Public service is more commonly known as community service and it is a service that is done to benefit the public or the community. Volunteerism is labor done by people who offer to do something freely, particularly in community service. There are several ways to volunteer or support a cause, but different people volunteer or participate in public service for three different reasons. Regardless of the reason for volunteering, it still makes you a better citizen and can benefit many people.
When people support causes or organizations they do so in numerous ways. Some people support causes by putting in volunteer time. Examples of volunteering are passing out food at a soup kitchen and helping rebuild home for the Hurricane Katrina victims. Another way to support a cause is by mentoring or tutoring. Mentoring is like advising or training, you are someone who a younger person looks up to and goes to in their times of need. Tutoring or being a tutor is helping someone by giving them private lessons on a subject they have trouble in. You can also support a cause with donations. Donations can be money, clothes, books, or even food. Each year Delta Zeta Sorority makes a monetary donation by raising money with the Turtle Trot 5k run/walk for a local child in need. Over the years, I've seen each school I attended hold canned food drives and the food later gets donated to local food shelters. They've also held clothing and shoe drives, where students bring in lightly worn clothes, jackets, and shoes that they no longer want or need that are in turn donated.
According to Thomas W. McKee, “most people respond to three levels of motivation” when it comes to public service or volunteering. These three levels are: the basic level or self-serving drive, the secondary level also called relational drive, and the belief drive which is the highest level. Those who join organizations or causes in order to meet their own needs, whether they are the need for friendship or the need for business expansion, are motivated by a self-serving drive. Examples of people who are motivated by this basic level drive are interns, high school students, political volunteers, or people who are placed on probation. Inters use their position to obtain experience to later get a job and can even find a mentor. Some high school students are required volunteer hours in order to graduate, just as people placed on probation are required a certain amount of volunteer hours to fulfill the terms of their probation. The main people motivated by this basic level are political volunteers. The political volunteers generally get involved with a cause because it will benefit them and their political campaign. The second level of motivation is the relational level, this is the idea that people volunteer because of friendship or to build relationships. When someone holds a certain cause dear to them they ask others to volunteer, many of the people they ask are friends and family and we all know how hard it is to say no to our friends and family. As a result of this level of motivation, you get people who know how to work together so they can benefit the cause positively and in turn can ask other friends to volunteer as well. Many people join organizations or causes because of the self-serving belief and the relational belief, but in time become devoted and passionate about the cause. They are then motivated by the third and final level of motivation, also known as the belief level. “The level of belief is the strongest level of commitment” (McKee). People who volunteer because of the belief level of motivation volunteer out of the kindness of their hearts or because they believe in the cause. These volunteers are highly motivated and are devoted to the cause.
Some believe that in order to be a good citizen you only need to follow the laws and never harm another person while others believe that to be considered a good citizen you need to help society through public service or volunteering. However, I believe that by following the laws and not harming someone, you’re being the most basic good citizen. If you choose to volunteer or do public service you’re making yourself a better citizen and if you devote a majority of your time to volunteering and giving back to the community you’re an exemplary citizen.
There are many places that a person can volunteer such as animal rescue shelters, food pantries, Y.M.C.A., and the American Red Cross. By visiting sites such as www.volunteermatch.org you can find places to volunteer near you. In the Serve or Fail article, Dave Eggars says he volunteered at a home for senior citizens and the Y.M.C.A. (Barnet). When I was in grade school I attended a Y.M.C.A summer camp where teens and adults volunteered as counselors in training, camp counselors, activity specialists, and other camp positions. The volunteers that I came in contact with were all very kind and enthusiastic about their jobs. As I look back on those summer memories, I believe that each one of the workers there was motivated by the belief drive or that they believed in the cause of helping the children and wanted to be there. The volunteers performed their jobs so wonderfully that it made me want to become a counselor. Another experience I had with volunteering, wasn't mine per say, but was one I witnessed change a child’s life. One of my childhood friends was going through a rebellious stage which got him in a lot of trouble and seemed to be leading him down a bad path. To help him, his mother signed him up to receive a mentor from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. “As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”) (Big Brothers Big Sisters)”. When my friend first received his mentor, he was resistant, but eventually his big found ways to get him to open up. I watched as my friend turned his life around and strayed from the path he was on. As a college student, I become a member of Delta Zeta sorority. Each year the sorority hold a 5k run/walk called the Turtle Trot in order to raise money for a local child in need. The Delta Zeta sorority also runs a camp called The Painted Turtle Camp for speech and hearing impaired children. These are just a few examples, of public service and volunteerism.
