Focus, People. Focus.

It's a blessing and a curse, for sure.

Local Active 20-30 clubs have a great deal of freedom to be who they want and who their community (their members, charity partners, etc.) needs them to be.

When I speak with prospective members, sponsors and even charter chairs, I always find myself talking about this - the flexibility to define "children in need" in a way that's meaningful to them. 

Whether it's financially disadvantaged, academically challenged, mentally or physically handicapped, healing from medical issues or abusive situations, or even children with the potential to be great leaders themselves... the list of needs goes on and on.

It's amazing to look at our organization as a whole and see the diversity in the ways we impact the lives of children.

Fort Wayne, San Francicso and Sacramento, for example, host Christmas parties for children battling life-threatening illnesses along with their siblings. Their objectives are to provide a few hours of "normal" and a long-lasting memory for their families.

Indianapolis works year-round with children rebuilding lives after domestic violence. The movie nights, craft times and story hours provide an opportunity to model positive and healthy interactions, especially from men.

Carson Valley annually creates an experience where economically-challenged children can experience things that would normally be cost-prohibitive at Carson Valley Days, a free community event of massive proportion. They appreciate that it's the daily experiences and exposure to new ideas that has the power to change a life.

Folsom is yet another example of how lending time and talents can change lives. Through hands-on work at local farms, hospitals and elsewhere in the community, they are able to touch the lives of children facing a variety of needs.

These are just a few examples. I invite each of you to answer two basic questions in the comment below:
1. How does your club define "children in need" and how did you come to decide on that definition?
2. How do work to impact that population locally? If you're looking for ideas, post that, too - there are 1200+ bright and talented 20-30ians here to help.

The flip side of this flexibility is that the sky is the limit. We can address any issue facing children that we feel compelled to. And we can do it in any way that feels right to us.

Do you find this to be a challenge when deciding how you and your club will serve the children of your community when everything is a possibility?