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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...
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.
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.
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
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
Throughout history, volunteering has evolved into a cultural connection; a common characteristic of humans on a local, national, and global level is the desire to help one another. Although this statement is not necessarily true for every individual, most people feel an urgency to assist friends, family members, coworkers, and/or strangers in need or in crisis. Why should we volunteer? Many people donate their time for varying reasons whether it’s fundraising for disaster relief or collecting, preparing, and serving food for a food bank (Moore). Maybe it’s the warm sensation in your heart after you play a game of chess with a bedridden cancer patient, or the contagious smiles shared between servers and recipients at a soup kitchen that attracts a person to volunteering; in any case, volunteers tend to find the imperfections in the world and work towards improving these flaws through acts of kindness, dedication, and selflessness (Benefits). Helping others without receiving anything in return aids community members, benefits your mind and soul, and, most importantly, “...brings fulfillment and fun to your life,” (Volunteering and Civics).
Former President Theodore Roosevelt said, “This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” In other words, Roosevelt is saying that making America an admirable country requires dedication. Americans most commonly improve society by volunteering in their communities. In fact, some schools are beginning to adopt community service as a required component in their curriculum, using it as a teaching tool for young citizens. However, the topic of mandatory public service is widely debated. Although obligatory volunteer service has benefits, the idea as a whole is contradictory, as students are already expected to be responsible
3.3 million students from all throughout the United States are planning on graduating this school year. Many of them are busy with applying for scholarships and universities, preparing for and taking exams, and participating extracurricular activities as well. In many schools throughout the United States, students are required to volunteer as a part of their graduation requirements. However, this should not be the case. Schools should not require volunteering to be a graduation requirement because it causes students to put in little effort, not learn from their experiences, and some students do not have the amount of free time needed to do so.
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.
In an article written by Linda Saslow titled High School Mandating Community Service for Graduation, she mentions the many pros to mandatory community service. Saslow mentions school districts like Roslyn and Hewlett-Woodmere (1994, para 3) that have started requiring high school students to complete a certain number of community service hours in order to graduate high school. Their goal is to give “kids the opportunity for new experiences” (Saslow, 1994, para 4). Through research conducted by the school districts, they have come to the conclusion that students who would’ve been “too shy to volunteer have admitted that they were glad they had been forced”. This is good because it’s bringing students together and really opening them up to new
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
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.
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