I Volunteer Because...

I was recently named Volunteer of the Year at Presbyterian Night Shelter in Fort Worth.

I'm definitely not bragging – or fishing for an "attaboy" – I just feel like I should clarify a few things.

First of all...I was very humbled and honored by the nomination. Over the last couple years, the shelter has grabbed hold of my heart and gloriously ruined me. My wife and I have dedicated a lot of time and effort to PNS, and I felt like the nomination acknowledged that.

It made me feel appreciated.

It made me smile.

This might sound a little crazy – especially since I practically dared my friends and family to carry me across the finish – but winning the award was not that important to me.

Don't get me wrong....I'm glad I won – because I HATE losing.

But I feel like I snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a couple Facebook updates and several mass e-mails.

As I started writing this blog post, my wife said to me, "Don't feel guilty..."

I don't.

It's just VERY important to me that people know that it's not the awards or the recognition that motivates me to give back. (I put that in several of the e-mails that I sent out.)

I thought this would be appropriate time to explain why I volunteer at the night shelter (I should have done this a long time ago):

I volunteer at the shelter because I believe that everyone deserves a fighting chance to be successful.

I volunteer because of the one-on-one interaction with the clients.

I volunteer because I want to measure success in my life by the relationships I develop along the way.

I volunteer because I want to make giving back sexy and cool.

I volunteer because I've been extremely blessed in my life – I want to pay it forward.

I volunteer because when I'm having a bad day, the shelter provides perspective.

I volunteer because the smiles and hugs of the clients warm my heart.

I volunteer because I love it when random people reach out to me on Facebook and ask, "Can I go with you to the shelter?"

I volunteer because I want to inspire my family and friends to give back.

I volunteer at the shelter because I love hearing stories about clients moving into permanent housing or getting a job.

I volunteer because significance is one of my top life facets – right behind spiritual and family.

I volunteer because every few months, a client asks me my name or "When are you coming back?"

I volunteer because I've started to recognize the power of presence.

I volunteer because that's exactly where God wants me to be.

Thank you to all of the people who voted for me and encouraged me throughout the "competition."

I also want to give a special shout out to B.J. Lacasse – she is the real Volunteer of the Year. She single-handedly put a face on the homeless problem in our community through her wonderfully great images. (Click here to see a news story about her exhibit, "The Street.")

Never stop giving back!

WANT TO GIVE BACK? HERE'S YOUR CHANCE

I just wanted to share two opportunities to give back.

PRESBYTERIAN NIGHT SHELTER

I am trying to to take two groups a month to help serve dinner at PNS. This is part of an initiative spearheaded by the shelter's new Awareness Committee.

It is a WONDERFUL opportunity for you to be introduced to Presbyterian Night Shelter and all of its fantastic services.

I volunteer at the shelter every Tuesday night and it has changed my life. (read about it here) I simply want to share this experience with other individuals who want to give back.

It's only a 2 1/2-hour commitment on Monday night. THAT'S IT!

If you are interested in getting a group together (four to five people), please let me know. If you want to fly solo – that will be just as great. I will forward you all of the information and we can decide on which Monday works best for you.

FRESH AIR FUND

(this is perfect for TCU students or recent graduates)

The Fresh Air Fund is a non-profit that provides free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities.
 

Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually, and the organization is looking for counselors for the Summer of 2009.

For more information about the Fresh Air Fund click here

To fill out an application click here

VISION INSPIRES CALL TO ACTION

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is post No. 5 in a week-long blogging initiative.

I wanted to share an inspirational article from my recent edition of Runner's World. It is about an amazing vision of one Philadelphia woman who decided to make a difference in her city's homeless community.

All through the power of running.

THE STORY: On an early morning run past a Philladelphia homeless shelter – one she had run past many times – a simple idea stopped Anne Mahlum in her tracks. She decided to form a running club for the city's homeless.

Back on My Feet was born.

Mahlum's life was changed forever – and there was about to be a significant ripple effect through the streets of Philadelphia.

On her non-profit's web site, Mahlum wrote: "Running is such a beautiful metaphor for life. Life is about choosing different roads and our program teaches the importance of choosing roads filled with opportunity, hope and happiness.”

