The Lost Art of Giving Back: A Helpful Guide to Making a Difference

By Christopher D. Cathcart

The Lost Art of Giving Back is a useful guide to help everyday folk discover the joys and sense of true empowerment that comes from volunteerism, be it working with at-risk youth, the elderly, or anyone who may be in need of a helping hand. By using his own life examples, as well as those of others, first-time author Christopher D. Cathcart helps readers tear down the barriers that keep them from getting active in the volunteer ranks, and guide them onto a path of public service. The book offers tips on finding the time, energy and creativity to make a difference.





The Lost Art of Giving Back is a useful guide to help everyday folk discover the joys and sense of true empowerment that comes from volunteerism, be it working with at-risk youth, the elderly, or anyone who may be in need of a helping hand. By using his own life examples, as well as those of others, first-time author Christopher D. Cathcart helps readers tear down the barriers that keep them from getting active in the volunteer ranks, and guide them onto a path of public service. The book offers tips on finding the time, energy and creativity to make a difference.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 20, 2006
• ISBN: 9781462824045

Christopher D. Cathcart

Christopher D. Cathcart is president and founder of OneDiaspora Group, a media consulting company based in Los Angeles, and OneDiaspora Project, a non-profit, community service group that strives to address such areas as humanitarian aid, HIV/AIDS awareness, and civic volunteerism. A graduate of Howard University, Cathcart has been active in community service outreach for many years, frequently speaking to schools, universities, and organizations, as well as mentoring youth of all ages. Professionally, he has served as an executive with such companies as CNN, Motown Records, and Warner Bros. Television. As an independent contractor, he has consulted with such businesses as Hidden Beach Recordings, Jaguar Cars, and UniWorld Group, Inc., a leading advertising and marketing agency, among many others. Cathcart is also co-founder of the As Powerful As You Want To Be Boot Camp series, a career and life-enhancing workshop that teaches public relations, brand marketing, and mentoring skills to students, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders hailing from a variety of fields. An acclaimed public speaker, published editorialist and former seven-year mentor for Big Brothers, Cathcart sits on the board of several non-profit groups, including the Black AIDS Institute, the nations leading organization combating AIDS in Black communities; and R.I.S.E Inc. (Reaching Inside for Self Esteem), a Washington, DC-based community service group. Cathcart has dedicated much of his life to assisting those in need. The Lost Art of Giving Back is his first book.

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Copyright © 2006 by Christopher D. Cathcart.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my Dad for giving me such a great life example, and to my wife Billie for keeping me on the right path. Also, to all my friends and family for helping me in every possible way.

Introduction

WELCOME TO THE LOST ART OF GIVING BACK

The most difficult thing about writing a book on giving back is trying to say something new or relevant about the topic. Honestly, who can argue that volunteering to help others or taking time to make a difference in someone’s life isn’t a great thing to do? After all, don’t we name many of our schools (Abraham Lincoln High), streets (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) and even children (pick any name that comes to mind) after some of the superheroes of public service? And isn’t it a fact that nearly every major religion teaches or preaches the boundless virtue that comes from service to others?

So why is it still so hard for some of us to move beyond this general understanding to concrete action? Why do so many of us still yield to the artificial barriers we ourselves place in our way? In short, why are we not doing more?

While the answers to these questions have many layers, the core reason can be found in our overall perspective on this vital issue. A major task for community service advocates is to redefine the general perception of social activism; we must create an aura of strength, purpose, and self-fulfillment. Through Lost Art, I will help you view public service through new lenses, bringing into focus such concepts as self-empowerment and nobility.

Throughout my life, I have always tried to make time to contribute to my community, wherever that may have been at the time. Undoubtedly, this desire came about, in part, by observing my father, Willie Cathcart (a.k.a. Brother Wali) over the years. Back in the day, he always seemed to be involved in something when I was growing up in the magnificent city of Plainfield, New Jersey. Whether helping coach my Little League baseball team (though I believe he really tried to coach the coach), volunteering for various school projects, or working with local leaders on a number of issues, he was always busy doing one thing or another. Those lessons, while unspoken, had a tremendous impact on me, one that would last my entire life; but more on my Dad later.

While the seeds of service were planted in my formative years, they blossomed while I was a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C. in the mid-1980s. It seemed only natural that we HU students should be integral parts of the surrounding community. Indeed, Howard has produced some of the greats of public service including Thurgood Marshall, Patricia Harris, Andrew Young and Kwame Toure (a.k.a. Stokely Carmichael), among many others.

Also, I had the honor and privilege to serve a year as president of Howard University’s student government (1984-85). Our young administration had one guiding mantra, one refrain that we tried to instill into our fellow students at every turn and with every speech and program. It was simple: "Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are, to