“Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.”
President John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address 1961

As time in our New Year skips along with its ever-quickening pace, consider incorporating our community into your resolutions. There are a myriad of opportunities to help improve local life and give back to the place we call home. Here are a only few examples of community efforts that need our help:

Providing nurturing sustenance to our seniors by serving meals at several Senior Community Centers.

Cooking or delivering warm food and friendship through Mama’s Kitchen to those struggling with AIDS.

Serving holiday dinners to our brave soldiers and their families at the USO.

Tutoring children living in Cortez Hill Transitional Housing (YWCA) in reading and math, introducing them to the joys of learning. Or, through Uplift/Kids at Heart at various church locations.

Mentoring our youth by providing life skills and adult friendship at Monarch School or YET (Youth Education Town).

Assisting students with homework or supervising playful activities in the 6-to-6 Program at Washington Elementary or Museum School.

Returning to the classroom, this time as a teacher’s assistant at San Diego or Garfield High Schools.

Conveying passion for your hobbies and special arts/crafts skills to seniors through YMCA. Or, be a workout buddy and promote healthy living.

Helping individuals going through difficult times at Rachel’s Women’s Center or Neil Good Day Center.

Giving time to civic organizations such as the RSVP (Retired Seniors Volunteer Police), Main Library, or serving as a committee member of the Downtown Community Court.

Beautifying our neighborhood by gathering a group of homeowners to plant trees (People for Trees), cleaning the bay front (I Love a Clean San Diego), or sponsoring Adopt-a-Block (Second Chance).

What can you contribute to our community? Time? Money? Talent?

I wonder…what can you do?

Adele Honchor (CityFront) shares her precious free time with Monarch School.

Rhett Willen (CityFront), Dick Schimberg (Park Row) and Clarence Lee (Park Place) make our neighborhoods safer by patrolling our streets and park with RSVP.

When Cheryl Jessup’s (City Walk) closet overflows, she pulls together a shopping bag of clothes and accessories to give women at Rachel’s Women’s Center their own shopping spree.

Mary Schlesing, Lucinda Goddard, Nancy Zeller (all live in Village Walk) encourage and mentor children through Uplift/Kids at Heart. Once night a week, they walk to Lutheran Church and help grade-school children with math and reading homework. They look forward to seeing the children’s faces magically light up.

Tim Burke (City Walk) “hangs out” with the youth at YET playing chess and ping-pong and talking about goings-on in each other's lives.

Karen Thomas Stefano (CityMark on Cortez Hill) chairs YWCA’s Neighborhood Advisory Council for Cortez Hill Transitional Housing.

City Walk, Columbia Place, Treo@Kettner, and Horizons Homeowners Associations dedicated their holiday events to collecting toys for less fortune children.

For a listing of volunteer opportunities, click here: I can do!