Here is a news clip out of Baltimore, the second city to launch a BOMF chapter:

THE CALL TO ACTION: After reading the Runner's World article, watching the videos, and spending most of my work day looking at the organization's web site, I felt inspired to do something.

Here is an e-mail that I sent Anne Mahlum:

Anne,

Greetings from Fort Worth, Texas.

My prayer is that this e-mail is not lost in the chaos – because there isn’t a doubt in my mind that you are being bombarded with messages after the recent article in Runner’s World. Especially, if other people were impacted like me. (Your organization and its dedication to helping the homeless has consumed me for two straight days.)

I am a regular volunteer at Fort Worth’s largest homeless shelter (every Tuesday night) and an avid runner. To say that the RW article spoke directly to me, is a HUGE understatement.

Instead of writing a novel of an e-mail, I’m going to fire off a few bullet points (hopefully serving as a catalyst for future dialogue.)

• I want to bring your incredible organization to Fort Worth and help the approximately 4,000 homeless in our city.

• I’m aware of your organization’s mission of “growing smartly” to new cities across the country – I applaud and admire your dedication to that vision of sustained excellence.

• But I’m also aware Back on My Feet is considering expansion to more cities by the end of 2009. (At least one following the March launch in Baltimore.)

• Question: What can be done to get Fort Worth on your radar?

• Question: Are there any newsletters, articles, press releases etc. that lay out the timeline and the decision-making process surrounding expansion into Baltimore? (I’m very intrigued how the conversation started and how the ball got rolling.)

• Question: Is there a difference between “starting a team” and forming a chapter?

Just a little more about me:
• In May 2008, I quit my job as Director of Communications at Texas Christian University to start a new business that puts an emphasis on giving back. We facilitate online donations for significant life events (birthdays, graduations, weddings, memorials, etc.) My web site, which launched in December 2008: www.epartnersingiving.com

• At the same time, I decided that I needed to “walk the walk” in regards to giving back. That’s when I began my volunteer efforts at Presbyterian Night Shelter. (I’m also heavily involved with Big Brother Big Sisters, and The WARM Place – a local non-profit that counsels and mentors children who lost a loved one.)

• I have run in two marathons (Fort Worth’s Cowtown Marathon both times) and I’m currently training for Nashville’s Country Music Marathon in April.

I have copied several people on this e-mail to reinforce my seriousness and dedication to make this mission of bringing BOMF to Fort Worth a reality. (Some of these people are Presbyterian Night Shelter administrators and board members, city leaders – including Mayor Mike Moncrief, community supporters, and friends in the Fort Worth running community.)

I appreciate your time and I hope this e-mail is the start of long and beneficial conversation.

Take care and never stop giving back,

Drew Myers
President / CEO

e-Partners in Giving

I decided to share this letter with you for the same reason I copied Fort Worth's mayor and some significant community supporters.

I AM DEDICATED AND DETERMINED

TO BRING THIS INCREDIBLE PROGRAM TO FORT WORTH!

JOIN THE CLUB, GET 'GLORIOUSLY RUINED'

I am working diligently on being “gloriously ruined.”

I want to wake up one morning and have my life

turned upside down – ruined from top to bottom,

inside and out.

Why?

I firmly believe that’s when I’ll start truly making a difference through giving back.

I was introduced to the phrase, “gloriously ruined,” when reading “Dangerous Surrender” by Kay Warren. She is an advocate for women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, and she was ruined when she visited Africa, the frontline of the AIDS epidemic.

Here is an excerpt from her book:

“If very little in my life had prepared me for what I experienced in Africa, nothing had prepared me to try to pick up my life again in affluent Orange County, California. Everything looked different; everyone seemed strange. I looked at my possessions differently. Suddenly a full refrigerator was an insult. The crowded grocery store shelves were excessive. The displays of fashion at the mall were trivial. Television was disgusting and moronic. Politics made me sick. Church was superficial. I was a mess.”

She went on to write, “I’m simply not the same person…I’ve been shaped by these new experiences, and I will never be the same. Moreover, I don’t want to be the same. I can’t have seen what I’ve seen, met the people I’ve met, experienced what I’ve experienced, only to turn away and return to life as usual. I now look at life through a different set of lenses.”

