Just wanted to share a great experience I had today. I started volunteering with a group who helps monitor foster families. I went to visit a child and his family. The child has gone from a troubled past to making honor roll twice this year. He told me "I love my life."
I won't say anymore, except it's wonderful to hear something like that and actually see a system that we hear so much bad about working. Sure millions might get "wasted" a year, but that money has really helped this child out. Anyway, I know there are still a lot of horror stories out there and this is probably the "exception", but that's why I'm volunteering to make this the norm.
If you have the time you should really consider working with some kind of community group. I'm holding 2 jobs and attend law school fulltime and I've made time to help out. The only real difference I find from most people is I don't watch TV. If you are saying to yourself "I don't have time," make sure it isn't because you're watching "American Idol." I hope anyone reading this would have a hard time justifying that "American Idol" is more important than making sure that children in the foster system have their needs met and are in a safe home. It only takes a few hours a month, think about it.
