This blog is written by Gretchen Jordan, one of the AL!VE founding board members.  She manages a statewide Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program in Oregon.  

 

2013:  changes, challenges, and churros

 

Most people I know resolve to do something.  Some resolve to not make any resolutions. This year I'm going to do something different.  Oh yeah, there's the usual...lose weight, keep my inbox less cluttered, network more, read that novel... The rubber meets the resolution road about mid February - where do I really want to be in December? Here's what I'm looking at for the end of this year:

 

Changes:  I've been on the board of AL!VE since it's inception and after four years, I am 'termed' out but am very excited for the new board members and all they bring to the organization.  If you look on our site under http://www.volunteeralive.org/aboutus you'll see them and we have a great representation from all over the states.  There's lots of enthusiasm and expertise to be shared.  I'll still be active with the membership committee, and helping promote our group member benefits (do you belong to a local DOVIA or society? - check out the benefits on our home page).

 

Challenges:  Like so many of us, I'm facing several large projects in the first half of the year – a statewide training for my work and a wedding for my daughter, both within two weeks of each other.  But while doing those, I'm hoping to learn new tools and find ways to work 'smarter, not harder' as the saying goes.  Two fun tools I've used so far this year - http://www.wikimedia.org which is an online free image space.  There's lots of ways to get images but not all of them are ok to use.  Wikimedia is.  Perhaps there's something there you can use.  I've also created my first Prezi - a new way to give presentations.  If you do a lot of Power Point, you can certainly jazz up those training and orientation slides.  Check it out at http://www.prezi.com.  It's my goal to use tools like these to help me meet the challenges head on.

 

Churros:  Who doesn't deserve a treat once in a while?  I love pinterest and that's my current online treat.  So much creativity out there to be found, posted and shared!  AL!VE has a pinterest (http://pinterest.com/volunteeralive) board that has oodles of good stuff on there.  Why not add some to it as well? 

 

My very best to all of you for a happy healthy and a new year that is filled with joy!

 

Published: 01/26/13