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In l997 the author Lynn Steirer was a student at Northampton County area Community College when she wrote “When Volunteerism Isn’t Normal”. It was published in the New York Times in a forum of current issues opposite the editorial page. (515).
It is evident that her audience was the general American public which would bring about the personal opinion of the reader. She laid out her thesis in the first paragraph which definitely caught my attention. Steirer stated that the school board turned its back on the principle for which it was named, (Liberty). The students of this school were required to perform a number of mandatory volunteer service hours in order to receive their diploma.
The author’s purpose was to persuade her audience that volunteering should not be mandatory. She reviews the history of the beginning of the program that was initiated by President Clinton, who apparently believed community service should be mandatory for graduation.
The tone was set early in this essay when the author said “This forced me to make a decision”(515). She proceeded with a...
This school should not require 100 hours of community service as a graduation requirement because of the busy lives of teenagers, the pressure of graduation, and loss of enthusiasm for community service. Schools should encourage community service but this is not the way to do it.
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
Growing up, my parents and other influential figures around me modelled the importance of community service through their continual volunteer work and dedication to improving the world around them. Whether it be participation in a well-attended project or persistent contribution to a helpful organization, those aforementioned individuals were formative in guiding me towards a path filled with opportunities for having an impact on my community.
One of the main drives behind volunteerism is to teach unselfishness and devotion to one’s country. However, the term “mandatory public service” is a blatant oxymoron, as this cartoon suggests. Such a curriculum does not teach the true meaning of service. It is simply another high school class which students must pass. In fact, the cartoon implies that a service-oriented program is almost pointless, as the first assignment is to change the name of the course so that it does not appear contradictory! Furthermore, these educational volunteer courses need major organization. Volunteer opportunities which are truly educational are lacking, and too few to supply a nation of high schoolers (Levine 639). As a result, some students are stuck performing “menial or make-work positions” (Levine 640). Is this type of volunteering really expected to inspire young adults? Levine’s article quotes Paul Light, who argues, “Young Americans want the chance to make a difference and learn new skills, not work in the back office stuffing envelopes” (640). If students are forced to complete jobs which are busy work, they are not going to be inspired. In fact, the curriculum might backfire and cause students to look upon volunteerism with dismay. The lack of organization, effectiveness, and educational opportunities illustrates that mandatory public service is a flawed
Kim, in the United States, grades are not the only factor in evaluating school applicants and job candidates. From Rhodes Scholar selections to college applications, excellence in other areas such as leadership, volunteer activities, sports and arts is equally important (p82-90). In American schools, students are encouraged to do volunteer work. So much so that many schools have guidelines for how much time students are expected to spend serving in the community. Children learn the value of giving from an early age. Volunteer activities is one way Americans feel a part of things and share the goal of serving and contributing to build their communities. From neighborhood watch programs to environmental issues, Americans do not wait for the government to initiate action: they take action to bring about the changes they desire. Therefore, Americans view volunteer work as a way to teach children and young adults values such as cooperation and teamwork, dedication and work ethics, equality and social justice, leadership, generosity and compassion for
Personal Final Individual Reflection Raina Sacro California State University, Stanislaus Abstract This paper will talk about Saint Mary’s Dining Room, an organization located in Stockton, CA that helps the needy with programs and services such as the dining room. It will go in detail about my initial expectations for volunteering here versus what really happened while I volunteered here for this organization. I will compare Saint Mary’s Dining Room to Saint Vincent de Paul Alameda County, an organization located in Oakland, CA, that specializes on helping the needy. There I will talk about how my time volunteering at the organization based in Oakland influenced my thinking on how my volunteer experience would be at Saint Mary’s.
Community service is a common service for people to take care of each other and volunteer. People apply to different community services: soup kitchen, taking care of children and homeless people, clinics, churches, schools, neighbor's house and many countless places to volunteer. Some people really enjoy to work at community services while others do not. These community services can be a punishment for criminals because a court assigns them to do so. However, some people do not agree with community service supporters. While some people believe that there should be a community service requirement for high school and college graduation because students need to learn and have experiences there, they are right; on the other hand, a community service requirement should be allowed for two reasons and not be allowed for another three reasons.
The trends correlating to the decrease in volunteerism between generations is of personal value relating to my desire to be a community leader and non-profit owner. Additionally, as an Americorps applicant, I found the lack of community project engagement versus individual volunteering of concern, since the foundation of the Americorps program is based on impact through group collaboration. In relation to group collaboration, Putin posed the lack of volunteer participation stemming from a decrease in establishing community connections. The given example of traditional visits regarding providing for others stresses the importance of community bonds within civic engagement (116). Putin states, “Volunteering and philanthropy and even spontaneous
There are some misconceptions on the issues of charity and solidarity when volunteers work with individuals who are less fortunate. In his informative piece, “Rethinking Volunteerism in America” Gavin Leonard addresses the key differences between charity and solidarity and how it is often intertwined in the minds of volunteers. Charity involves individuals providing help to others without having the proper knowledge of the person’s needs and wants. These volunteers assume that their service is helpful. Individuals who make charitable contributions often make short term commitments instead of implementing a long term goal. In addition, Leonard believes that volunteers who have a charity mindset are solely trying to come out their own guilt
Community Service is a service that is performed for the benefit of the public or its institutions. There are two groups who perform community service, and those are criminals and the rest of us. This means that, for the majority of us, performing community service is completely voluntary. It is for this reasons li that I believe that community service should not be mandatory in high school for graduation. The supporters of this act think of it as an ideal society’s noble concept, but it is rather a noble concept trying to force an ideal society. When you look at it from this perspective you realize it is ironic.
The last value that clearly pertains to volunteerism is the cultural value of
Kim Obispo Mr. Smith AP Language and Composition 1 October 2014 Americans Benefit from Volunteerism Volunteerism is extremely beneficial to many Americans across the country. Volunteerism helps people in various ways that you may have never thought of before. Not only does volunteerism help the intended people, but the volunteers as well. People gain so much by volunteering. Volunteers are able to grow in many ways you might think are unattainable through their work.
America’s culture of service and hard work is crumbling. Our military and public service members are no longer respected, and American young people feel entitled to a world with one view point: theirs. Many who already serve their community or nation in some way rave of the positive change they have seen in their lives after giving time and energy to others. Most modern high schools strongly suggest their students get involved in the community and joining a service orientated organization. Based on evidence that service to others develops an individual’s personality, character and view point, civic and civil service work should be required to complete sections of schooling in the American education system, in an effort to change today’s
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.
Volunteering: The great experience no one can afford to lose. Opposers say, mandatory community service can have several negative effects on students. “Community service hours are impressive additions to college applications and can provide a student with a great sense of accomplishment; however, the mandatory hours will have many negative consequences” (Cydney Hayes, 2012). Many students are barely even passing the regular school curriculum, and opposers believe that adding the additional load of mandatory service hours will discourage teens from even wanting to graduate. Also mandatory service is usually assigned by a court as punishment to delinquents. “In a small number of cases, community service is required by the court system as restitution for delinquent offenses” (Planty and Bozick, 2006).