Working with GWN is such a joy to me. It's a thoroughly thought out and organized endeavor; GWN seems determined to get the most from each moment. Their handbook is great. The women who run this organization work hard and take their commitment seriously. GWN is one-to-one mentoring with an adult writer and a young girl who wants to be a writer. My mentee is a junior in HS, from China only two years, away from her parental family, determined to better herself. Her fortitude inspires me (and tires me thinking about all she does!). At first, my mentee was worried that I was 'impatient' with her English, but I am in awe of her English, a hard enough language for those of us raised with it. She is amazing. But, GWN is not for the feint of heart, it's not a flippant little volunteer job. Itʼs a commitment, a lot is expected of its volunteers--but you get so much in return. My mentee and I meet once a week for at least an hour, and once a month, we attend a workshop at GWN for half a day on a Saturday. Then, in the spring there will be readings once a month and the mentees will need to get their work ready to be published in an anthology.

I am thrilled to be with GWN; I do other volunteer work and, hopefully, I will be doing more paid work shortly (times are tough!). I consider myself to be a member of a society, with many pressing issues. I am most grateful and glad to have the opportunity to give back.