Comments on: Guest Author: Jane Heller http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/ it's not chick porn Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:24:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Shannon http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17277 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:44:08 +0000 http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17277 We have to do community service work ten hours every year as part of school. It counts as a grade, and if by the end of your high school career you have less than forty hours you arent allowed to graduate. So we try to get our volunteering in. My personal favorite is trick or treating for UNICEF, because you have the added bonus of watching people acting really awkward when they cant find their wallet (happened three times this year). And then there are the interesting experiences, such as the guy who invites you inside so you can hit up his ten dinner party guests for money (I had my prop wooden shield ready just in case he attacked me). Plus there's the knowledge that the fifty dollars you got is going to afford some ridiculous amount of HIV/AIDs medicines and two village water pumps and some huge amount of food and water. True volunteering, as in going to an organized setting and doing something under someone's supervision, really isnt my thing. I tend to be too anti social for that...The only exception is food banks. I love being the person that organizes the massive bin loads of food into their separate containers, all the while wondering exactly why people seem to think that the poor would love to eat Feline Fancy and Gack (they might, for all I know, but I'm pretty sure they dont). We have to do community service work ten hours every year as part of school. It counts as a grade, and if by the end of your high school career you have less than forty hours you arent allowed to graduate.

So we try to get our volunteering in.

My personal favorite is trick or treating for UNICEF, because you have the added bonus of watching people acting really awkward when they cant find their wallet (happened three times this year). And then there are the interesting experiences, such as the guy who invites you inside so you can hit up his ten dinner party guests for money (I had my prop wooden shield ready just in case he attacked me). Plus there’s the knowledge that the fifty dollars you got is going to afford some ridiculous amount of HIV/AIDs medicines and two village water pumps and some huge amount of food and water.

True volunteering, as in going to an organized setting and doing something under someone’s supervision, really isnt my thing. I tend to be too anti social for that…The only exception is food banks. I love being the person that organizes the massive bin loads of food into their separate containers, all the while wondering exactly why people seem to think that the poor would love to eat Feline Fancy and Gack (they might, for all I know, but I’m pretty sure they dont).

]]> by: jane heller http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17271 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:55:23 +0000 http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17271 To CJ and others, Please don't feel guilty about not having the time to volunteer. We all have busy lives and pressures. That's one of the reasons we read, isn't it? To escape? I just wanted to tell my story - how researching Some Nerve led me to volunteer and how I never would have done it otherwise. Which goes to prove that writing a romantic comedy can change your life in unexpected ways! Jane To CJ and others,

Please don’t feel guilty about not having the time to volunteer. We all have busy lives and pressures. That’s one of the reasons we read, isn’t it? To escape? I just wanted to tell my story - how researching Some Nerve led me to volunteer and how I never would have done it otherwise. Which goes to prove that writing a romantic comedy can change your life in unexpected ways!

Jane

]]> by: CJ http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17270 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:17:45 +0000 http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17270 I am so impressed by all your diligent research! Also, I just want to say, I really love that cover. It's so happy and bright and attractive. On the volunteer front, oops, I guess I don't fare so well. I used to volunteer-teach ASL to Hmong immigrants, but today, between my job and home and writing, I don't have any time to volunteer, to be honest. Though I give probably more money than I should to any animal in trouble. Show me an endangered tiger or a suffering whale, and I am so there. I am so impressed by all your diligent research! Also, I just want to say, I really love that cover. It’s so happy and bright and attractive.

On the volunteer front, oops, I guess I don’t fare so well. I used to volunteer-teach ASL to Hmong immigrants, but today, between my job and home and writing, I don’t have any time to volunteer, to be honest. Though I give probably more money than I should to any animal in trouble. Show me an endangered tiger or a suffering whale, and I am so there.

]]> by: Jambrea http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17266 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 02:57:29 +0000 http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17266 I worked for the Muscular Dystrophy Association for a while and it involved a lot of extra volunteer work on the side. Also, while I was in the military we did community work. We went into the neighborhood and helped the elderly and disabled do yard work and painting of their houses. It is a wonderful feeling being able to help other people. :) I worked for the Muscular Dystrophy Association for a while and it involved a lot of extra volunteer work on the side.

Also, while I was in the military we did community work. We went into the neighborhood and helped the elderly and disabled do yard work and painting of their houses.

