Lisa Zenno, 27, Seattle"I have a two-hour commute, and my workday averages 10 hours.
Once I’m home, I’m back at it, doing translation work.
My weekends are for errands.
I’m just too busy!"
Bonus: She’ll never have to leave her bedroom.
“The training was online, so I did it whenever I had free time,” Zenno says.
We’ve chatted for three weeks so far, and we’re really connecting.
Last session, she opened up about her mother’s recent death.
I’ve signed on for a year, and I’m excited."
Carrie Hyman, 29, New York City"My schedule is erratic.
I work in public relations, so my nights are full of eleventh-hour events and client dinners.
I worry that I’ll sign up for something, then have to bail out."
(TheHandsOn Networkoffers similar programs in other cities.)
Attend orientation, then jump in whenever you’re free.
“I signed up for a project the next night near my office,” Hyman says.
“I spent two hours sorting donated clothing for infants in need.
Leanne Karr, 29, Philadelphia"I can’t fit in bothexerciseand volunteering.
I work 60-hour weeks and take classes on weekends.
SELF steered Karr toBack on My Feet, which offers running training (and sneakers) to the homeless.
That way, she can get in a workout and also help others.
Volunteers meet participants at shelters at 5:30 a.m. to mingle, then go for group runs.
“At each session, the group leader guides us through a serenity prayer and an icebreaker.
Then we do a 2- to 4-mile run as a group.
Sharing my love of running with someone having a tough time feels great.”
We did everything from planting to harvesting the crops.
Seeing vegetables as seedlings made me realize that I’d never pictured my food before it reached the supermarket.
We picked fresh herbs and veggies to make quiche, frittatas or muffins.
Those habits have stayed with me.
I felt worthless and ashamed.
I share my difficult past and let them know how far I’ve come.
The kids are so creative and full of energythey have an incredible amount of strength.
They’ve helped me mend a piece of myself.”
Blind people don’t have that option!'
On race day, I ran beside folks who had lost their sight in combat.
Realizing what they had overcome was completely humbling.
I’d placed in past races, but this time, I came in nearly last.
I met Jesse during our training, and we started chatting about our experiences serving the community.
But it took us a year to confess that we were falling for each other.
He admitted it first, and then I told him I felt the same!
We got married last fall, and, not surprisingly, we still volunteer often.
But we have especially fond memories of LIFT because it brought us together."
But I’d always dreamed of traveling, learning about different cultures and having an impact on the world.
I spent six years climbing the corporate ladder, dressing the part and walking the walk.
I had to take a $10,000 pay cut, but it was well worth it.
Now my career, not my side projects, fulfills me."
“Partly, I was hoping to guilt-trip myself into becoming more active.
I collected a drawerful of logo-emblazoned T-shirts and baseball caps.
Most important, I raised more than $10,000 for various charities.
I guess you could say that I set out to save the world but ended up saving myself.”