WOW! I LOVE IT!

In those two paragraphs, Mrs. Warren provided me a metaphorical slap to the face.

A few pages later, she talked about “joining the ranks of the ruined.” As she leads small groups interested in giving back, she says that she asks each person to become members of the “Seriously Disturbed, Gloriously Ruined Club.”

When these groups of people finally get it, she wrote, “they are no longer content to live with the focus of their lives being on their world – themselves, their problems, their family, their career. Their eyes have been opened to new realities. They have seen how the suffering world lives, and it is not real. They cannot ignore the suffering or pretend it doesn’t exist. They are compelled to do something about it.”

LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!

Personally, I’m still searching

for that “ruined” moment.

As I drive down the streets near the homeless shelter, I get a small taste. As I talk to my little brother about his family’s struggles, I can see glimpses of getting ruined.

But I’ve never prayed with a homeless woman in Africa dying from AIDS, and I’ve never held the hand of a woman who was infected with HIV because her husband contracted the virus from his mistress and brought the disease home.

Kay Warren has. These two women helped ruin her.

The point of this blog post is not to push Mrs. Warren’s book (even though it is an excellent and motivational read), I’m delivering a call to action:

I am asking you to join the

“Seriously Disturbed, Gloriously Ruined Club.”

Here is your chance

(you knew I had one, didn't you?):

The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition is looking for 500 volunteers to help conduct a count and brief survey of unsheltered homeless people living in the Tarrant and Parker County area.

It is a two- to three-hour time commitment, starting at 8 p.m. on January 29th.

Volunteers will be broken up into groups of three or four, trained by the Coalition, and escorted by a police officer.

In the e-mail I received about the volunteer opportunity, it said: “This is truly an eye-opening experience…”

This could be my chance – and YOUR chance – to be "gloriously ruined."

Through my company,

it's my goal to put together

25 teams of four people.

If you are interested in joining one of the teams, please let me know and I will forward your name and contact information on to the proper people. Share this blog with others. Invite your friends, your family members, your neighbors, and your co-workers.

If you need more information, please visit Tarrant County Homeless Coalition’s web site by clicking here.

HOLIDAYS CHEERS AND JEERS COMPLETE CHAOS

EDITOR'S NOTE: I've decided to start my first-ever week 

of blogging – small nuggets posted everyday for seven straight days. I will start today, looking back at the Christmas holidays, and finish up next Monday.

Some of the posts will be fun and light-hearted – like today's glimpse at my "Christmas Chaos" – while others have the potential to be a little more poignant. 

I will definitely stick to the theme of my blog, though: My big adventure in life and business.

g g g

cha·os \ káy òss \ n 1: disorder 

2: earliest condition of universe 3: apparent disorder 4: Drew's annual Christmas holidays, usually from Dec. 10th to Jan. 2nd or 3rd

Everybody has their own holiday stories – each one with their own special flavor of chaos. 

These stories usually involve a significant amount of driving, distant relatives you barely know, one or two random gift exchanges, tons of food and beverage, and a lot of snapshots....

Here is my "Christmas Chaos" captured 

through those very photos:

DECEMBER 10th: 

Big Brothers Big Sisters 

event at Great Wolf Lodge

HIGHLIGHTS: Anthony, my little brother, and I were part of the corporate partnership announcement at the Grapevine Resort ... we were first inside the indoor water park (for photo op – Star Telegram photos below) ... had a T-shirt made with a huge picture of us on the back.

DECEMBER 12th: 

"Ugly Christmas Sweater Party" 

(hosted by Chris Stacey)

HIGHLIGHTS: My sister Allison made the photo backdrop (big hit) ... there ended up being A LOT of pictures of me when all was said and done (very weird) ... Tanya's "ugly sweater" actually belongs to my grandmother ... some lady let me wear her velvet red pants towards the end of the night.

