Full-Time Volunteer

On Monday I met another retired colleague for coffee at the Swede Hollow Cafe.

Click on the link above to see the interior of the cafe. As we were walking to our cars at the end of the coffee conversation, I said I didn't miss work a bit, but that I have seemed to have turned into a full-time volunteer.

Last Saturday afternoon I did a two-hour shift at the World Jubilee Sale held at Colonial Church in Edina. That's the experience I wrote about in a previous blog entry.

Meanwhile I'm still working on working on agricultural research for Mano a Mano.

On Tuesday evening I helped make supper at Jeremiah House. Jeremiah House is a large apartment building that provides support for single moms and their children. It provides those with the dream of higher education with the support they need. See the link for way more info.

On Tuesday and Thursday evenings many of the residents must attend a life skills class. Volunteers cook the evening meal, so the moms can come home from school and work and have a good supper with their children and their friends and then make a 7 PM class.

Here is a start -- cheese and crackers and some grapes. There is bread, peanut butter, and jelly in case someone doesn't like the entree which was lasagne.

I brought salad makings. Another volunteer brought pies for dessert.

During the evening I washed a lot of dishes-- not my favorite activity, but this kitchen doesn't have a commercial dishwasher.

This morning I was back at Bancroft School in Minneapolis for my first try as a math tutor. I had only one student this morning, and probably good thing for the online math program, Xtramath, we use wasn't behaving very well. When we get organized I'll have two for sure and perhaps a third one.

This school building is over 100 years old with a "new" addition that is 50 years old!

When I walk on the stairs I can see the footprints from the last 100 years.

Notice the hallway is named Integrity. Values such as Compassion, Cooperation, and Communication are all over this school.

One thing I've never before seen in a school building is a mailbox.

This is no longer in use. I wonder if once upon a time it was a community mail box.

Maybe these aren't the most exciting pictures but I wanted to protect everyone's privacy and not have pictures of others in the photos.

For my international readers--I would love to receive comments about what volunteers do in your countries.