For the purpose of the Interview and Service Project I had an interview with a fellow UMKC student who had just had their first experience volunteering at the local food pantry called Harvesters. Volunteering is often considered a work of giving, but many people fail to see all that you can take from the experience. Because of this, volunteering often isn’t at the top of people’s list of to-do’s. When you aren’t obligated to go out of your way to provide a service, or to spend your time in a way which is not productive toward your own goals, it is incredibly easy to justify not doing it. What I hoped to gain from this interview was insight pertaining to the hidden compensation people receive from going out and volunteering.
When I interviewed
…show more content…
When I asked him what his expectations were going into this experience, he really didn’t have a whole lot to tell me. He told me that his own personal feelings were uneasy, and that he began asking his coworkers (who had volunteered before) lots of questions. He had never done anything like this before and was anxious about the possible outcomes. What happened if he messed something up? What kind of people will he be meeting? Will this be worse than sitting at the office? These were all things he asked both his coworkers and himself. A short car ride and lots of reassurance later, he was feeling much more optimistic about the whole thing, you might even say he was excited! There has to be a reason people volunteer right? Whether it’s the people you meet, the credit you receive, or the experience as a whole, people go out of their way to find time to volunteer. As a very extroverted person, meeting new people is well within his comfort zone, not to mention he had experience with jobs serving the public. How bad could it be, right? The answer was not bad at …show more content…
Everyone seemed both polite and grateful for their help, but not in the way he was expecting. Going in, he had the typical service provider and consumer relationship in his mind, but said that it definitely did not feel like his days working at a local super-store. Rather, he compared the interaction more to helping a friend or an acquaintance. His interactions were not limited to the typical “please”, “thank you”, and “have a nice day”. Instead, everyone seemed very open and friendly, and many would hold a conversation.
In a normal situation, a lot of people would be somewhat uncertain of talking about their personal business with a stranger, or vice versa, but things are totally different when you’re volunteering in this sort of situation. You’re helping people you would never have thought to talk to feed their families. A lot of the people who come in are likely in a fairly tough spot and to know so many people care about the well-being of their community can really, truly brighten someone’s
This past summer, I acquired an internship at Baldwin and Lyons, an insurance company in Indianapolis. Every Wednesday during my internship, a couple of employees and I participate in a prodigious community service project, Meals on Wheels. Throughout the three months that I worked at Baldwin and Lyons, I got acquainted with some of the individuals whom we delivered to. These inspiring individuals were so grateful and appreciative that we took time out of our day to volunteer to do such a service. One elderly woman who we delivered to would sing to us as she came to the front door “good meals, good meals, good meals.”
The lunch bell rung at full volume as the main doors flung open. I predicted that a herd of people will rush in like the water from a spill gate. But instead every person was a line; in fact it was a neat single filed line. Another thing I was astonished to see was to the fact that every single person I served to was superbly well mannered. It was the magical word of thank-you which left great remarks in my life and made my volunteering experience an enjoyable one. After the shift, I have come to realize that everything my family and friends have said about impoverished people was nothing but just a stereotype. In addition, I have self-discovered that volunteering is what I want to do on my spare time. The joy from making new friends, appreciated and making a difference in society was too meaningful to put in words. From then on, volunteering had become one of my most highly valued priorities. Whenever I have time to spare, I will go
What does community service mean to you? What experiences, if any, have you had that have shaped your definition of service?
Volunteering can be gratifying and everyone should experience giving time to others without expecting anything in return. I have some history with The Excel Center in Kokomo, I am a recent graduate from there and have spent time tutoring when I can, to help other students succeed. After leaving there, I considered a future career within the walls of the school, I have even been told on numerous occasions that I am more than welcomed back after I finish my degree. Once I knew I had to volunteer in a human service field, I knew I wanted to give The Excel Center a shot right away, knowing this was a guaranteed place to be challenged and given an honest opinion of my work.
Numerous women stood out the doors of a women's only soup kitchen and as I walked passed them I watched as their exhausted faces brightened up knowing that we were the ones who were about to end their hunger. On this Tuesday evening I had the opportunity to volunteer at a soup kitchen which later helped me realize that life isn't all about taking but instead about giving. Before this point in my life I went on in my own world with no knowledge of how privileged I really was. I took normal things such as food, a cozy home, and other basic necessities required to live a decent lifestyle for granted. Volunteering opened my eyes and allowed me to realize that we as citizens of a world we all can and should help one another in order to better society.
