When people find out I’ve set my Love Games series in the world of college athletics, they often ask if I played myself. I wish. Like most jock-types, my dreams of glory started early but were met with adversity. I had a Dorothy Hamill haircut and a pink skating dress my big sister sewed for me, but our local ice rink closed just as I was getting my skates under me. My father covered our back yard in asphalt and installed a regulation goal for my five older brothers. I could (and still can) hit a backwards bucket shot from anywhere within the three-point arc. Even in my First Communion dress. Sadly, I topped out at 5′ 4″, which made me an easy mark for any player blessed with greater height. I can’t tell you how many times I swatted air when trying to get at a jump ball in seventh grade. And spiking over a volleyball net? Forget it. I can bump and set with the best of them, but this girl can’t jump. Despite being vertically challenged, my love of all things sporty has never abated. I live for college football season each year. I can bemoan the…

Justice and Sandesh are heroes who fight for what’s right, but what can readers do to help champion justice in their own communities? I’m lucky enough to have wonderful people in my life who are active in volunteering in the community. I’d like to share some of the ways these people, and I myself, have contributed to justice and caring within our communities. Make care kits for the homeless-This is probably something more suited to people who live in or around big cities but recognizing the needs of our homeless not only helps restore their dignity, but it replenishes our humanity. Giving credit where credit is due, this idea was not suggested, but demonstrated to me by a couple of dear people in my life. Last year while visiting NYC with my friends, one of our group, author Margaret Reyes-Dempsey, handed out care packages that she’d put together for homeless people. She purchased needed supplies, including hand wipes and socks. She carried these care packages in a backpack distributing them as we went. Around the same time, my daughter, a public defender, did the same thing—handing out thick socks, hats, and gloves to people at her courthouse. Care kits that…