Though I have only volunteered a few times, I know it has always been for a good cause. I believe that everyone should volunteer at least once in their life time and most volunteer work isn't physically demanding. Volunteer work not only allows us to give back to our community and society, or help others, but it also makes us better people. When volunteering you typically find out what exactly you’re volunteering for. Once you learn about the cause, you may become more passionate and continue to help. If a majority of today’s generation volunteered it could make a big difference in the world. Not only would it help people, but it would inspire the younger children who look up to them to volunteer as well. As a result, this could cause a domino effect as generation after generation volunteered simply because their mentors or the person they looked up to volunteered. For those who still don’t want to volunteer, they could think of volunteering as a way to improve their resume for college and job offers.
Public service and volunteering is done to benefit the person volunteering, because of relations, or because the person volunteering is passionate about a cause. There are multiple ways to volunteer such as monetary donations or physical labor and there are also many causes to volunteer for. Being a good citizen does not require you to volunteer, but in the end volunteering never hurts anyone. By volunteering you not only better yourself, but you better your community, society, and maybe even the world.
McKee, Thomas W. "Volunteer Power: Why People Volunteer." Volunteer Power: Why People Volunteer. Group Publishing, n.d. Web. 27 June 2013.
"We Are Here to Start Something." -Big Brothers Big Sisters. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 June 2013.
"We Bring Good People & Good Causes Together." VolunteerMatch. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 June 2013.
When people support causes or organizations they do so in numerous ways. Some people support causes by putting in volunteer time. Examples of volunteering are passing out food at a soup kitchen and helping rebuild home for the Hurricane Katrina victims. Another way to support a cause is by mentoring or tutoring. Mentoring is like advising or training, you are someone who a younger person looks up to and goes to in their times of need. Tutoring or being a tutor is helping someone by giving them private lessons on a subject they have trouble in. You can also support a cause with donations. Donations can be money, clothes, books, or even food. Each year Delta Zeta Sorority makes a monetary donation by raising money with the Turtle Trot 5k run/walk for a local child in need. Over the years, I've seen each school I attended hold canned food drives and the food later gets donated to local food shelters. They've also held clothing and shoe drives, where students bring in lightly worn clothes, jackets, and shoes that they no longer want or need that are in turn donated.
According to Thomas W. McKee, “most people respond to three levels of motivation” when it comes to public service or volunteering. These three levels are: the basic level or self-serving drive, the secondary level also called relational drive, and the belief drive which is the highest level. Those who join organizations or causes in order to meet their own needs, whether they are the need for friendship or the need for business expansion, are motivated by a self-serving drive. Examples of people who are motivated by this basic level drive are interns, high school students, political volunteers, or people who are placed on probation. Inters use their position to obtain experience to later get a job and can even find a mentor. Some high school students are required volunteer hours in order to graduate, just as people placed on probation are required a certain amount of volunteer hours to fulfill the terms of their probation. The main people motivated by this basic level are political volunteers. The political volunteers generally get involved with a cause because it will benefit them and their political campaign. The second level of motivation is the relational level, this is the idea that people volunteer because of friendship or to build relationships. When someone holds a certain cause dear to them they ask others to volunteer, many of the people they ask are friends and family and we all know how hard it is to say no to our friends and family. As a result of this level of motivation, you get people who know how to work together so they can benefit the cause positively and in turn can ask other friends to volunteer as well. Many people join organizations or causes because of the self-serving belief and the relational belief, but in time become devoted and passionate about the cause. They are then motivated by the third and final level of motivation, also known as the belief level. “The level of belief is the strongest level of commitment” (McKee). People who volunteer because of the belief level of motivation volunteer out of the kindness of their hearts or because they believe in the cause. These volunteers are highly motivated and are devoted to the cause.
