“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul motivated by love.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. Taking time to volunteer at the many nonprofit organizations, homeless shelters, advocacy centers, philanthropic fundraisers, local schools and child care facilities in the inner city is not always at the forefront of young people’s minds while navigating through their college experiences. But, with a little push from student organizations, local nonprofits and passionate individuals, volunteerism and community change can start to take a front seat and become not just an opportunity, but also a priority in the lives of young people. Volunteerism, civic engagement and advocacy are the driving forces for creating change and making a positive impact in your community and society at large. While gaining internship and job experience can lead to community impact and social change, it’s important for us to remember that before we start advocating for change and informing others about issues we care about, we need to fully understand the complexity and depth of the social, environmental, or economic issue we are passionate about. Not only do we need to understand the ‘issue’ or ‘societal problem’ that many people face and are impacted by every day, but we need to meet and work alongside those whose daily realities are shaped by injustices, while not creating any divides or barriers in the process. Everyday people are affected by the issues that organizations fight for or against, and once we realize how people-centered things like advocacy, outreach and service are, I believe young people will realize their call to action and their potent... ... middle of paper ... ...ocal nonprofit organizations have the potential to amplify their outreach to colleges, and young people in general, through matching passions with skills. You as organizations need to purposefully identify for us why promoting service and civic engagement is not only important, but necessary if we want to improve our lives, the lives of others, and the dilemmas and misfortunes our world faces every day. The relationship between young people and nonprofits can be the start of a significant change in our community, and should be a reciprocal and powerful educational experience. An open-minded and encouraging flow of communication between organizations and community members can be the launchpad for the social and environmental change organizations talk about and try for every day. Together, we can make change – not just a semblance of idealism, but reality, as well.
The nonprofit sector in America is a reflection some of the foundational values that brought our nation into existence. Fundamentals, such as the idea that people can govern themselves and the belief that people should have the opportunity to make a difference by joining a like-minded group, have made America and its nonprofit sector what it is today. The American "civil society" is one that has been produced through generations of experiments with government policy, nonprofit organizations, private partnerships, and individuals who have asserted ideas and values. The future of the nonprofit sector will continue to be experimental in many ways. However, the increase of professional studies in nonprofit management and the greater expectation of its role in society is causing executives to look to more scientific methods of management.
Young people of every language and culture a high and exhilarating task awaits for them; that of becoming men and women capable of solidarity, peace and love of life, with respect for everyone. Teens need to become craftsmen of a new humanity, where brothers and sisters, members all of the same family, are able to live in peace. This is a possible goal if teens are willing and wanting to make a change.
...g of the struggle of poverty and subsequent educational barriers. Though extremely grateful for all of the privilege in my life, it was difficult to realize my fortune until working with the teens at RYP who often do not have two parents, have limited adult influences, and live below the poverty line, making education an afterthought. From the perspective of a tutor and mentor, the educational support that the teens require is unquestionable, just like the injustices they face daily. Through service, not only does one gain perspective into the needs of the local community, but also insight into systemic issues of racism, poverty, crime, education and more. By participating in service and trying to counteract the sources of need for others, one will undoubtedly change their perspective of the framework question, knowing that the very least one should help others.
Volunteering for a poverty program, policy group, or community service organization is an experience that will educate oneself and endure an involvement with those who may be in need of assistance for a period of time. When deciding where I wanted to do my volunteer experience for the class I wanted to make sure that I found experience that I would learn from. There were a variety of places that I could choose from that were in the area. For my experience I chose to volunteer at a salvation army in my hometown Springfield, Oh. This is an organizational group that provides services to those who are poor in a variety of ways. The Salvation Army is an organization that has several different branches in various locations. This branch helps in a variety of ways by having summer camps for children, social service programs that offer assistance with topics such as bills, food, clothing, furniture and a variety of other resources. They also provide several different opportunities around Christmas to help with the different assistant groups that they have available.
