To summarize my service learning field experience with the Houston Food Bank (HFB) we must be first understand what service learning is and how it relate and differ from volunteering and community service. Service learning is structured learning that focuses on the benefits and learning of both the service-leader and the agency. It is also coordinated with an institution of higher education and the community. Its primary goal is intentional learning and the service itself is secondary. Service learning involves an academic curriculum in which students apply the learning from the engagement in reflection activities and in real life. Volunteering and community service are similar but different from service learning in several ways. Just like …show more content…
It is a non- profit organization that collects and distributes food to hunger relief charities and is largest food bank in the southeast Texas counties and is a certified member of Feeding America. It was also named top charity in Texas by Charity Navigator for financial performance and accountability. Their mission is leading the fight against hunger. The Houston Food Bank provides 74 million nutritious meals to food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers and other agencies, feeding 800,000 people each year. The food that they provide comes from many sources in the food industry. The Houston Food Bank, warehouse and with the help of volunteers, sort, pack and redistributed to the community. I was assigned to the Backpack Buddy program. This program is designed to fill in the gap for kids who go home to little or no meals on the weekend. Although there are many kinds who are on the free meal program at their schools during the week, these same kids still need to eat over the weekend. The Backpack Buddy program was proven to help kids feel healthier, more alert and ready to learn. Schools and other locations discretely passed out the backpack buddies to the top neediest kids in the school. These backpacks were filled with child friendly, non perishable, easily consumed and vitamin fortified food. The Houston Food bank made this possible with the help of volunteers each week. …show more content…
Teamwork defined is the combined action of a group of people, especially when effective and efficient. Successful team members display several qualities, such as, enthusiasm, commitment, integrity, competency, creativity, sense of humor, perseverance, communication, questioning ability, reliability and follow through and collaboration. We exercised teamwork in many ways as we all worked together for the same goal. One way we exercised teamwork was through an assembly line, in order for us to get as many backpacks filled as we did in the time that we had took all of our efforts. Another way that we exercised teamwork was with helping each other, the part of the team that were not in the assembly line made sure that each person in the assembly line did not run out of product. This made the process more efficient, smoother and increased our productivity faster. We also used teamwork in the end when it was time to clean up and get everything back to the way it was before we started. Our results proved that teams perform better and faster together. Communication, which is the imparting or exchanging of information or news, played an important part in this service learning experience. From the time we arrived at the Food Bank communication was involved. There was a worker to tell us where we need to go and where things were located. There was another worker there who
Angel Food Ministries was a non-profit tax exempt 501© organization created by Joe and Linda Wingo that was tied into helping communities receive food and financial support all throughout the United States that was tied into churches but was non-denominational. It began in 1994 in a small area called Monroe, Georgia. It was helping 34 families when it started and grew to help hundreds of thousands of families monthly in up to 35 states. At one of its peak times of operation they were serving over 500,000 families each month. They mostly supplied food boxes at a flat fee and would supply fresh and frozen food which could
The functional area of service-learning is currently emerging as an acknowledged department at an institution of higher education. The theoretical roots of service learning go back to John Dewey, and the early twentieth century. However, current research on service-learning pedagogy dates back only to the early 1990’s. Best practices for the field are still being created as more and more new offices are springing up on campuses throughout the United States and institutions internationally. The reason this functional area is becoming ever popular is due to the positive impact it has on students and most all educational outcomes.
I also recently volunteered at the Cleveland Food Bank by packing lunches for under privileged children and sorting non-perishable foods for those in need. Prior to participating in volunteer services for the day, we were required to watch a video that explains the purpose of the Cleveland Food Bank and why there is a need for continuous support. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank works to ensure that everyone in our communities has the nutritious food they need every day. The mission of the Cleveland Food Bank is to alleviate hunger by providing food and support to community organizations that feed the hungry. Many people depend on the support because of their financial situation, life changes, and possible mental or physical limitations. The Food Bank acts as a storage unit and distribution facility for smaller agencies and organizations such as schools, homeless shelters, churches, and day
Service learning is a rather new concept, but it has proven advantageous in connecting students with their communities when paired with reflection and when included in school curriculum. . Weigert’s (1998) view of ser...
