Last week I had the privilege to go with a group of students
down to South Carolina and participate in Alternative Spring Break. I could not
be happier with the experience I had—doing service AND making so many wonderful
connections with people I never would have talked to otherwise. This made me
think that one important aspect of service is that it brings different kinds of
people together. There are so many different facets surrounding service: those
receiving, those giving, the umbrella organization one is working with, and everything
in between such as feelings, personal interactions, sense of community,
etc. In being involved in community
service, I have been a part of building community through service.
During ASB, we did a lot of reflecting as a group. We made
meaning of the things we were doing, whether it was exploring our larger impact
in the community, talking more deeply about homelessness, or elaborating on how
the work had influenced our lives. Often times, reflecting can be difficult,
because seeing the disparity frequently leads to feelings of guilt around our
own lifestyles. Mostly as a group, we talked about what more we could do to
change the current situation of homelessness and poverty. This allowed for us
to put aside our feelings of guilt and know that what we were doing was
beneficial. In talking this through as a group, we built a whole web of
connections with each other. Working together for the same cause, bonding over
a specific activity and then reflecting upon experience is such a wonderful way
to unite.
In participating in community service projects you can learn
a lot about yourself and the group you work with, whether it is the volunteers
you’re working alongside or the people you’re serving. Community service is a
learning opportunity, and many sources I’ve looked at have assured that fact. “The
shadow of poverty, under which many of the students learned significant aspects
about themselves and others, also provides the backdrop for my life and
struggle as a student and as a scholar” (Rhoads, 1997, p. 207). Service allows
us to think more deeply about our personal lives as well as educates us about
the lives of others. In delving into service, you learn much more about the
type of person you are and the types of people you work well with. For instance,
working with the homeless is not for everyone, but they can explore other
service realms to find there are other ways to be involved. Community service
gives us the opportunity of experiential learning—being out in the field,
hands-on, living and learning. “I
learn more from volunteer work than I ever do from any of my classes at school.
Talking to people from diverse backgrounds provides so much insight that people
just can’t imagine” (Rhoads, 1997, p. 209). This type of experience allows us
to get to know ourselves in ways we cannot in a strict classroom setting.
In experiencing the wonders of Alternative Spring Break, I
learned so much about myself as a leader and as a volunteer. I made connections
with beautiful people while working for a greater cause. Community service not
only affects the person who is utilizing the service, but it does a whole lot
of good for those who serve. In the next upcoming weeks I am hoping to look for
personal accounts, both scholarly and on my own, which will give me some more
insight into how service affects those who do it.
ASB Columbia, SC 2013
References: Rhoads, R. (1997). Community
service and higher learning: Explorations of the caring self. Albany: State University of New York Press.
No comments:
Post a Comment