Daily writing prompt

What do you do to be involved in the community?

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I didn’t used to do anything. When I was in my twenties and thirties I thought that being a busy mom of three small kids and working fulltime was a good excuse to focus only on those things. I didn’t set aside any time to volunteer or help out with daycare, school or community events.

In my defense, when I was growing up, my parents didn’t really participate in any extracurricular activities or volunteer for anything either. Okay bad excuse I know, especially since my sister volunteered frequently in community events.

When my ex-husband and I separated there were times when the kids were with him, that I was so bored and lonely, I needed something to do besides go out on the town and act foolish. So I started baking for the homeless shelter and got into volunteering a bit then.

I spent my first Christmas without the kids working an evening shift at the personal care home and the morning serving food at the community Christmas dinner. Which is an all day event cooking and preparing turkey lunch and dinner and handing out donated gifts.

I haven’t been back to it in quite a few years and I really should.

Right now I sit as a board member for our crisis centre, which isn’t really a huge commitment.

Two years ago I started a non-profit that collects brand new, brand name running shoes for the kids in school way up north in the remote community where Sid is originally from.

As Sid enters Kindergarten this fall, I plan to not make the same mistakes as I did with my three older kids and actually put myself out there to help out with school functions and activities.