Hope

There is always hope in the world...

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/11/23/emmanuel.jal/index.html

Finally home...

The travel has stopped for the time being, and I have returned home for the first time since Oct. 30.

I was able to take part in the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service (CNVS) National conference in Durham, N.C. last week and found it extremely helpful. What a wonderful time to spend with other program directors and staffers who spend their lives dedicated to serving others.

This time of the year always reminds me of the S.O.A. protest that occurs at Fort Benning, Georgia. For those of you who are not familiar with the S.O.A., check out the link below to see what the protest is all about.

http://soaw.org/

A picture from this year's protest

Back to it

Sorry I haven't written in a while. Traveling has taken over with college volunteer fairs, retreats, and meetings around the east coast. Stay tuned for a bi-weekly commitment (at least) to our blog for the next little bit of the year.

Since my last post, I have been to St. Lawrence University, SUNY Potsdam, Sacred Heart University, Boston College, Stonehill College, Assumption College, College of the Holy Cross, St. Anselm College, and St. Bonaventure University. During my visits to these schools, we met hundreds of students interested in volunteer work after their undergraduate degrees are completed. It is a beautiful thing to see so many young people interested in service! I participated in career/volunteer fairs, personal information sessions, and had time to speak of the program during student masses.

We also just got back from retreat a few days ago. Each community headed to West Clarksville, NY to Mount Irenaeus, a Franciscan retreat community close to Buffalo. We spent four days in the mountains watching the snow fall, feeding chickadees, and enjoying the entire community. It was refreshing to see grass, trees, and all of God's other creations in nature after spending so much time surrounded by concrete and high-rises.

Coming up, I am heading to Durham, N.C. to attend the CNVS (Catholic Network of Volunteer Services) National Conference. I will be attending presentations for new employees most of the time, but also will be able to visit Duke University for a volunteer fair.

That's it for now. Updates to follow!