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.
important issues, gain new perspectives and provides learning experiences for volunteers as well as individuals from underserved groups. Because of the numerous benefits, college students should enroll in the Service Learning courses or service learning based programs. These programs allows students to move away from the dualism versus unity point of view and focus on reciprocity and provides the skills necessary to approach future service experiences with a service learning perspective.
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 volunteered at the Activity Center for my Service Learning project. My duties were to watch the kids who participated in the after school program, play with them and help them with their home homework. I really enjoyed interacting with the African-American people and culture. I learned many things from the African-American population I worked with. I learned how the Activity Center staff teaches the after school kids good manners and behavior. I mentioned in one of my service learning journals that the staff was very strict and treated the kids like prisoners, but I came to the realization that maybe that is how they teach the kids discipline. I had the opportunity to be around all the Activity Center kids and interact with them. They were kids just like any other kids. Of course they are kids and sometimes they did misbehave but overall they were really great kids. I noticed that most of the boys want to be more independent of them, but they were such sweet kids.
After volunteering three times with the social action committee and high school group from Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church in the previous years, the Houston Food Bank became very familiar both in regards of their history and how their volunteerism works. The Houston Food Bank is a non-profit organization that seeks donations of non-perishable food items to serve the low-income families in eighteen counties across Texas. However, during a recent trip to the food bank with the University of Houston-Downtown College of Business, the interactions with a larger group of classmates became more dynamic. Three main topics involving group work at the Houston Food Bank are service learning, community service, and volunteerism. Service learning
Following participation in an Engaged Department Institute sponsored by Campus Compact, a service-learning requirement was instituted for all majors in the department studied beginning Fall 2002. All faculty were encouraged to incorporate service-learning in their courses. A training session on service-learning was the centerpiece of a departmental retreat in January 2002. In order to develop closer relationships with community agencies, the department hosted a faculty-partnership luncheon the following fall semester. Potential community partners were invited to meet with faculty in an effort to forge new relationships with the University. In order to institutionalize service-learning, all recruitment advertisements specifically mention service-learning and all new hires are expected to include service-learning components in their courses. As a consequence of these efforts, this department has gone from teaching only a few courses with service-learning components to offering twenty five different classes (thirteen courses) by Fall 2002.
Service learning projects are intended to assist students in applying classroom concepts to the real-world through service. The projects connect with the objectives of the students undergraduate degree specifications. Service learning should be looked at as an opportunity for students instead of a requirement. These projects allow students to not only engage in the community, but also understand the material being presented in their courses through real-life scenarios. According to Canton, “service-learning requirement are often viewed as one of the most open, most empowering of all the graduation requirements…service learning is a way to become more engaged: with yourself, your community, and your society” (Canton).
Service learning is a very important part of my experience here at St. Cloud State University. It is something I have never done, so I am excited for the new experience. Service learning presents a new way of learning outside of the classroom, and benefits the community.
During my service learning experience, I volunteered to help the PennyWise Resale Store by assisting them in sorting out the items donated to them. PennyWise Resale Store is a branch of the Fort Bend Women’s Center, which is an organization that helps domestic violence and sexual assaults victims and their children get shelter. The organization is tasked with receiving donated items such as cloths, furniture, and household items, which are used by the organization to help the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault victims start a new and violence free lives. However, some of the items are sold to the locals at a very cheap price and the money obtained from the sales is directed into funding the life-saving programs. During my volunteer service, I had a nice experience, contributed to the society, and I gained more knowledge.
Working in teams provides an opportunity for individuals to come together and establish a rapport towards others within a group. Teamwork is classified as people with different strengths and skills who work together to achieve a common goal. When a team works well, specific objectives are fulfilled and satisfied. Teamwork plays a crucial role in implementing and fulfilling a common goal in a team project. Each member plays a role and takes on different responsibilities combined together. In different stages of teamwork, conflicts and arguments may occur for as members have different standpoints which need to be harmonized within the team. The key to having an effective teamwork is to explore each member's unique abilities to motivate them.
Teamwork is becoming more important in the work place, because of the leaders and the fact that it allows full participation with all employees. In order to complete several different tasks, managers and supervisors usually perform teams and assign different tasks to complete one major assignment. Team work starts at the top (Smikle, 2009). When supervisors or managers are willing to administer teamwork, they are enabling the employees to follow. Managers or supervisors set good examples when they delegate tasks, but more importantly express to the employees how teamwork is productive. Employees work by example, more so now than by demands.