Ask Not

My cargo pants are covered in paint.

They're rolled up in a ball in my laundry room as I explore ways to best remove the purple and salmon streaks. Even if the paint stains stick around, I'm proud to have sacrificed some time (and some pants) for a good cause.

I was one of over a thousand people who signed up to participate in ArtsWave's Paint the Street project. ArtsWave (formerly the Fine Arts Fund) is a great community effort and this latest project was an effort to help beautify Over-the-Rhine and bring people together for some exposure to art.

After my painting shift, I served as a volunteer for a couple hours, snapping head shots of the participants for a massive collage showing off the diversity of the "street artists."

Volunteering is a horse of many different colors, isn't it?

A discussion about volunteering today inspired me to read John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech from 1961. Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, I was able to listen to a taping of President Kennedy saying these words as I read along, allowing the message to really make an impact on me.

Indeed, we all have, in our "mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life."

Almost 50 years after this iconic speech, our society still relies on millions of people and their commitment to service.

Each of us has a talent, and whether that talent is writing or cooking or building things with one's own two hands, we can share that talent and help someone else strive for a better life.

Some attorneys donate pro bono legal services. Some literary types commit to literacy efforts. Some contractors donate the muscle and materials to help build homes for those less fortunate.

Me?

My talent is public relations and social media, and I donate my expertise and skills to non-profit organizations when time permits.

But I'm happy to pick up a paint brush when asked, too.

Want to explore volunteer opportunities in Greater Cincinnati? Visit United Way's The Volunteer Connection to find an opportunity that takes advantage of your time and talents.

Money Matters

I know how to stretch a dollar.

Years ago I was a lowly journalist with an equally lowly paycheck. I learned how to make twenty bucks stretch until the next payday.

Sometimes that stretching had to cover a week or so - more like some extreme ashtanga yoga than a little bit of stretching, huh?

I figured it out quickly. Bread, eggs, cheese and milk - I could get all of these things for about five bucks or less and feed myself some hearty meals over the course of a week. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was always some variation of those groceries and whatever I had left in the pantry and freezer (usually a can of beans, some ramen noodles and frozen veggies. Frozen chicken breasts if I was lucky).

Meal time was always a creative endeavor when I had to make ends meet.

Or is it Ends Meat?

For all my bellyaching, I was grateful I knew I could make it to a payday.

There are lots of folks out there who aren't as lucky. They don't have a steady income, or they don't have enough money to put food on the table while they're stretching to payday.

United Way tries to serve up a one-two punch to help people battling low income struggles.

First, United Way supports programs that help keep food pantries open in Cincinnati, Covington and other Tri-State communities.

The other, perhaps more enduring effort invests donor dollars in programs that help people gain more job skills. This helps people in need seek better jobs with higher wages and health benefits.

If these folks have more assets, they'll be better able to support themselves and their loved ones.

And maybe, someday, they won't have to stretch to payday. Maybe someday they'll be able to save some cash, invest and have some assets for retirement.

Isn't that what we all want?

If you'd like to support the annual United Way campaign, please click here to make a donation of any denomination. Every little bit helps support someone else seeking the basic things for a better life.