Community Service
Transcript: Seacoast Project Linus Coordinator I talked to the Seacoast Project Linus Coordinator, Maureen. What she does for community service is she makes and collects about 2,000 blankets a year and distributes them to children across New Hampshire who are in different various situations that a security blanket would benefit them. So taking all of my different sources of information into account... Maureen The philosopher Mensius Humanities class discussions The book Seedfolks Class visitors Class handouts I now have a couple of beliefs that I have formed... 1) What is Community Service anyway? Some people have different view on that question. Here are some: Where you give your time and/or talent to an agency to complete its mission where you and/ or the agency benefit - Class A common goal for a community that makes an impact. - Seedfolks Doing something you like for a cause you enjoy. - Maureen I think any of these definitions work, based on the service you are doing. Sometimes even all three! 2)Who Volunteers? Anyone! There are many examples that prove this... One is from a time when Maureen told me that her dad used to do service by putting stickers on envelopes! Another is when she told me she had some ladies in rest homes help Project Linus even though they couldn't probably do some other elements of service. Mr. Myles in Seedfolks also was able to contribute to the garden, in his own way, with help from Nora. Fourthly, even though some people couldn't even garden in seedfolks, they found their own way to contribute- like Sam and Leona, and they still certainly made a difference! So, really anyone can contribute, they just need to find their own way. 3) What you need for community service Volunteers! Stay organized! (Ms. Berry) People who take action! (Ana and Leona) People to be kind and helpful (Sam) Have a goal (Ms. Berry) People who have a desire to do service. (Mr. Wallace) People to be determined, overcome setbacks (Leona) Commiseration, Shame, Courtesy, Understanding of Right and Wrong (Mensius) 4) How Organizations Help Community Service. Work to protect/keep values Ms. Wilde and the conservation commission Excite others (Hike - Ms.Wilde) Give information Organize people, give direction (Ms. Berry, playground 5) What Community Service Addresses Community Service addresses and tries to fix problems and support and carry out peoples' values. Here are some examples of what it fixes/ changes. Project Linus addresses comfort, security, poverty and just overall what a blanket brings to a child! Loneliness (like in Seedfolks) And also in Seedfolks, lack of community. As well as many other things! Education Health Hunger Disaster Victims Animals Environment Political Issues 6)How to Maximize Your Impact Listen (Ms. Berry) Ask questions (Ms. Berry) Value what you do (Ms. Berry) Have a desire (Mr. Wallace) Stay positive and determined (Ms. Berry) Have a focus, goals (Ms. Berry) Have more volunteers and do more fundraising (Maureen) Research beforehand (Ms. Berry, Ms. Katz) Feel "I can do it" (playground, Ms.Berry) Have the right qualities of a good volunteer (Maureen) Have to like what you do, have it excite you. (Maureen, Ms. Wilde) Do something that is familiar to you. (Ms. Wilde) But the most important thing of all to maximize benefits... "Your fundraising can be good as it is, you can make a medium difference, anything helps." (Maureen) Small things need to be done too! (Royce) Salmon fry fish - Ms.Katz As long as you are happy and pleased and make a change in your community or the world, your impact does not need to be big. In the class handout with Mr. Fantom and Mr. Goodman, they are trying to convince the other person whether they should do community service large scale or whether it is fine to help in just your own community. After this unit on community service I would agree more with Mr. Goodman because any impact, no matter how small, makes a difference. Mr. Goodman also thinks that you don't need to change the world to count. 7) How to do community service Have the right qualities Understanding Have experience Get along with people Friendly Diplomatic Leader Open to others Warm These qualities are all from Maureen. She said that she realized these important qualities after she met with a crabby lady when she was working for Project Linus. She didn't want to be like the crabby lady and decided that the right way to do community service means you have to do it with kindness and caring. It was then that she realized these qualities. Just attempt to do something, even if it fails! (Virgil) With caring people, because if no one cares, nothing happens (Florence with the garden rebirth) With understanding and knowledge, because it is important to know how it is best to help, wisdom (Mensius discussion) 8)Why do people do community service in the first place? "We all have a responsibility to do something. When kids needed blankets, I felt I had a responsibility to provide them with that." Maureen Everyone
Prezi Present
Prezi Video
Prezi Design
