Jane Hess Collins is a managing partner of Get Out and Give Back, LLC, and an accredited life coach and member of the International Coaching Federation. She is also a television host for Fairfax Public Access and a freelance writer. Jane created the "Get Out and Give Back" newspaper column in January 2005 to inspire others to find their community service passion and make it an active part of their life.
The older I get, the more I spend money in places where the staff is nice to me.
Maybe it’s because I’m not living hand-to-mouth like I did when I just got out of college, maybe it’s because I’m getting needier as I get older, or maybe it’s because I’ve been listening to Andy Rooney too much at the end of “60 Minutes.”
The most recent example of that occurred
When I decided to be more conscious about how and where to donate time and money, I had no idea that the decision process would be so much like dating. With so many nonprofits in existence, and all of them in need, how do you find Mr. or Ms. Right?
As I began the selection process I learned what was important to me.
When my nephew planned to visit us in Alexandria over spring break, I panicked. How do you entertain a 16-year-old boy for four days? I thought he might like the play Shear Madness at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a witty comedy with lots of audience participation.
I logged onto the Kennedy Center’s Web site and scanned the available seats.
I love to eat.
In fact, I’ll eat just because I’m happy, sad, nervous, relaxed, angry, stressed or excited. Sometimes I’ll even eat when I’m not even hungry if there’s food is in front of me.
And so it was quite the scary experience for me recently when, aside from half of a chicken sandwich and an apple, I was unable to eat for 36 hours.
Through a combination of bad luck and bad timing
I took almost a year off from writing Get Out and Give Back after retiring from the United States Air Force to decide what I wanted my post-Air Force life to look like. And I realized that I missed writing for you. I missed the connection. I missed giving back.
So here it is again. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it:
It's been a while since you've received "Get Out and Give Back" in your inbox or online. I’ve loved writing the column, and loved even more hearing how your stories have challenged and inspired you to 'Get Out and Give Back'. After taking a break from writing as I retired from my Air Force career
July, I think, is our most patriotic month.
Maybe it’s the explosion of fireworks on the fourth day, or that all of America turns red, white and blue, or that last weekend my husband and I were lucky enough to see Tiger Woods
A long time ago my dad decided to give one percent of the gross sales from his lumberyard business to the poorest village in the western hemisphere.
Through a little research he was partnered with a village outside Port-au-Prince, Haiti. For years he sent a check to a French nun down there and in time the village’s
Loading..
All Editors
Fairfax County Man Accused of Providing Support to Terrorists
