This is a post from my main blog, the Hothead.  I will be enhancing this site over the next couple of days to bring you helpful links and information to help you with the college crunch.  Read below and if you qualify, email me at stinly at gmail dot com.

From the HotheadBlog ::

As I’ve posted recently, this is a great time to lend your skills to those that could benefit from them the most.  I’m not talking about writing checks.  We all have skills writing checks unfortunately.  I’m talking about paring off 2% of the time you dedicate to your workday, your coffee ritual, or your family and give it wholeheartedly to someone else.  Whatever it is you do great, doing it for free feels even greater.  The idea is to step out of your bubble and sniff the air somewhere else.

What if…

• Baseball or other sports pros stop by a ballpark or gym and play ball with kids in the ”other” part of town.  Maybe their dad isn’t around.  Maybe he won’t be soon.  Set up a fixed time each week you’ll stop by.  Maybe you can even create a team that plays in a league and all they really needed is your organization skill.
• Piano pros call around to some schools in the public system and offer a half hour to anyone that wants to show up.  Meet them at your church piano if you don’t want to have strangers in your home.  Offer them a very cut rate to continue and don’t chase them down when they’re late paying.
• Financial gurus go by those predatory tax shops and offer your services free to someone that’s willing to listen.  Or ask your pastor or priest who in her parish could use some free financial advice in this tough time.  When they get back on their feet, you’ll have lots of new clients.
• Film nerds make just one phone call to an important person in your Rolodex on behalf of a rising star that just needs a small leg up.  Set one day a month that you make that call for the next person on your list.
• Take someone who’s recently laid off  fishing that’s never been and let them find a new and inexpensive hobby to replace one they only could afford while employed.  If you’re a hiker or walker, this is a great way to enhance your time off with new conversations with new people.
• Offer a clubby discount that only you get to someone that would learn from it or take them away from their troubles.
• Call a family that you read about in the paper who lost a loved one tragically and make a meal for them.  Or offer to take a burden off their hands (like babysitting for the adults who need a break) or let them sit at your beachhouse and stare at the horizon for a day.

THE CHALLENGE ::

My challenge to you is to step up and make your time exponentially more valuable by giving it away.  No checks can be written!  I’m also not advocating unsafe activities.  There are plenty of good people in need of your great services, but be careful of scammers willing to take your free love.

WHAT I’LL DO IN RETURN ::

For my part, I give you University Guy.  This won’t be a blog I post to unless I have success stories.  You can also view my lens here. I hope there is a massive response that blows out my servers.  I will be loading quick reference information there very soon to help people find their way with small problems.  The big problems?  Well…

Over the past year, I have helped a few college students on my planet navigate the truly scary world of FAFSA (student loans, grants, etc.), late-night calls to registrars to hold off eviction, stepping up to better schools (seems almost every high school grad I meet needs a little look in the mirror to see their potential), getting rent paid to landlords when your bus-boy job just can’t cut it, swimming through the nightmare of lengthy applications, and the cold-calling to provosts and college presidents that might be needed.  (phew!)

I have been very successful in the past four semesters in this exercise and come away amazed by the results of the students I’ve helped.  (the cool thing about volunteering is that you will walk away AMAZED).  I don’t have any real music talents and my running habit is something I haven’t created a lesson plan for yet so running my mouth — my number one useful trait — is yours for the asking.

I will provide these and other related services free of charge to any student who has the chutzpa to contact me.   Serious inquiries only need apply please.  If your dad runs Harvard and I find out, I will out you like you’ve never been outed and you have to quit college altogether.

This offer comes with NO GUARANTEES.  I might want to speak with your parents before I start.  I’m just a new team member for you.  I am not replacing the work you have to continue doing.  I will be dealing with your private information like socials, transcripts, and such.  Also, this process can be lengthy and protracted.  If you’re in a hurry surely contact me but I may not be able to get anything done overnight. If you feel as though the college mountain is too high, email me at stinly at gmail dot com with UNIVERSITY GUY in the subject line and we’ll interview each other.  Also, if you are trying to pierce the private school veil and you are also financially challenged, give me a shout.  There is financial aid for private K-12 for those that deserve it.  I know the Southern Cal market in private schools but I’m willing to give any place a try.

This offer is open to parents and their children , old folks going back for the 3d degree, or anyone that just needs to “finish dammit!”  Also, if a student in your life just needs a quick kick in the pants to figure out where she is going, I’m happy to give them some time to complain so we can get to the real task at hand.

BACK TO YOU ::

I want reports of your personal challenge efforts! (if you click on the permalink [title] of this post, you can make a comment anytime or hit the other blog or squidoo lens.  Let’s see how you do.  I bet you’ll find that your time is easier to find than you think and that your heart is a little fuller with eyes a clearer. [thanks Friday Night Lights for that great phrase ]

Here are some quick ideas on how to publish your new ’opportunity’ to the masses! ::

Go to Craiglist and place an ad.  Probably the most effective and simple way to go about any type of communication with strangers in 2009.  You can also search for someone that might be looking for you.  It’s a nice two-way street.

Use Yotifyto consolidate your craigslist search into one concise email.

Put out a message repetitively on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking site.  Your already established group is usually the best place to start.  Use Squidoo to create a mini blog or lens to announce your offer.

Give of yourself to a mainline charity.  I didn’t say write a check.  This challenge doesn’t allow direct checks to charities or recipients.  But here’s a list of places that might need your service, your connection, or your input. (notice I didn’t say time.  volunteering is great, but we need you Bill Gates’s and Steven Spielberg’s to show us your true potential!)