DECEMBER 13th: 

Birthday party 

for my buddy Hatton (no pictures)

DECEMBER 20th I: 

Extended family Christmas 

at "Brazos House" (my grandmother's house)

HIGHLIGHTS: This event is ALWAYS a mad house, but love and family ALWAYS win out in the end ... we had an amazing steak dinner 

(I manned the grill) ... theme of gift exchange: "Trash to Treasure" (Instructions from my mom: "Go through your closet, attic, cedar chest and find something that you don't use any more, or it doesn't match your new decor, or you are tired of it, or someone gave it to you and you have never used it, or you used it a lot - but now you are too old, too tired, too fat, etc. I'm not talking "white elephant" gifts, or gag gifts, or old junk... but if you think someone else could use it or would like it - wrap it up.") ... photos by Ted Kieffer.

DECEMBER 25th II:

Cowboys vs. Ravens 

(last game at Texas Stadium)

HIGHLIGHTS: Received tickets through BBBS (thanks Cheryl) ... sat on Row B, which is in front of Row 1 ... even though Anthony was battling strep throat (didn't know it at the time), he pushed through ... temperature dropped to below freezing by the fourth quarter ... sat next to Big Black, star of MTV's "Rob and Big" (I had NO clue) ... Cowboys forgot how to play defense and got whipped.

DECEMBER 22nd:
First Annual Safe Haven 

Christmas Extravaganza (original blog post)

HIGHLIGHTS: Thanks to the help of 20 sponsors – including Rosa's Cafe – e-Partners in Giving made Christmas extremely special for a handful of Fort Worth's homeless ... each Safe Haven client received a stocking ... e-Partners purchased a computer for the entire complex ... "party food" was served.

DECEMBER 23rd I: 

Gift Exchange 

with Anthony (no pictures)

HIGHLIGHTS: Anthony got me a greeting card with his recorded voice, "...I've really had an awesome time hanging out with you the last couple of months. I hope you have a merry Christmas..." ... Tanya gave him a Brett Favre figurine, while I made him a book of every Division I college football logo (example below).

DECEMBER 23rd II:

TCU Bowl Game Watch Party

HIGHLIGHTS: Hosted by friends Mike and DeeDee ... TCU rallied to defeat Boise State, 17-16 ... GO FROGS!

DECEMBER 24th: 

Baptism of Baby Jake (nephew)

HIGHLIGHTS: Tanya and I were proud, honored, and excited to be Jake's God parents and be a part of his initial spiritual journey ... baptism incorporated into Christmas Eve mass at Incarnation in Dallas ... had family dinner afterwards ... only wished it wouldn't have been held the morning after "TCU Bowl Game Watch Party" (see above).

DECEMBER 24th and 25th:

Volunteered at 

Presbyterian Night Shelter (no pictures)

DECEMBER 26th:

Myers Family Christmas

at my Mom and Dad's

HIGHLIGHTS: 10th year to celebrate homemade Christmas gifts 

(blog post) ... other traditions (photo at the top of the stairs, etc.) continued as well ... spent entire day at Mom and Dad's, instead of running 18 different directions ... watched all 3 1/2 hours of "Doctor Zhivago" ... were only missing John and KoKo (brother and sister-in-law) and Karla and Tom (friends).

DECEMBER 27th:

Riley Family Christmas 

(Tanya's extended family)

HIGHLIGHTS: Held in San Antonio at Tanya's aunt Carolyn's house ... typical "Dirty Santa" gift exchange ... Tanya and I made out with a great fire pit for the backyard (thanks to her cousin-in-law Patrick) ... drove to Houston afterwards.

DECEMBER 28th:

Kalinec Family Christmas 

(Tanya's immediate family – no pictures)

HIGHLIGHTS: Held outside Houston at Tanya's brother house ... drew names for gift exchange ... fried a turkey ... played one round of "Rock Band" (I sang "Say It Ain't So" by Weezer and was named "Top Performer" with a score of 97 percent. I ROCK!)

DECEMBER 29th:

Bowling Birthday Celebration 

(for Tanya and my sisters)

HIGHLIGHTS: Bowled at 300 in Addison ... I finished No. 2 and No. 1 in the two matches (I RULE!)

