I would love to have some kind of publication named after me; where people publish stories about their life and experiences. I would want it to be voices that have been silenced in the past. In fact, I would love for the publication to be part of a much larger organization and foundation that helps people wherever they’re at in life. It would be a foundation that provides tutoring for kids who need help to excel in school, or maybe a way to get to a better school. The foundation would have all types of classes for young adults to learn how to do adult things, like driving, registering to vote, how to get yourself started in life, employment services and counseling, parenting classes, free childcare all hours of the day, how to cook, pretty much anything you can think of to help people who need something more.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how I started out and got myself going on my own after college. How did I know how to get utilities in my name? How did I learn that? Did I ask my parents? Did I just know somehow? Did someone help me? I don’t even remember. I think there are so many people who are just winging it and don’t really know how they can get from point A to point Z, unless they’ve seen someone do it or there’s someone they feel comfortable asking.
My foundation would provide all of these services free of charge, but with one catch-when you get where you are going, you have to give back to the foundation. Whether that’s extra money once you are earning a lot, or your time to help someone else in another way. Say my foundation helps you get into trade school. Once you complete the school and start working as a plumber (however long that takes), you offer free plumbing services to the foundation’s facility, but maybe also free repairs for program members. Like you would do 3 free jobs a month, for example. That would help those people with something that is a barrier for them. And let’s say those people are using childcare and an education program to find their own job. One of them gets a job as a cashier and the other as a cook in a restaurant. Neither makes enough money to just give money, but they both give 2-3 hours a week for childcare for someone else.
The only catch for my foundation is that I need a whole bunch of money to start something like this. And a clear vision, plan, etc. It will probably be just another really cool idea that I never act upon, but sometimes dream about because I just really want to help people get to a better place. All people, no matter what their circumstances are.
Zander's Inside Voice 
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