If it feels good, do it.

How I got into the spirit of giving back.

I’ve walked for the cure. I’ve dined out for life. I’ve written checks, signed petitions and donated food and clothing. But I’m not what I’d consider as highly altruistic. Do I care? Yes. Do I make time in my everyday life to care? Not really. I’m a Gen X single mom balancing life with two teenagers who want to go to top-notch schools with a demanding career in marketing. Sometimes it’s hard to care about clean laundry, much less giving back.

So perhaps you’ll forgive me for the little zing of glee I felt when I read the article “Millennials might not be so special after all, study finds” on usatoday.com. Check this out: “Published online in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the study finds Millennials (born 1982-2000) more civically and politically disengaged, more focused on materialistic values, and less concerned about helping the larger community than were GenX (born 1962-1981) and Baby Boomers (born 1946 to about 1961) at the same ages.”

Yes! I mean, whoah, that’s too bad.

It seems those Millennials are volunteering because their schools require it. I can attest to this motivator as my eldest daughter is worrying herself sick about her lack of volunteering and how it will impact her college applications. If only she’d turn off “Nashville” and go collect canned food.

Or, she could follow her mother’s example. That’s right, I have found a way to give back that reflects my personal values, plays to my strengths and gives me untold satisfaction. I’ve become a mentor for ready+willing, a St. Louis nonprofit that pairs other local nonprofits with professional marketing mentors (that’s me). I recently attended a recruiting event where I interviewed writers, art directors and designers to assemble my team. Frankly, the event did not live up to my expectations. I was unaware that many of the volunteers were looking to break into the creative field or build their portfolios. That’s where Momentum stepped in. Or rather, my friends and colleagues did. Momentum is not officially sponsoring our endeavors, but we are holding meetings in the St. Louis office. And I’ve assembled a first-rate team.

Business Leadership Manager Amy George volunteered to be my co-captain. Account Executive Lauren Durand took on research. Art Director Josh Rogier and Junior Copywriter Nicole Conoyer will be art directing and writing. Broadcast Business Advisor Mary Mitchell will help us find editing resources. And Associate Creative Director Jonathan Reed will shoot.

Which brings me to our project. We’re going to write and produce a promotional video for Magdalene St. Louis, an offshoot of a successful two-year program founded in Nashville, Tennessee by The Reverend Becca Stevens to help victims of human trafficking and addiction rebuild their lives. Magdalene St. Louis has a board of directors and a goal to open a house in 2014. The video we’ll produce will help create local advocacy, starting with the realization that human trafficking is a problem in St. Louis. I had no idea that I live in one of the top 20 U.S. cities for human trafficking. We can thank our robust highway system that branches out to both coasts for that. According to the agreement Magdalene St. Louis has with ready+willing, we only have to provide a script. But I am determined to deliver what they actually need, a video that will inspire St. Louisans to learn more, tell their friends, get involved and donate.

I had the opportunity to attend an open house for Magdalene St. Louis called “Opening the Door” on Wednesday, May 8 at Christ Church Cathedral. Over the course of the evening we heard success stories from former prostitutes and victims of abuse and drug addiction who turned their lives around with the help of the Magdalene program and community support. Their tales were shocking. Yet the statistics are worse. Did you know the preferred age for prostitutes is now 14? My youngest daughter is 14. The women who will live in Magdalene House in St. Louis will be considerably older. But imagine what it must feel like, to be an adult caught in a cycle of abuse, prostitution, addiction and life on the street. Magdalene House will help give these women a new life. And in a small but significant way, my team will help give these women a new life too.

Becca Stevens closed the open house on that warm May evening with this thought. On Monday, May 6, three Cleveland women were trapped in a nightmare of abuse and victimization. When Amanda Berry screamed out, Charles Ramsey helped her kick out the bottom of the door that opened to freedom. Now we have the opportunity to open doors for women who desperately need our help. I am humbled and inspired by this project and the chance to use my skills to do something meaningful.

I’m giving back. And it feels amazing.