight year, according to Corporation for National and Community Service.

• 29 percent of women volunteer, while 23 percent of men.

• In Dallas/Fort Worth, the breakdown was 35.5 percent for females and 24.9 percent for males.

• DFW ranked 20th in the nation for metropolitan areas at a rate of 30.3 percent. (Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked No. 1 at 40.5 percent, while Las Vegas was last at 14.4 percent)

• Based on number of hours volunteered between 2004 and 2006, DFW was 34th. (Tulsa ranked No. 1 and Las Vegas was last.)

• DFW's breakdown for average volunteer hours during that span was 33.7. (No. 1 Tulsa averaged 60 hours.)

• On average, DFW had approximately 1.4 million volunteers, who served 15.73 million hours per year during 2004-06.

• The main activity for volunteers in DFW were "collecting, preparing, distributing, or serving food."

• While more DFW residents between 35 and 44 years old volunteered (38.2 percent), they only volunteered an average of 36 hours. (Second lowest to the 16-24 age group.)

• DFW seniors volunteer the most hours, averaging 104 hours per volunteer.

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

• In a study done by Intuit Inc., DFW did not make the Top 10 for "Most Giving Cities." (Salt Lake City was No. 1, followed by West Palm Beach, and Washington D.C. respectively.)

• On a positive note: DFW was NOT one of the Top 10 "Stingiest Cities," either. (San Antonio was, though.)

• Men's Health listed Dallas has No. 36 on its "Most Charitable Cities." The magazine also gave Big D a Big B minus for its efforts.

• Fort Worth was graded an embarrassing D minus and ranked No. 91.

SOURCES: www.intuit.com; The Baltimore Sun; Men's Health; Corporation for National & Community Service; Chronicle of Philanthropy.

WORTH REPEATING: TIME TO GIVE BACK

Giving back continues to infiltrate my soul on a daily basis and light an amazing fire deep inside me. 

I know that I blogged about it on June 9th ("Time to Walk the Walk"), but giving back – in any shape, form, or fashion – deserves another post. (And I PROMISE it won't be the last.) I refuse to let my blog get stale, but I will continue to address this issue on a regular basis.

This is why:

• I LOVE IT!

• IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME!

• I WANT TO INSPIRE YOU TO START GIVING BACK!

In this post, I want to share one of my recent volunteer opportunities and tell a brief story about how one company took the emphasis off profits for one day and made it a point to give back.

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VOLUNTEERING: An Intimate Introduction to Homelessness

Every Tuesday night for the last six weeks, I have served dinner at Safe Haven, which is the mentally ill wing of Presbyterian Night Shelter (PNS). 

The Fact Sheet provided by PNS describes Safe Haven as, "The only place of its kind in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Safe Haven aims to establish a trusting relationship with clients, so they will utilize available mental and physical care at the nearby Mental Health Mental Retardation center."

I have volunteered at the main shelter during the holiday seasons, but it doesn't compare to this experience – with only 18 to 20 Safe Haven residents it's more personal and intimate. 

It's a very special experience every single week, because all the residents are very appreciative and aren't afraid to express it with words or a big smile.

Some of the residents are starting recognize me and remember that I'm there on Tuesday nights. They've even started to ask me questions – my favorite being, "What's your name?"

Do you know what I like about the most? NOW, I know their name! (This probably won't come as surprise to most people reading this blog, but I'm not afraid to use their name any chance I get. It's like a free pass to the other side.) 

After I help clean up at Safe Haven, I work in the main shelter's dispensary for about an hour and a half. I pass out shampoo, soap, Tylenol, lotion, Tums – anything that has been donated to make the "clients" more comfortable.

Again, this has been a tremendous experience. 

One at a time, a client sticks his or her head in the small, chest-high window and asks me for something they need and/or want.

"Dinner wasn't great tonight...do you have any antacid?"

"Please tell me you have some foot powder."

"OK...tell me what I need to help with this toothache." 

I am receiving a VERY personal introduction to the homeless community in Tarrant County. I might be passing out a disposable razor or a handful of tampons, but it's helping me wrap my mind around one of society's biggest problems.

When I drive home after a couple hours at the shelter, I think about Lawerence, Michael, Alice, Elizabeth, Lori, Benda, and the countless number who have introduced themselves and said "thank you." 

I know that I'm helping to a certain degree on Tuesday night, but I feel like I'm gathering valuable knowledge about how I can really help the homeless initiative.

Before I started volunteering at the shelter, I was introduced to a book by photographer Lynn Blodgett, which focuses on "The Face of America's Homeless."  After six short weeks, now I understand what they mean when they say, "But first: We must decide to look."

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CORPORATE GIVING: Profits take back seat

I read about Convergint Technologies in the Dallas Morning News 

a few weeks ago. 

Three words in the headline, "Social Responsibility Day," caught my attention. (Otherwise I would have written it off as another company in the midst of layoffs, coming up short on its quarterly projections, or discussing a possible merger with one of its competitors.)

