Giving back to the communities in our world is important to me. I would like to invest in this work. In an effort to reach out, I am currently investing my time and energy and limited resources in the following organizations. This page is a history of the work that I did in the past and does not include all the recent work I have done.
Visit my photo album (soon to be recreated) to explore the photos of my trip. I took over 600 photos and narrowed my album down to 221 pictures which capture my experience in India. I would love to have you see these pictures. They are very easy to browse and each photo has a caption describing the photo.
Read my volunteer story about the trip to help put the photos into context. I believe you will enjoy the experience.
Read the final report on the work that I did and the results that I created.
Grand Sheramina Community Services
Aravind Eye Care
I went to Tamilnadu on April 2 and returned home on April 19. I worked as a volunteer at the Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology in Madurai. I helped build train the trainer programs and learner centered curriculum to help Aravind deliver their extraordinary services to the region. Here are some of the areas in which I helped Aravind:
- Conduct workshop for Aravind trainers on learner-centered curriculum
- Review the teaching methodology part in Aravind curriculum specifically of their paramedicals
- Observe their trainers teaching and provide them reviews on how they can improve themselves
- Develop model for online curriculum for DR project
- Develop model for training guides for paramedicals
Please visit Aravind at their web site to further explore the work that they do. Here is an outstanding white paper on the history of Aravind and the structure and nature of their work to eradicate eye disease in India.
I had hoped to be traveling to the Telangana to visit Kinnera’s birthplace and the orphanage in Hyderabad where she spent 11 months of her life. I was very excited to visit Nizamabad, the district where Kinnera was born. However, my place of employment denied my request for three weeks off so I will need to try this another time.
There was so much work to prepare for the trip but I finally got ready and left without any trouble. I have been able to cover my trip to Chennai and back with United mileage awards. Aravind provided my room and board while at Aravind. I updated my passport, got my shots, got visas, started to learn Tamil which was not successful, and collected the resources to insure that this was a successful trip.
Itinerary
Left Portland Oregon on Friday April 2, 2004 and arrived in Chennai India at 11:45 PM on on Saturday April 3.
Traveled to Madurai on Sunday morning April 4 and arrived at 8:30 AM.
Stayed in Madurai through April 18.
Left Madurai and traveled to Chennai on Sunday April 18 at 8 PM and from Chennai to Portland Oregon arriving 2:30 PM on Monday April 19.
Plan Loving Adoptions Now
I have worked to help Plan Loving Adoptions define the areas of focus for improvement of their organization. They were the agency from which we were blessed to receive our daughter Kinnera from the Telangana. I have been seeking a way to give back to the agency and using my extensive knowledge of organizational development and business development is the perfect way to help. Our work together started in February of 2004 and continued throughout the year. I am the past Vice Chair of the board for Plan Loving Adoptions.
Aspire
Aspire is a program of the Oregon Student Assistance Commission. It is dedicated to helping high school students access and fund continuing education. I have been acting as a volunteer helping students with their quest for continuing education. Each of us is assigned several students that we help in the process. I have helped 6 different students at Sheridan high school and at my place of work access the resources needed for continuing their education using the resources provided by Aspire.
ATD (ASTD)
I was an acting member of the 2004/2005 board for ATD-Cascadia in Oregon. I was working as the VP of SIG’s and GIG’s. Working with this organization provided me an opportunity to give back to the organizational development and training community as this is my chosen profession.
Grand Sheramina Community Services
I am volunteering to consult with and collaborate with GSCS. One of the ways that I have helped was developing a very simple web site hosted on my site for GSCS. Not a large project but it created a web calling card for the service. I will continue to be a resource for this valuable community service.
FFA
My son has been an officer in the FFA leadership program for the last three years and I have been an active supporter of the program, volunteer, mentor, and active on the FFA Alumni chapter team helping to establish the new Alumni chapter for Sheridan High School.
SHRM
I was on the board for the Central Oregon chapter of SHRM. This is a fantastic group and has been a real blessing to find.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Oregon
I joined the board of directors for the regional organization to continue my support of children’s programs. This organization does outstanding work in Central Oregon supporting children who need a safe and educational place to stay before and after school.