In a previous post, I discussed "The 5 whys of community service." Now the questions that remains is HOW do you get students involved in service to others? Here are five 'hows' that have worked for me. 1) Implement a community service requirement for all campus organizations and leaders. This includes the Emerging Leaders and Honors program participants, scholarship recipients, and SGA officers and senators, etc. This is pretty straight forward, but be prepared for push-back. Students will tell you they don’t have enough time to do community service, and that they are too busy with their leadership roles and other involvements. They may … [Read more...]

Some people call them "random acts of kindness"… others "simply being polite." To me, it is all about serving others. Service to others is one of the best and easiest things we can do. And when we practice it often, it becomes a habit and a lifelong commitment to serving others. I learned about having a service commitment when I was young, through the Scouts and through high school and collegiate organizations. I have continued that involvement in both formal and informal ways. I am a member of a civic organization that focuses on service, Kiwanis International, and I do work through my church. But, I also take time to serve in other … [Read more...]

“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I had the honor of working with over 100 women at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ on January 17, 2011, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It was the third annual leadership conference for the students and the focus was on community service. It was a fun and exciting event and the enthusiasm of the women warmed up a cold January day! My part of the program was to present “Building Leaders Through Service®” as an interactive, two-hour leadership seminar in the morning. My approach … [Read more...]

On the television show “Married...With Children” Ed O’Neill played the role of Al Bundy. Al was a hapless shoe salesman who always reflected back to his glory days when he played high school football for Polk High. If you were a fan of the show, you certainly remember Al’s #33 jersey and his tall tales of scoring 4 touchdowns in one game. Sometimes I feel a bit like Al because I often talk of my own high school baseball career, but not for any specific positive reasons. I was one of three freshmen to make the varsity team at Taylor Allderdice High School in the spring of 1994. One of the other people who secured a varsity spot was … [Read more...]