Helping Hands

Teaching and volunteering are not simply things Leslie Lenkowsky does; they are his passions. \nAlthough he will have to stop teaching soon, Lenkowsky, a research associate of philanthropy and public policy at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis, will be involved with volunteerism as never before.\nLenkowsky will head to Washington as soon as his nomination as chief executive officer of the Corporation for National Service is approved by the Senate. \n"I was honored by the nomination," Lenkowsky said. "I had been involved in volunteering since high school, believing that we only have a certain number of years on this earth. Now is the time to volunteer."\nLenkowsky's nomination by President George W. Bush is testament to the long-standing spirit of volunteering that Lenkowsky stands for.\nHe has previously served on the corporation's predecessor agency, the Commission on National and Community Service, while former President Bill Clinton twice appointed him to the Board of Directors of the CNS. \nAlthough this appointment grants Lenkowsky power over the Corporation -- his duties include overseeing the distribution of more than $750 million to various agencies nationwide -- he is a professor at heart.\n"I will definitely miss teaching. It was a hard choice to make," he said. \nHaving a Hoosier in such a distinguished position is a boon to the state, said attorney Catherine Stafford.\n"Indiana is somewhat overlooked by national organizations, so it is always good to have such great representation," said Stafford, head hotline attorney for Legal Services, Inc, which is funded through the CNS. The program is a non-profit organization that helps people with low incomes find legal advice. \nVolunteering at IUB\nWhile Lenkowsky is in Washington overseeing the CNS, various arms of the organization will continue their service in Bloomington.\n"Volunteering is absolutely essential to this town. Every group runs on volunteers," Stafford said. \nThe America Reads program and the Week of Caring, both sponsored by the CNS, attract a large percentage of student volunteers from the Bloomington campus. \n"I believe that students who study here feel that they should give back to the community. Bloomington, although small, has big city problems, such as poverty and homelessness," said Nuha Elkhiamy, Community Service Coordinator for the Honors College.\nThe Bloomington-based Week of Caring is another event where individual students and organizations take part in a week-long celebration of the spirit of giving to the community. The annual week of special volunteer efforts that takes place from Oct. 20 to 27 will culminate in the Make A Difference Day, held annually on the fourth Saturday of October. \nThe week's message is to bring awareness of the need for volunteers to participate in community-wide projects among permanent and temporary residents. Annually, about 500 to 600 people participate in Bloomington. Students and their organizations are encouraged to sign up to take part in eliminating city problems.\nStudents who are involved in the community get more out of their college experience, said Bet Savich, director of the Bloomington Volunteer Network.\n"Many of (the students') classes will come to life in unexpected ways because the students will have sunk some roots. The 'real world' doesn't have to come after college," she said. "If you are productively engaged in the community during your college years, your whole experience will be much richer"