I am deeply committed to social activism; the words of Desmond Tutu inform my actions every day: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” At Phillips Academy, I am active in Women’s Forum, BOSS Magazine, and GSA.These activities give me the opportunity to speak out on issues such as race, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and intersectionality, but as much I value discussion, I would like to move beyond mere conversation; I want to do something. I want my life and my work to make a difference in the world.
One person cannot tackle the vast amount of issues of today and change the world. With so many injustices that occur in today’s society we can’t help but feel overwhelmed as to what people, as citizens of the world, can do to make the world an exceptional environment. Many believe the task is either too large and intimidating to face head on, or they don’t want to face the possibility of failure and criticism. We have the idea of taking on enormous tasks and expect change almost immediately, however, it’s not the anticipated outcome. Real change starts when one contributes to their community; the smallest of impacts generate the biggest changes in the long run.
They may say that this period of time working with the public will help the student decide whether or not he or she wants to go to college. Moreover, this time spent with others in the community can help bring out the compassion in people and possibly change the way we all live for the better. Carol Gilligan says that “People with higher levels of compassion are more likely to define themselves in relation to others and make moral decisions based on the impact those actions have on others” (Hsieh 244). Others may argue that if public service was a requirement for graduating high school students, more people would enlist in the military; this way, the country would not have to worry about having to bring the draft back. Helping the general public is a great way to develop social skills, but the thought of required public service could also raise some
Volunteering made me find my career plan in sociology / Social Worker. With a college degree in one of these areas, I hope to impact my community in ways. First, with the knowledge from college, I hope to counsel with young people& adults. In today's society, there are so many negative things that influence adults & young people. I want to help them understand the importance of setting goals and striving to become great citizens. I also want to give them a sense of hope that with perseverance, they can become great role models for other adults &young people by
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
Community service has been around since the existence of communities because communities often cannot exist with out the participation of their members. As stated before, community service began to be required in school systems in 1997 in Maryland. According to Kate McPpherson, director of Project Service Leadership in Vancover, WA, community service “… emphasizes the habits and skills of volunteerism” (McPherson 2002). While community service sounds good and beneficial for strengthening skills and membership in the community, it was met with poor results and strong opinions against its requirements. Simply requiring students to fulfill a certain amount of community service hours wasn’t enough, many students did not cooperate. It was found that incorporating community service activities into a class room sett...
My plan after college is to become a Sociologist or a Social Worker. With a college degree in one of these areas, I hope to impact my community in various ways. First, with the knowledge obtained from college, I hope to counsel with young people who are on the verge of going astray. In today's society, there are so many negative factors that influence young people. I want to help them understand the importance of setting goals and striving to become productive citizens. I also want to give them a sense of hope that with perseverance, they can become great role models for other young people.
Thesis Statement: Volunteering in your local community will help those around you and help you feel like you have contributed something positive and it is easier than most people think.
Throughout U.S. history the nonprofit and government sectors have addressed needs that are not being met by the marketplace through the provision of a variety of social goods and services ranging from health and human services to environmental conservation. In response to increased demand for these services, the number of nonprofits has grown by 59% over the past 20 years (Powell and Steinberg, 2006; NCCS, 2010). There are now over 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the U.S. which account for 5 percent of GDP, 8.1 percent of the economy’s wages, and 9.7 percent of jobs (Wing, 2008). Over the same time period, government social programs also rapidly expanded in number and per capita cost (OCED, 2010) .
Raising community awareness to students will teach them the importance of being involved in the community. Students being able to give back to the community will prepare them for their journey to being a positive role model or servant leader.
Though, the concept of community service is not very new, its importance has developed in the past few years. There are thousands of organizations all over the world that engage and support millions of young people all over the world. People of all age groups, with a maximum number of youth involved in the process of community service. Community-based organizations include social service organizations, non-profit providers and associations that engage both young people as well as adults as volunteers. The process is beneficial both for the individuals as well as the society.