The balancing act

Balance. We all try so hard to balance work with personal goals and round ourselves out. Balance makes life better because it puts life in perspective, helps us realize that the end of the world has never been the end of the world and we aren't able to obsess about meaningless things. I have been learning balance as a new mom who works, while still trying to reach my potential in all areas of life.

HALO began with a beautiful spark of interest, collaboration, and fervor. Our plan was simple: raise as much as we can and we will support as many kids as we can with those funds. Reliance on volunteer team members in the beginning was unspoken, understood, and much appreciated. The outcome of the hours of work put in has been direct and extreme but also unpredictable and we have been lucky to have had so much success.

We have gotten pretty far by operating on these loose-terms, but we are now at a point where pretty far is not enough. We must meet our full potential because it is our duty to the children we meet who are in the greatest need imaginable and are not yet supported, waiting for us, waiting for a home. We also have far too much responsibility to operate on loose terms. Supporting over 1000 children around the world cannot be done without organization, deadlines, and accountability. Our mission to best serve the children we currently support while bringing in additional youth will only be met by sticking to strict time lines and goals. 

At HALO, we are working toward finding the balance between being a fun organization to volunteer with and one fiercely committed to the success of our programs. We rely on volunteers who are also trying to find balance in their lives. We firmly believe in the empowerment of the volunteer but we also must have a structure of open communication that helps us reach our goals. Open communication includes both sides - committing to a task and communicating when an overcommitment is realized. Our staff appreciates a volunteer commitment as much as when someone calls to say they have overcommitted. That way they don't get burnt out and we are able to ask for help from another volunteer, still reaching our goals. I personally feel combining fun with clear communication and a clear plan makes us closer to reaching our potential every day.

HALO will continue to strive toward being an invigorating organization while seeking out the best team of  volunteers, because that is what we have always had - volunteers who are excited to set and meet deadlines, raise their hand to help, follow through on ideas, make a profound impact, are positive, and say no if they are unable to do something. We have been blessed with many of these incredible volunteers, but we always need more.

If we all do what we say we will do, when we say we will do it, the outcome is direct and extreme. For HALO, it will mean the world to the additional children we will be able to support. Actually, it will mean their whole world. The balancing act becomes a cinch if we all keep that in mind, putting life in perspective for all of us.

If you are interested in making a profound impact, click here. Being part of bringing in children in the most need to a safe-haven of support is quite rewarding, no matter what is the task at hand.

Making time for greatness

We all say it. I would love to do that, but I just don't have the time. Have? Or make? Its getting up a half hour earlier, its turning off the TV, not being afraid of accountability, pushing ourselves just a little further, setting priorities and following them. Eminem makes time to read the dictionary and has since he was a child. Mother Teresa made time to ask thousands of people for help. The Beatles performed over 270 times in a year and a half before they were famous.

Its easy to place the blame for mediocrity on not having time. That's a cop out. We are all capable of greatness, we just need to make the time for it. It all comes down to self-discipline. No matter what we are doing in our lives, helping others is one of those things that makes us great and can't be ignored. 

There are people in need on every block and across the world - elderly people dying of loneliness, abandoned children who are terrified of their next night on the streets without a meal, people who are sick or loosing a loved one. Making time for one person in need is making the time for greatness, whether its volunteering for 20 minutes a week, making small donation, or just stopping by. No matter how much work we have to do, we can all do that. 

I have the pleasure of working with people who make time to do great things in all aspects of their lives.  They are proof that we are all capable of greatness, we just need to make the time for it. 

The year of vibrance

I went to high school in Jefferson City, MO. Most of my family still lives there and over the holidays, I basically do too. Jeff is a quaint town with a vibrant group of people who are excited about getting involved and giving back. I had the pleasure of meeting with a few of these people during my most recent visit and have to say I was inspired.

HALO has had a branch in Jefferson City for the past 4 years which has been extremely successful in raising funds and awareness for their sister orphanage, the Mengo Home in Uganda. More recently, local needs for at-risk and homeless youth have been coming to our attention.

Mengo Girls in Kampala, Uganda

During 2011, we committed time to researching these needs and how HALO may be able to help. According to the 2009 census, the population was around 40,000 in Jeff and about 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line. We've met with multiple potential partner agencies who take care of the children in the community who are in the harshest of situations. This includes a homeless shelter which has 15-20 youth per night who have nothing to do but sit among the adult homeless people.  I never knew there were homeless youth living in Jefferson City. It also includes agencies that serve at-risk youth who come from unstable families and children who are in the foster care system and there are a lot of them.

All of these agencies expressed a profound need for a safe haven that provides educational, future-focused opportunities for these children. They need a place where they are able to grow and flourish while building relationships with mentors who will invest in their future. These are things most of us grew up with every day. These are things every child deserves. 


After careful consideration, HALO is opening our third HALO Learning Center in Jefferson City. The faces that pass through those doors will be the vibrant group of people I mentioned committed to investing in youth who deserve to succeed. The children who are staying at the homeless shelter will have someone to turn to and help them dream beyond their situations. We will open our arms to foster and at-risk youth who are the in the most need to give them hope, opportunities, and a bright outlook.

HALO Learning Center, Kansas City

HALO Jefferson City will continue to support the Mengo Home. They have just made a huge leap and will also be supporting their local center. Everyone at HALO Headquarters feels this will be their year. We know it will be. Stay tuned for more updates. They are only getting started.

To get involved or learn more about how you may support HALO JC, email halojc@haloworldwide.org
Like HALO JC on Facebook here.