It is a wonderful feeling being able to help other people. :)

]]> by: fiveandfour http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17263 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:29:10 +0000 http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17263 I did a lot of volunteering back when I was in school (responsible only for myself and thus with more free time on my hands - like many other people). Now that I've got other demands on my time, I've had to fit volunteering in with less regularity. I've found it's kind of easy to find opportunities to volunteer in areas of natural interest to a person. For myself, I've done things related to books - reading and being read to by kids in inner city schools where language test scores are generally the lowest, helping with book drives, manning book sales where a portion of the profit goes to something to promote literacy, and so on. I've been trying to come up with a scheme to get my daughter on the hook for volunteering on her next summer break. If anyone has ideas for a friendly, funny and smart 12 year-old girl, bring 'em on. Most of the things I did as a kid were thanks to belonging to certain youth groups or the church, but we're heathens now so no church and my daughter isn't much into youth groups so I'm kind of stumped for <i>ad hoc</i> volunteer opportunities for a single kid. I did a lot of volunteering back when I was in school (responsible only for myself and thus with more free time on my hands - like many other people). Now that I’ve got other demands on my time, I’ve had to fit volunteering in with less regularity. I’ve found it’s kind of easy to find opportunities to volunteer in areas of natural interest to a person. For myself, I’ve done things related to books - reading and being read to by kids in inner city schools where language test scores are generally the lowest, helping with book drives, manning book sales where a portion of the profit goes to something to promote literacy, and so on.

I’ve been trying to come up with a scheme to get my daughter on the hook for volunteering on her next summer break. If anyone has ideas for a friendly, funny and smart 12 year-old girl, bring ‘em on. Most of the things I did as a kid were thanks to belonging to certain youth groups or the church, but we’re heathens now so no church and my daughter isn’t much into youth groups so I’m kind of stumped for ad hoc volunteer opportunities for a single kid.

]]> by: Allison http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17262 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:14:16 +0000 http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17262 Lorelie, Don't feel frustrated at your lack of time to volunteer. You have plenty on your plate as it is. Being a mom to your kids is the best thing you can do and the best way to invest in our future. You will have plenty of time once they are grown to invest in others, right now enjoy investing in them. allison Lorelie,
Don’t feel frustrated at your lack of time to volunteer. You have plenty on your plate as it is. Being a mom to your kids is the best thing you can do and the best way to invest in our future. You will have plenty of time once they are grown to invest in others, right now enjoy investing in them.
allison

]]> by: Lorelie http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17260 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:35:05 +0000 http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17260 I did volunteering in high school. I was in the Key club and did projects through them. I wish I could do more now but with three kids, a full time job, a husband who's going through a lot of shit recently and (lately) trying to be writerly I have no freaking clue where to find the time. :::coughBamIt'sTuesdayINeedMyEmberFixcough:::: I did volunteering in high school. I was in the Key club and did projects through them. I wish I could do more now but with three kids, a full time job, a husband who’s going through a lot of shit recently and (lately) trying to be writerly I have no freaking clue where to find the time.

:::coughBamIt’sTuesdayINeedMyEmberFixcough::::

]]> by: jane heller http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17259 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:36:34 +0000 http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17259 Hi, Allison. Without sounding all do-goody here (my book really is supposed to be fun, as well as providing a message), I am so impressed that you're putting yourself out there to help those kids. You already know what I only just found out - that helping people in need makes you feel like you've actually DONE something in this world! I had no clue that I was capable of that. Hi, Allison.

Without sounding all do-goody here (my book really is supposed to be fun, as well as providing a message), I am so impressed that you’re putting yourself out there to help those kids. You already know what I only just found out - that helping people in need makes you feel like you’ve actually DONE something in this world! I had no clue that I was capable of that.

]]> by: Allison http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17257 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:53:20 +0000 http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17257 Hi Jane, I volunteer 11 hours a week with at risk teenagers. At times I would like to ring their necks, but I would not trade any of them for all the money in the world. When I hear about how they are living (surviving is more like it) physically and emotionally it truly makes me appreiciate my parents and the home I grew up in. I love these kids and I want the best for them. They are the reason my heart beats Thanks for your great post. allison Hi Jane,
I volunteer 11 hours a week with at risk teenagers. At times I would like to ring their necks, but I would not trade any of them for all the money in the world. When I hear about how they are living (surviving is more like it) physically and emotionally it truly makes me appreiciate my parents and the home I grew up in. I love these kids and I want the best for them. They are the reason my heart beats Thanks for your great post.

allison

]]> by: jane heller http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17256 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:34:25 +0000 http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/11/13/guest-author-jane-heller/#comment-17256 Hi, Bettie. Got your email on my web site too. Cool idea about teaching internet classes to seniors at the library. I finally got my mother to start emailing and since she lives in NY and I live in CA it's helped us stay connected! Hi, Bettie.

Got your email on my web site too. Cool idea about teaching internet classes to seniors at the library. I finally got my mother to start emailing and since she lives in NY and I live in CA it’s helped us stay connected!

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