Meet Ms. Katy Ryan, a sales representative at SPR inc., who offers her time as a mentor for the CARA program. The CARA program is a not-for-profit organization which helps homeless individuals achieve self-sufficiency by providing job readiness training, permanent job placement and other support services.

As strange as it may sound, volunteering my time could be seen to be selfish. I have found that for each measure of time and effort I put toward volunteer opportunities, I have experienced an unexpected gain that often surpasses my initial "investment." These countless gains can be as tangible as making a new friend, or as intangible as gaining a new perspective or a moment of gratitude. In either case, the volunteer opportunity inevitably becomes a two-way street in which the lines between giving and receiving begin to fade. During my time in any volunteer activity, I experience a greater sense of balance in my life - balance that I now find to be essential.

Personally, I have found the CARA Mentor Program to be among the most rewarding volunteer experiences that I have encountered. The opportunity to get involved in a significant way with a formerly homeless individual who is committed to turning his or her life around, has been both fulfilling and eye-opening. ItÕs been a learning experience that has allowed me to see that I'm really making a difference at a critical juncture in another personÕs life. CARA truly offers a "hand-up" rather than a handout to the individual involved. I've always been a proponent of the life-enhancing idea of helping people to help themselves, and CARA supports that idea beautifully.

The CARA mentor role can be managed within a busy schedule. Most contact between the volunteer and the CARA participant takes place with twice-weekly phone-calls. The commitment to meet in person twice a month is arranged at both people's convenience. Additionally, CARA is run very professionally, with substantial support available to both those being mentored and the mentors themselves.

The key to a successful and mutually rewarding volunteer experience is finding the opportunity that truly moves, delights or speaks to you in some way. After all, time is a most precious possession. Thankfully, there is a niche available that draws from specific talents for anyone who takes the time to look. At its best, a volunteer opportunity is a chance to give back to the world that which is uniquely yours to give.

For more information about The CARA Program, please call Desiree Maurer at 312.831-9332.