DECEMBER 31st:

New Year's Eve Celebrations

HIGHLIGHTS: Started the evening at neighbors house, enjoying gourmet nachos and playing Taboo ... brought in 2009 with friends Paul and Jessica around their fire pit.

JANUARY 4th:

40th Birthday Celebration 

(for Tanya's brother and sister-in-law)

HIGHLIGHTS: Held in Waller (outside of Houston) at Tanya's Mom and Dad's house ... complete with DJ, dancing, and a lot of good food ... Tanya did the Chicken Dance.

It was ALL wonderfully great, 

but I'm wonderfully thankful it's over.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

CHRISTMAS MORNING STILL MAGICAL

Back in September, I wrote a blog post about my family's amazing tradition of making our Christmas gifts. (click here for original post)

I've always known that my family was pretty awesome, but it wasn't until we started unwrapping this year's homemade blessings that I realized how remarkable my family truly is.

For the last 10 years we have battled stress, creative roadblocks, and busy schedules in order to keep our Christmas mornings magical. Each of us has racked our brains for 11 months, been on the verge of tears with frustration in mid-December, and utilized a glue gun on Christmas Eve in order to add some final touches to our "masterpieces."

And even though we've passively talked about changing the tradition, we refuse to throw in the towel and each one us continues to shine every December – coming up with insightful and thoughtful ideas.

I wanted to share some of this year's gifts with everyone:

MARY GRACE (my three-year-old niece): Framed finger painting

JAKE (my eight-month-old nephew): Personalized cards with

his handprint and picture

of him and the recipient on the inside (right).

SUSAN (my younger sister):

Memory journals that we are supposed to write in every week for the next year.

She provided 52 prompts to give us guidance.

(Example: "Describe someone in your life

who had a great influence over you in a short time.")

ALLISON (my littlest sister): Hand-sewn oven mitts

for the boys and belts for the girls.

MOM: Custom floor mats (ours was for our kitchen);

she made Allie an awesome rug/mat from needlepoint.

DAD: Hand-cut mesquite wood chips for the grill – with specific instructions: "Soak for 30 minutes, then put on hot goals." (Each family received a bundle that was neatly packaged in homemade burlap bags that were sewn with yarn.)

TANYA (my wife): Pickles and pickled vegetables; she cleverly named them "Puckerin' Pickles" and "Wickled Wegtables" and printed personalized labels for each person.

MICHAEL (my brother-in-law): Personalized stationary;

I received four pads, each with its own marks: TCU logo, e-Partners in Giving logo, my initials, and "World's Best Uncle." (Mike, who plays professional baseball, also got me a personalized Fungo bat with my name engraved on it.)

Every couple of years, I opt to put my Photoshop and design skills to use. Which, according to my wife, means I'm making something to hang on the wall.

For once...she was correct.

I took pictures around my mom and dad's farm and created the following...."Alpha Art." It started with the main image that I gave my mom and dad (below).

The rest of the gifts evolved from that (below).

My homemade gift to Tanya was similar in style, but I took photos around Fort Worth to create her image.

OTHER NUGGETS

COMING SOON: CHRISTMAS CHAOS BLOG

As the wonderfully great holiday season comes to a close, I'm starting to formulate my first annual Christmas Chaos Blog. (I use "chaos" in the most cherished way possible.)

Here is a sneak peak of my wild

and crazy December through pictures:

SPECIAL THANKS FOR GIVING BACK

I've already said thank you through e-mails, text messages, and letters, but that only begins to express my appreciation for every single person who sponsored a client for our Safe Haven Christmas Extravaganza.

On December 22nd, we were able to capture the true meaning of Christmas. There is NO WAY we could have done it without the help from these individuals.

e-Partners in Giving stuffed 20 personalized stockings (with so much stuff there was a wrapped "overflow" package) for each Safe Haven resident. We also purchased a computer, monitor, and printer for the entire complex.

Our sponsors, including Rosa's Cafe, helped make all of this possible.

I wish I could capture a portion of the magic that was created when those 20 clients opened their stockings. There were a lot of smiles, a few tears of appreciation, and a lot of hugs.

One last time: Thanks to each

of you for making all of this possible.

(click here to see all the photos from the Christmas party)