Some believe that in order to be a good citizen you only need to follow the laws and never harm another person while others believe that to be considered a good citizen you need to help society through public service or volunteering. However, I believe that by following the laws and not harming someone, you’re being the most basic good citizen. If you choose to volunteer or do public service you’re making yourself a better citizen and if you devote a majority of your time to volunteering and giving back to the community you’re an exemplary citizen.
There are many places that a person can volunteer such as animal rescue shelters, food pantries, Y.M.C.A., and the American Red Cross. By visiting sites such as www.volunteermatch.org you can find places to volunteer near you. In the Serve or Fail article, Dave Eggars says he volunteered at a home for senior citizens and the Y.M.C.A. (Barnet). When I was in grade school I attended a Y.M.C.A summer camp where teens and adults volunteered as counselors in training, camp counselors, activity specialists, and other camp positions. The volunteers that I came in contact with were all very kind and enthusiastic about their jobs. As I look back on those summer memories, I believe that each one of the workers there was motivated by the belief drive or that they believed in the cause of helping the children and wanted to be there. The volunteers performed their jobs so wonderfully that it made me want to become a counselor. Another experience I had with volunteering, wasn't mine per say, but was one I witnessed change a child’s life. One of my childhood friends was going through a rebellious stage which got him in a lot of trouble and seemed to be leading him down a bad path. To help him, his mother signed him up to receive a mentor from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. “As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”) (Big Brothers Big Sisters)”. When my friend first received his mentor, he was resistant, but eventually his big found ways to get him to open up. I watched as my friend turned his life around and strayed from the path he was on. As a college student, I become a member of Delta Zeta sorority. Each year the sorority hold a 5k run/walk called the Turtle Trot in order to raise money for a local child in need. The Delta Zeta sorority also runs a camp called The Painted Turtle Camp for speech and hearing impaired children. These are just a few examples, of public service and volunteerism.
Though I have only volunteered a few times, I know it has always been for a good cause. I believe that everyone should volunteer at least once in their life time and most volunteer work isn't physically demanding. Volunteer work not only allows us to give back to our community and society, or help others, but it also makes us better people. When volunteering you typically find out what exactly you’re volunteering for. Once you learn about the cause, you may become more passionate and continue to help. If a majority of today’s generation volunteered it could make a big difference in the world. Not only would it help people, but it would inspire the younger children who look up to them to volunteer as well. As a result, this could cause a domino effect as generation after generation volunteered simply because their mentors or the person they looked up to volunteered. For those who still don’t want to volunteer, they could think of volunteering as a way to improve their resume for college and job offers.
Public service and volunteering is done to benefit the person volunteering, because of relations, or because the person volunteering is passionate about a cause. There are multiple ways to volunteer such as monetary donations or physical labor and there are also many causes to volunteer for. Being a good citizen does not require you to volunteer, but in the end volunteering never hurts anyone. By volunteering you not only better yourself, but you better your community, society, and maybe even the world.
Works Cited
Barnet, Sylvan, and Hugo Adam. Bedau. "Service: A Duty? A Benefit? Or Both, or Perhaps Neither?" Current Issues and Enduring Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking and Argument, with Readings. Boston: Bedford/St Martin's, 2011. 772-98. Print.
McKee, Thomas W. "Volunteer Power: Why People Volunteer." Volunteer Power: Why People Volunteer. Group Publishing, n.d. Web. 27 June 2013.
"We Are Here to Start Something." -Big Brothers Big Sisters. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 June 2013.
"We Bring Good People & Good Causes Together." VolunteerMatch. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 June 2013.
Comments
Post a Comment