People have different interpretations on what it means to give back to society. Some people believe it’s about going to Guatemala for the summer to build schools and houses, despite not knowing anything about construction. Some people believe its about wearing pink for one month of the year in order to “raise awareness” for a disease that everyone knows exists. As we all know that raising awareness for a disease is equally as important as finding a cure for it. I don’t plan on raising awareness; raising awareness has been more about vanity than substance in recent years, allowing people to feel superior by supposedly helping the inferior, all the while still being able to wear an overpriced hat. I don’t plan on donating my time to build houses, because my time is worth nothing if I don’t know how to build one, I am not an architect, and however good my intentions may be, I can’t become one overnight. People can dedicate their time trying to help …show more content…
It might be law, computers, or even art. Throughout high school, I came to the realization of how I wanted to give back to society. It was around my second year. I remember my grandparents telling me stories of their life, and as they got older, they couldn’t finish them. Sometimes they would forget who I was, which felt like a rusty knife scraping against my bones. My mom would tell me this is just a part of getting old. I disagree completely. The materialization of the end is about being able to remember your stories and gaining wisdom along the way, getting old is about having integrity and pride of the life you lived, getting old is not about losing who you are or forgetting about what matters most to you. Consequently, this problem of our loss of cognition has grown parallel with the extension of our lifespan, it will continuously get worse as we continuously accept our
I began by tutoring at the Boys and Girls Club (BGC) and eventually became a teacher at the boys and girls club. The focus of my continued volunteer work was to enrich the children’s after school experience whether they needed help with homework or busy work. During my volunteer work the issue that stuck out in my mid continuously was social class or classism. The BGC emphasizes many different issues and points such as “creating aspirations for the future,” “Helping youth become responsible, caring citizens and acquire skills for participating in the democratic process is the main thrust of these programs and also to develop leadership skills and provide opportunities for planning, decision-making.” BGC encourages kids to engage in healthy and positive behavior as well as to help the youth build and discover creativity in the arts “Club programs help develop fitness, a positive use of leisure time, reduction of stress, appreciation for the environment and social and interpersonal skills.” (bgca.org)
Trying to make the world a better place, you would think would be coming from adults but most of it is coming from teens. These teens are called teen activists. I think that the good things they are doing, are for someone else, not themselves. The first reason is, Hannah Taylor, she created the Ladybug Foundation for people who don't have a home. She wasn’t doing that to draw attention to herself. She was doing it because she thought homelessness was completely wrong.The second reason is Angela Zhang “found a potential cure for cancer.” (CBS News) She wasn’t doing it to show off. Alex Scott had a lemonade stand and the money she raised, she gave to her hospital and didn’t keep it for herself. The thing they all have in common is that they are just good people. Those are the good things about all the teen activist I researched.
Peter Singer brings up a valid point: that we should try to help others that are less fortunate than us, however the way he suggests we should go about this is too severe. There are ways to be both globally conscious, and use our money for self enjoyment. One way to do this is by supporting products that do charity work or
I have always considered myself a very promising student. I have worked extremely hard and received high grades. I have a close knit group of friends and my teachers and I have mutual respect for each other .Although I would consider myself at this present stage ‘fulfilled’ something was missing. I realized it wasn’t a materialistic aspect of my life. Through a tragic incident I finally discovered what fit perfectly in that vacancy. The consecutive hospitalizations of my grandparents evoked great pain and sorrow. However, out of the scorching intensity of this tragedy I was warmed and comforted by realizing what I was devoid of: community service.
Ever since I read Tulane’s motto, "Non sibi, sed suis," translated as "not for one 's self, but for one 's own.", I knew right away that Tulane was the place for me as this motto encapsulates the very principle upon which I have long-since resolved to live my life. From my first fundraiser at the age of seven, during which I raised $1,000 through grassroots fundraising, to being an active part in helping put an end to food insecurity in my own community, to co-founding my nonprofit, Kindling Hope, community service has always been a very important part of my life.
The literature reveals many conflicting theories on the relationship between homeownership and civic participation. While most scholars agree that homeownership increases civic participation, the underlying reasons explaining this causal relationship are often contradictory. Contemporary scholarly interest in this topic seems to be motivated by the recent sub-prime mortgage crisis and historical policies that have promoted homeownership in the U.S. Other noteworthy trends include differing operational definitions of civic participation and efforts to increase social capital and civic participation in lower income urban neighborhoods. The following summary offers a snapshot into the literature’s most prevalent themes concerning this topic.
One of the most famous saying of all time is that “we live until we die”. We start learning from the moment we are born, firstly the basic human functions, than our parents and society teaches us how to behave correctly, not to make bad things, to help one another. We go to school, we start learning all kinds of subjects, maybe for somebody some of them are irrelevant, but we are supposed to know a little bit from everything. With time, we start to love some particular subject better than the rest, we can`t wait until that class comes so we could learn more about that subject. When finishing high school, we are at one of the first and one of the biggest crossroads in our entire life – what next? Should we go to college and improve about knowledge (and if I go, to what college, and what could be my major), what should I do next with my life, what do I want to do for the rest of my life? But maybe the most important question of them all is does my
Images flood my mind as I journey into memories of Juarez, emotions well up in my throat. Instead of sitting at my desk working feverishly on my marking, I am back in the heart of Juarez, Mexico. Sweat dripping off me as I fill hundreds of bags of beans in the sweltering heat for food boxes which will be delivered to the locals. Volunteering my time and efforts to make a difference in someone's life; I never knew that difference was going to be in my life.
I intend to give back to the community by combining knowledge obtained from the study of Psychology with the leadership skills I have gained by working in a tutorial program into a wide scale program for underprivileged school children of my community.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. You were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within you. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." -- Nelson Mandella
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.
Commitment to community is a requirement for contemporary Americans and vital to its survival. “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is the unselfish act of sharing: from a cup of sugar to a wealth of information to the guardianship of all children involved and the protection of every individual in that said community. Whether that community consists of the “Classic Neighborhood, those with a common set of goals, or those who share a common identity” the thread that holds this matrix together is always woven into the shared identity as well as responsibility of all involved. (Redmond, 2010). A community cannot continue to exist through the will of withdrawn individuals who arms only embrace themselves and have no involvement whatsoever with neighbors one door away.
A reflection of my volunteering experience can be summarized in two words: Life-changing. It is hard to explain the feelings that occur when you involve yourself in selfless acts for your community, such as volunteering. There is a feeling in your heart that you cannot ignore, maybe it is the happiness you feel or the overflow of emotions in helping others. In other words, it is a feeling in which you want to share with others. Maybe with a friend, maybe a classmate, maybe a family member, or maybe even a stranger. Either way, spreading how life-changing volunteering can be is a great start to making a positive change in your community by simply by involving others.
A common misconception about volunteering is that it only helps the cause. Often times that aspect is the only part that is highlighted when the topic of donating time comes up. There is a different side of volunteering though. Many volunteers donate their time to help better the community they live in and the people that live in it. When they choose to do this they not only help others but they are also helping better themselves. 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.
Helping others isn’t about changing them or their problems. It is about helping them find ways to improve themselves so that they are able to modify the situation or behavior. It is about motivating, encouraging, and inspiring one enough for them to want better for themselves. Helping others - whether small, unplanned acts or regular volunteering - is a powerful way to boost our own happiness as well of those around us. It not only good for them and a good thing to do, it also makes us healthier too.