Lemonade for Lives

When I was younger, I spent a good amount of my time in the summer sitting behind milk boxes waiting in my neighbors’ yard at the top of our cul-de-sac. It was St. Louis weather- which typically translates to about 110 heat index. We sat with watered down lemonade (the ice had long since melted) and waited not so patiently for a car to drive by. And typically that’s exactly what they did- drive right on by. Our lemonade stand had a higher purpose than buying the much envied bouncy balls that sat right out of reach at our dollar bill store. Usually, any money we made went into the hands of our local humane society. We sold our lemonade for about a nickel and usually sold about ten glasses to our patrons, the neighbors, our parents, and the mailman. The day ended most often with us, hot, sweaty and giddy and sticky from all the glasses of lemonade we snuck along the way. We would proudly present approximately fifty hard-earned cents to our mother (a major humane society volunteer) which seemed fairly substantial after nine hours of work.

Looking back at that simplistic desire to help reminds me of what truly matters in volunteering. I don’t care how little of a difference you feel like you’re making. Sometimes you spend hours fund raising and walk away with 500 dollars, 50 dollars, or fifty cents. No matter what you made a drop in the bucket, and sometimes it takes a whole lot of drops to make a difference.

If I saw a couple of ten year old kids braving the weather to make a couple bucks for charity, nothing would make me tell them to give it up and try something else. No, I think I’d pull over and buy a glass of their watery lemonade then drive away smiling, optimistic about where this world is going.

Community Service- Just another Way of Doing Time?

So I’d just like to know who decided to scare away so many young volunteers. Really! It’s a sincere question. Which jerk decided that at age eight every child must be subjected to “volunteerism” instead of their usual punishment? Which nonprofit organization decided that most young people should be given the boring meaningless tasks no one else wants? Like really? Licking 400 envelopes for a mass mailing until they have spit and glue all over their clothes and their tongue gets the equivalent of carpal tunnel- Who thought that was a good idea? What about the person who decided every kid should be told the only form of volunteering includes picking up trash along the highway in either 105 degree heat or -2 freezing rain. Even if they chose a nice 78 degree spring day it would be better, but come on! Some kids don’t even volunteer until they get caught stealing or breaking the law. The judge says community service or a $1,500 fine. It’s a bad sign when a kid flips a coin to decide.

But obviously if you’re here, you don’t feel this way. Obviously you know how these cruddy opportunities are the vast minority, how there are countless organizations and causes that really need young people’s help, how much of an impact one person can make. So now what?

You know, but that’s not good enough. Get out there and talk to your friends. Make sure they know how important they are and how much fun volunteering is. Tell them its not just for law breakers, boring high schoolers, or press seeking celebrities. Tell them they can find something they love, somewhere they love, some cause they love. It may take some effort, but hey youth empowerment… it’s kind of worth it.

netWORK in Progress

netWORK in Progress is NETwork Against Malaria's youth empowerment blog. It's purpose is to empower students and young adults to take action and make a global impact by discussing issues and ideas they can relate to. netWORK in Progress's main focus is on volunteering with and for NETwork, the impact teens have had upon it, and the impact it has had on teens and the global community. It also focuses on other issues pertinent to volunteers with an emphasis on youth volunteerism, NETwork, and malaria.

netWORK in Progress is written by students and community members of many ages. They are all global minded people who strive to make a difference in this world. The work of bloggers who post to netWORK in Progress reflects their own individuality and uniqueness.

NETwork Against Malaria

NETwork Against Malaria (NETworkAgainstMalaria.org) is a nonprofit organization that provides insecticide treated malaria bednets to children, pregnant women, and families in rural Uganda.

NETwork Against Malaria has distributed 3,400 bednets to date. Because three children sleep under one net, NETwork has saved up to 10,200 lives.

NETwork is unique because it focuses on education. We distribute through schools and emphasize the importance and proper use of bednets. In America, we focus on the impact individuals, especially young people, can have on their global community.

NETwork Against Malaria was founded by 5 sisters who at the time ranged from 12-20 in age. NETwork understands the importance of encouraging involvement of young people in our world and realizes the impact one person can make.