My most significant and meaningful volunteer experience came when I was the assistant coach for Pinewood Preparatory School’s Junior Varsity baseball team. On the team I helped the student athletes learn how to become better baseball players and, in turn, helped them to become harder workers, which hopefully allowed them to do better in school. One instance in which this were most profound was when, after getting onto a player named “Dalton” for his laziness when it came to running the accustomed after practice sprints, I had got through to him that nothing was going to be easy when it came to baseball or school. This was, in fact, his first year playing baseball and for being a first timer, he was actually quite good at it, and through his
I saw in Egypt a city full of dirt and debris cleaning itself up; a city whose citizens became full of pride to say that they are from Alexandria and a city that is changing. Through volunteerism change is happening around the world, from the Middle East and Eastern Europe to Massachusetts. Through volunteerism a community is strengthening and pride is growing. That is the true impact of volunteerism. I started volunteering nine years ago and I was doing so without considering its impact and accepting what people told me. It wasn’t until five months ago that I got to witness and realize the impact of volunteering. It took me eight years and seven months to discover that the impact of volunteerism is more than what I was told. It took me eight years and seven months to understand that volunteerism impacts
I had to plan fun events, but also make them very inexpensive. This was an
People’s lives are changed every day by their actions and experiences. This past summer, I participated in a community service project, an experience that opened my eyes in many ways. I was a volunteer at the County Memorial Hospital. In my time as a volunteer at the hospital, I was able to meet patients and staff members from all over the world and learn about their life experiences. Listening to all of their stories has made me truly appreciate everything which I have.
Volunteering enables an individual to make a positive impact on his or her community, while empowering the individual to better his or her life. This summer, I had the opportunity to volunteer at many diverse locations. From the hospital to the local library, I truly value my experience and treasure everything it has thought me. Volunteering lets us experience and learn things that we otherwise would not have learned; volunteering opens doors for us that we may not have been able to open before. Volunteering provides us with guidance and tolerance which we may use in the future to aid us in our decisions. At first glance, volunteering may seem to only benefit those who are helped, but on a deeper level, one can realize that volunteering benefits the volunteer as much as, if not more than, those who are helped. Not only does volunteering make a difference in one’s community, but it also helps the volunteer become a smarter, happier, friendlier and more caring individual.
Thousands of homeless animals are looking for forever homes in America. Volunteering is a great way to give to your community and socialize the animals at the shelters. Working with dogs and cats that have not had good starts in their lives helps them trust again. It helps animals get over the trauma they have had before they went to the shelter. Socializing makes the animal more adoptable and they are given a chance to get forever homes. Volunteer at your local humane society 's and help out the animals like I have worked with in shelters.
Volunteering benefits a person by building connections with peers, improving family life, expanding career skills, overcoming self doubt, having lasting life impressions, and creating new opportunities. Just a small act can make a huge difference in someone’s life. The future is dependent on the individual person and the people they surround themselves with. Just a few hours will change both the volunteer’s life and the one that is in need.
Still some people move away from the thought of volunteering at all. They think that it is beneath them, they find it demeaning. Think giving up your valuable time to help someone out. "I don’t get paid I don’t work", they say. My time is precious, I barely have enough time for me and my family, I
I think this entire experience has been amazing and everyone should volunteer at least once in their life. It might even change their major! I had already planned on working with my community, specifically in the behavioral/mental health area, so this experience just opened my eyes to how much of a difference I can make by such simple gestures. This class was a way for me to get out of my comfort zone and now I will continue to volunteering even after this class ends. I will be moving to Lexington soon and will find even more volunteer opportunities there! I realize that each community has needs as should everyone else, volunteering can really open your eyes to
I also had the privilege of helping with the Meals on Wheels non profit organization. My grandfather used to be a Meals on Wheels recipient and he would share with me how he enjoyed looking forward to their company and a hot meal daily. I volunteered because I wanted to give back and help someone else’s loved one in the same way. It was very rewarding delivering hot meals to people who didn’t have the means of getting one as well as being there for them to talk to. Overall, it was a very humbling experience, it made me realize just how blessed I am and how much I take for granted daily.