We had a wonderful opportunity last Saturday to participate in a National Day of Service through the new organization Service Nation. When we hear stories about the Maryland Food Bank running out of food or the Red Cross having to borrow money to pay for disaster relief, we have an opportunity to prove what is right with our communities by responding. Gandhi once said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Last Saturday, we tried to be that change. 
I want to thank those two dozen volunteers that came out on a dreary, rainy fall day and the dozens who donated at the Fulton Elementary PTA Fall Festival the night before. On a rainy day, each one of those volunteers were beacons of hope and I am grateful to be associated with them I want to thank all those who made the event possible including: the Maple Lawn HOA and Lydia Chandlee; Mickey Gomez and the Volunteer Center of Howard County; Rosimar Melendez and the United Way of Central Maryland; Carol Parecco and the Office of Student Service at the Howard Community College; President Clarence Johnson of the Columbia Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Ms. Kelly Felix, President of the Fulton Elementary PTA; Dan Sandborne of the American Red Cross of Central Maryland; and Bonnie and her team at the Grassroots Shelter in Howard County.
Emily Dickinson once penned, “If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain. If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin. Unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain.” Truly, these volunteers did not live that Friday evening and Saturday morning in vain.
From this experience, I learned something important. I need to do a better job of incorporating service into everything I do. I guess I’ve pridefully "patted myself on the back" before thinking that I was a good guy because I always tried to help when there was a need brought to my attention. But it was usually an event like helping a friend move, bringing a family dinner when a loved one was ill, a community service event, etc. Through this experience I learned that such activities are important, but they are not enough, If I am truly to become who I want to be, then I need to incorporate service into my "regular" activities, not just give service on occasion.
Here’s what I mean. When the Fulton Elementary PTA held their annual Fall Festival on Friday, September 26th, it was a not a service event. There were crafts, games, food, and activities for the kids, but it was not intended to be a service event. But when I brought up the needs of the Maryland Food Bank to the PTA leadership, they responded to my call to incorporate service. So, they sent out a communication to all parents that were coming to bring specific things that the Maryland Food Bank was in need of, as they are currently experiencing historic lows in donated food. There are literally empty shelves there. By incorporating service, they provided a wonderful opportunity for parents to teach their kids about giving back and they leveraged a well-attended, well-publicized event into a service opportunity. It was my privilege as a delegate to the PTA Council of Howard County to work with such dedicated PTA leaders to collect these goods.
This is what I mean by incorporating service. My wife and I were talking and thinking about how many birthday parties and other events we have held at our home over the years where kids have made crafts or adults have gotten party favors that were likely thrown away when they got home. We have decided that moving forward, we are going to incorporate service more into our social lives so that the things we make and do and work on together have a benefit to those causes in need, rather than just to those to whom we socialize.
So, this has become a passion for us. It’s the idea or value of incorporating service. It does not require the same sacrifice as giving service that most of us are accustomed to. It does not require us to change our schedules, do something out of the ordinary or even spend more money than we would otherwise have done. It means that we should incorporate service into what we already do.
As a family, when we have birthday parties for our young kids (7, 5 and 2 years of age), we are going to incorporate service.
When we have holiday parties or friends over for games, we are going to incorporate a service component.
When we go on vacation, we are going to incorporate a service component. It doesn’t have to change our plans or our budget, it just merely means what’s something we can do a little differently to benefit a cause in need, instead of selfishly just ourselves.
Instead of kids making a themed-craft for a birthday party activity, they can make a craft for children in the hospital or homeless shelter. Instead of families just carving pumpkins for themselves as a competition, we can families carve an extra pumpkin to take to an elderly widow. Instead of buying the candy and the popcorn for the kids at the movie theater, we can just get popcorn and buy a gift card for a family staying at the domestic violence center. Instead of having everyone just bring food for attendees to a potluck, we can have people bring their potluck dish and a canned good to benefit those without. It’s really that simple. It’s just a matter of incorporating service into what we are already doing.
It’s consistent with the values we wish to uphold as individuals. It’s consistent with the lessons I want to teach my children. It’s representative of the values of Meshkin Ventures and so we are doing it now and encouraging others to do so. So, please take the invitation – Incorporate Service. By doing so, I promise that each and every experience will be that much more meaningful, memorable, and significant in your life, the lives of your loved ones, and the lives of those you may never meet but who will be blessed by you.
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