I went on to read how this Chicago-based company shut the doors of its 21 offices and gave back to communities across the United States and Canada, specifically to elderly residents who simply needed a helping hand. 

Awesome, right? Just wait.

In the article, the president and CEO estimated that Convergint lost almost half a million dollars by shutting down its operations for one day. His response: A preferable outcome to "losing our heart and soul" in the pursuit of profits.

After weaving through their corporate web site for a few minutes – to find out what the heck Convergint Technologies actually did to make money – I stumbled across this verbiage: "Making a Daily Difference." 

It was like a breath of fresh air – a company that doesn't just talk the talk. Anyone can slap those words on a web site or inside a brochure. 

Will you actually close your doors?

Will you take a $500,000 hit against your profit margin?

Will you have the intestinal fortitude to really give back?

Just asking.

GIVING BACK: TIME TO WALK THE WALK

I can't remember when it hit me, but when it did ... it definitely left a mark.

Since the concept of e-Partners in Giving came to me, I've been talking about "giving back." I've been preaching to people that this is their chance to do just that.

I actually wrote this verbiage for our web site:

"At e-Partners in Giving, we believe that the impact of our wake has the potential to be much more significant than the actual splash we make in our lives. That is why it is our privilege to help with this self-sacrificing opportunity. We want to provide you the necessary tools so you can firmly place the emphasis on a person, event, or organization you hold close to your heart."

Wow! That's good stuff.

The only problem ... I wasn't walking the walk. It was just a bunch of talk. I personally wasn't "giving back" like I should.

(Cue a big slap across the face)

Sure, I spent time at a local homeless shelter on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve last year, but I didn't dedicate to being there every Thursday night, serving dinner or passing out toiletry items that most of us take for granted.

(Slap! Slap!)

At church, Tanya and I try to put an offering in the collection plate every Sunday, but that's only when one of us is actually carrying cash. (Which isn't very often.)

(Slap with an Amen!)

If I had a friend running or walking for a cause, I might donate a few bucks, but I wouldn't roll out of bed at 4 o'clock in the morning and help mix-up powdered Gatorade.

(Cue another slap AND add a punch to the gut.)

Even if e-Partners in Giving stumbles and falls (again ... we don't like talking like that, but it helps to make a solid point), I have already received a tremendous wake up call.

It's time for me to start giving back.

Here is a list of things that I have done over the last couple of weeks:

(NOTE: The following items are just the tip of the iceberg. I plan on taking "my giving" to a whole new level.)

• I filled out my application to be a Big Brother for Big Brother Big Sisters. (The next step is the interview process.)

• I decided to be a regular volunteer at the Presbyterian Night Shelter in Fort Worth. Every Tuesday night – starting this week (June 10th) – I will serve dinner at Safe Haven, the mentally ill shelter, for one hour. Then I will volunteer for one hour at the Shelter Dispensary, helping distribute those before-mentioned toiletry items.

• I submitted my application to produce the monthly newsletter for the American Red Cross Southwest Blood Services Region. (I have not heard back from them.)

• I encouraged my staff to choose a charity or charities that "tug at their heart strings." We will list these on our web site with our bios, along with a brief description why they're important to us. (We will focus on these non-profit organizations when we match donations for a designated event, or we market our services by making donations on behalf of e-Partners in Giving.)

NOTE: I'm still working on my charities, but here are the ones I am leaning towards:

– Jonathan's Place (Takes care of the Metroplex's youngest victims of abuse.)

– Finding Grace Homeless Initiative ("An emerging coalition of individuals and organizations aiming to increase awareness and raise money for homeless organizations." Interest raised by the book "Finding Grace: The Face of America's Homeless")

– Marathon Kids (Targets children most vulnerable to sedentary lives and encourages running to combat childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes.)

– One World Running ("An international program promoting an awareness of health, fitness and nutrition by providing running shoes to those in need in the United States and around the world.")

– Run for Congo Women (Giving women in the Congo "hope for life in this country torn by war." The passion of founder Lisa Shannon is contagious and made me aware and intrigued by this "nightmare" in Africa.)

I will probably pick four or five non-profits that "run the gauntlet" – one that focuses on children, one that focuses on the homeless, an environmental cause, and an international effort. Literacy is also important to me, as well as domestic abuse. (As you can tell from my list, I'm kind of drawn towards organizations that focus on running, too.)

If you have a charity that you hold close to your heart. I would love to hear about it. (Why does it tug at your heart strings?) Just like Lisa Shannon, it's the people and their passion for an organization or cause, that really differentiates one charity from another. (EXAMPLE: Tanya is heavily involved with CASA in Tarrant County, which "serves as voice for abused and neglected children when they go to court." This will definitely be one that makes "the list.")

As I continue to research these organizations, it reminds me how many people in this world need EVERYONE to be giving back.

I will probably never say this again, but I'm glad I got slapped across the face. Hopefully this blog has a similar impact on you ... SLAP!