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KATHY MITCHELL AND MARCY SUGAR \ Annie's Mailbox Annual National Youth Service Day is planned

Tuesday, April 13, 2004


Dear Annie: Please help me remind your readers that the 16th Annual National Youth Service Day will take place Friday through Sunday. Sponsored by the State Farm Companies Foundation, National Youth Service Day is the largest service event in the world, engaging millions of young people in service and educating the public about the role young people play as community leaders year-round. Young people in over 150 countries will join their U.S. peers as part of Global Youth Service Day, which takes place concurrently thanks to the GM Foundation.
As we approach the 2004 election, it is particularly important for young people to be engaged citizens. Through informed voting, youth-led advocacy and other civic education efforts, youth maximize the impact of their service, ensuring that future children will not be cleaning the same dirty rivers or preparing meals in the same crowded soup kitchens.
I know your readers will turn out in record numbers again this year to identify and address the needs of their communities. For more information, your readers can visit www.YSA.org, or write to Youth Service America, Dept. M, 1101 15th Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20005. They can also find volunteer opportunities at www.SERVEnet.org. Steven A. Culbertson, President & amp; CEO, Youth Service America
Dear Steven Culbertson: Thank you for letting our readers know of the opportunities available to do volunteer work in their communities, not just for young people, but for all ages. Please, folks, you can make a real difference.
Dear Annie: My husband, age 46, has a family history of prostate cancer. Both his father and grandfather died of this disease. My problem is that my husband won't go for a checkup because he is too embarrassed to have the doctor touch his prostate. Also, he has a small testicular tumor that is causing sexual performance problems that are only getting worse.
I cannot bear to stand aside and let my husband die, but no amount of talking will get him to see a doctor. Don't bother recommending a counselor. He won't go.
Is there somewhere I can get the facts on the current prostate testing to show him that it's not so terrible and that people can survive this disease? He's convinced he is doomed, so why bother? What can I do? New Jersey
Dear New Jersey: Your husband's family history indicates he is at higher risk of developing prostate cancer. The good news is that the earlier the detection, the greater the chance he can be helped. If a digital exam is too embarrassing, your husband should ask his doctor to do a PSA, ultrasound, CAT scan or MRI.
Your husband's fatalistic attitude is a barrier. If you think presenting him with more information will help, contact the American Cancer Society at (800) 227-2345 (cancer.org) or the National Cancer Institute, (800) 422-6237) (cancer.gov).
Dear Annie: I am a 66-year-old man, raised mainly in the South. I have a habit of calling women "Dear" or "Hon," especially if I can't remember their names.
I was doing volunteer work and had to call a doctor's office for some information. As I hung up, I said, "Thank you, dear." The women around me were very incensed and said I was being condescending and patronizing. Was I? Confused in North Carolina
Dear Confused: Some women are highly sensitive to being called pet names by men they do not know. It makes them believe you are dismissing them, treating them like children or that you are being overly familiar. Not all women care, but when in doubt, don't do it.
XE-mail your questions to anniesmailbox@com-cast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox™, P.O. Box 118190, Chicago, Ill. 60611.
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