I found this great blog.. Living-In Theory

The author was chosen by HP to run a contest for this really cool package of computer equipment. In order to enter you need to type an entry of what you are doing to make an impact on the lives of others and how you would use the equipment to continue to impact the lives of thers.

I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of days and realized what I would do if God so graciously blessed me with it.

My church runs a non-profit organization called Hope on the Hill. They offer help to those in need throughout our community. Recently, I was approached by the director asking if I would help. Public relations has been a huge passion of mine and I’ve been praying that God would open the door for me.

I’ve been brainstorming different seminars to offer to the community. Some of my ideas that are currently in the works are a single parent and child trust building workshop because when finances are a crisis many kids pull away and start to distrust their parents and it’s at that time that trust is most important; and a self confidence building workshop for young girls, when so much emphasis is put on material things girls in homes that are struggling financially often become withdrawn and depressed. They need to know that they are loved and that all those “things” don’t make the person.

Tonight as I was laying in bed I was half heartedly watching a television show about a mother struggling to make ends meet. Sadly more and more mothers are finding themselves in this situation, I have a friend that was left by her husband while pregnant with their 3rd child. Many of them have limited skills and find it hard to enter the workplace, or if they do find a job it doesn’t provide enough to take care of their children.

I am truly blessed with a multitude of skills, a supportive husband, and a family that when times are rough rally around me. I don’t want this for the people I know. I want it for the women out there that need it the most. I want it for the opporunity to help those women make their lives and family better.

With the mini-laptop I would be able to offer them some one on one computer basics training in their own homes. This way they wouldn’t have to find childcare and they would be more comforable in their own home then if they had to come to a church, especially if they are not believers. Plus, if their kids are younger I’m sure they would be excited to watch Kung Fu Panda on my portable DVD player while mom and I were working.

The computers would also provide a great resource for them when it came time to find a job. I could use the desktop and printer to print out current job openings and part of their training would be to type up a resume.

In my life away from my kids I am a 9-1-1 dispatcher. I am the person on the phone that you call when you need help. Not always a job that offer kudo’s but there are the calls that you make a difference and you go home with a spring in your step.

The calls that impact me the most are those involving children. And none tear at my heart more that children involved in domestic violence. So in addition to my plan for single moms I would hope to partner up with our local Domestic Violence Women’s Shelter. They run solely on donations and don’t always get the greatest equipment for the women to use. They could really use a laptop (or 2) to help those ladies start their new lives free from abusive spouses or significant others and safe for their children.

The more I think about this the more excited I’m becoming. I’m a firm believer in paying it forward and this contest is just a great example of that.

Thank you for this opportunity and good luck to all the participants!

*UPDATE** I was not chosen as the winner. Although, I was disappointed, I’m not bitter. Sugar chose 2 great ladies as the winners. They do so much for mommy’s all over that these products will be making such a big impact. Congrats to the winners, Mommy Gossip-GNO!**