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Importance of community engagement essay
Life
Importance of community participation
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When I first heard of the volunteer trip concept in Habitat for Humanity, my ears twitched, recognizing a genuine product, designed to bring about true changes, rather than making the affluent feel good they’ve done a thing to help solve the world’s problems. From day one, I knew my trip was in good hands. Weeks before my trip to Guatemala, e-mails began streaming to my inbox encouraging us to fund-raise, informing us about the project and raising expectations. I realized that there will be about 150 volunteers, and that the Habitat for Humanity office set a goal to build 10 homes in just 5 days. I received detailed itineraries and knew there was someone on the other end taking care of my food, lodging, safety and travel. When we arrived in Nebaj, the small town where the houses were to be built, we found our accommodations, received information packs and protective helmets, and met a large group of volunteers whose enthusiasm and jolliness was hard not to contract. Coming to the site Monday morning, I saw foundations already laid and trusses, timber, plaster, other construction materials and tools prepared. Toilets, and info area, meal tent and cleaning area neatly arranged to make our time on the site as efficient as possible. Truly, there was a lot of eyebrow-raising for me on the first day. With more than two hundred people on the site, all of which each were eager to lend a helping hand, this could have ended in a catastrophe were it not for immaculate organization of the site, work, and individual groups. I was not surprised that on Friday, 10 complete houses were dedicated to families of former orphans. During those five days, I learned how to nail, cut and glue insulation to the outer shell and coat it with plaster, build inside walls and add the final finishing layer on the house. I also observed how such low-cost houses come into existence.
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
Selecting to do my service learning at Harvest Hope Food Bank was a very impactful experience. This was so, because of the fact that I have never volunteered at a food bank until now. The organization was able to connect me with the required skills I will practice throughout my career as a professional social worker, therefore better preparing me for assisting clients who may be dependent on my services.
I am familiar with service. For me, service has only extended to my peers and my community; however, I hope to serve the nation and all nations in the future.
...Bridgewater State University was a complete success. For some that she presented in front of, it could have been the first time that they have ever heard of her community center in Tanzania or the first time they have ever heard of Tanzania. Relating to her overall purpose of being at the university, her message was received well by many. As she said, she wanted to make people more aware that volunteer work can help inspire people to make a difference in their communities. She has successfully presented a case were two people exiled from a country; in which they were brought up, and moved to a country that is 180°different having success in creating a stronger community and were able to have that community become worldly known: with the lack of technology. This is a remarkable and evident accomplishment of the organizational structure utilized for social services.
The idea of the home having such a profound impact on the family brought about a movement towards housing reform. An abundance of material w...
The Tarrant Area Food Bank is a prominent nonprofit organization that continuously works to fight hunger in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and does an excellent job at it. While their abilities may be limited, the Food Bank accomplishes as much as they can. From personal instances of volunteering, I know how wonderful the feeling of giving rather than receiving is in the long run. Throughout my work, in local food banks, community service projects, and research groups, my knowledge about the ever existing struggle of hunger is heightened, and I know how important it is for organizations such the Tarrant Area Food Bank to exist, operate, and serve. More necessary than the Food Bank, the responsibility lies on the volunteers to help spark the change
A well-known program in New Orleans is The Covenant House. It is a well establish program that offer assistance to thousands of youth. Each day, scores of kids walk into Covenant Houses across the Americas for the first time. They get what they need immediately: a shower, a meal, clothes, a warm bed, and medical care if they require it – more than a third do. Then, Covenant House has expectations of the kids. Once they’re safe, clot...
Throughout its years of activity, the Peace Corps has provided indisputable support to developing countries worldwide. Volunteers work in schools, on farms, and in the community to teach much-needed skills in the areas of technology, environment, agriculture, education, and more. Over twenty-thousand volunteers were sent to Latin America within the first three decades of the programs formation. There, they focused on community development and helping the poor people solve local problems. Although budget cuts re...
To illustrate, in 2005 mercy corps contributed inimproving the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe by re-using building materials, supplying tools to dismantle the ruined houses, and working with the families that were impacted by the disasters and have currently been working in helping more than 30 countries build secure communities to restore what was destroyed. In relation, “On average, over 22 million people have been displaced each year since 2008 because of climate or weather-related disasters” (Gillian B. White) which is why mercy corps is set on guiding people to survive through catastrophes, build better lives and communities. I’ve mainly selected mercy corps because it offers orientation to become aware of what mercy corps is and to acknowledge the variety of options on whom would like to volunteer such as community fundraising, action center and administrative support. Action Center lets volunteers take part in seminars and lectures that inform them about the crisis happening around the world and the improvements mercy corps has done for
We’ve all heard the phrase “Charity begins at home.” This statement holds very true in my case, not because we needed help but rather because we were taught at an early age to provide help whenever possible. In our current economy there are many people not just in our community but throughout the world and beyond that are struggling. I was fortunate to grow up in a household with two loving parents who shared the importance of fundamental beliefs and values. Cynthia Street, the street I grew up on, was a comfortable middle class neighborhood that served as my first perspective of American life. Through my experiences in my neighborhood and also my interaction with my church family at Central Christian Church in Newark, I learned the importance of outreach work.
Makeshift dwellings may not be the dream homes of yesteryear, but they are simple, affordable, and sustainable in their use of salvaged materials. With imaginative designers, they could help solve the present housing
This required several different tasks including painting, wood cutting, installing drywall, and everyone’s personal favorite: shoveling gravel. While these tasks may seem mundane at first, it wasn’t until I spoke with the missionary that I discovered how important they actually were. The organization would use the garage to repair and maintain their airplane, which allows them to travel to the dozens of small native villages in need that are inaccessible by road. The pavilion would create a place to have social gatherings, alternative to the dangerous rock quarry where the community would drink and make large bonfires. After learning this, I understood that every board I nailed and every rock I carried made a tangible difference in the lives of others. If you look at the pictures of the site between the first and last day, you can clearly see the difference our just our youth group made in just one week. If we had a congregation of people, imagine what we could
Thousands of books and essays about poverty, causes and possible fixes have been written for others to gain an understanding and pocket a little bit of knowledge so this can soon be fixed. There are millions of organizations in today’s world that beg for money, clothes, and food so they can be sent overseas to help a poor child in Uganda or Haiti. Helping nationwide is always a good thing to be a part of; however, there are many things that can be done in each person’s community, which is always a great place to start.
The first time I started volunteering was last year and it changed my perspective towards a lot of things; from the way of looking at people to how my mind works. The impact it's had on my life has been immense and life changing. From there, I constantly tried getting myself involved in giving a hand and at the same time, to widen my knowledge.
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.