Service Learning  

Glencoe

“Do something for others because you want to not because you have to”  (Malda Fernham). 

            During this semester we were assigned to complete thirty hours of some type of community service.  At first glance I was unexcited, to say the least.  Although, I had participated in community service before, I had never been forced to do it.  When I was involved in community service I was unoccupied with school, which made it very easy to come and go as I pleased.  The task set before me at the beginning of the semester had the potential to be very difficult, my goal was to complete thirty hours and be done with it, satisfying my requirement. Regardless, as you will read, my service learning experiences have only begun.  Throughout this paper I will describe the roles and functions of a nonprofit organization, share some of my experience I had while completing my hours.  Also, I will present insight to my nonprofit organization niche within the broader range of societal services, which are available to my community, and a description of how I was a part of this.  In addition, what the future roles of my organization could possibly entail, and how leadership roles could influence this.  Also, included are strategies, that I think will propel change, and the resources that must be utilized to achieve this transition.  Consequently, ethical issues will arise that will surround public and private organizations.  My awareness, while partaking in service learning, provides credible knowledge to answer these questions.  

            When setting out to search for a nonprofit organization that would suit me, I had no clue what to look for.  I did previous community service in a small community near Glencoe, my hometown.  This work included several obscure jobs around the town.  I was able to interact with much of the community, and in doing so got to know most everyone on a personal level.  I enjoyed this a great deal; I was excited each time I had to go to do this volunteer work.  I decided not to go back to the same community volunteer group because I wanted to broaden my outlook towards the older generations.  I felt that the perfect way to accomplish this was to do my service learning at a nursing home. 

            In my hometown I was already acquainted with many residents, but did not know any of them on a personal level.  The nonprofit organization was the Long-Term Care Center Volunteer program, in Glencoe.  Their role as a nonprofit organization is to provide the residents with personal comforts, essentially improving their qualities of life, during their stay at the Long-Term Care Center.  The organization achieves this by providing personal interactions like planning games, going on walks, painting and in my case quilting.

            The Volunteer program did not have people there on Saturdays and Sundays because that is when most families come to visit.  This could have hindered my work there, making me drive home on weeknights to work there.  However, this was not a problem, the center was very courteous to my timetable and told me to come in when my schedule would allow, which was on Saturdays and Sundays.  The first time I came in I was overwhelmed, the residents were so friendly and grateful.  I met a couple of older ladies and was able to acquire personal friendships with each of them.  One particular lady, Ada Miller, became a very close friend.  Ada is an 87-year-old woman who has had a great deal of experience in community participation.  She was a mother to seven children, a teacher, and the founder of the Parkinson’s group.  Needless to mention, she is a very intelligent woman.  Initially, we spent most of our time playing cards with her family.  Currently, most days are spent quilting and visiting about her past.  She has really made my time spent volunteering an eye opening, learning experience.  I have learned that quilting is a tedious process, however, the lessons on how to live will be embedded in my heart forever.

            Although I have learned how to quilt, the learning experience of realizing how important life will influence my every day actions.  I have heard many of her life experiences and how she’s used them to learn from them.  The most important thing I have learned is to take life in stride and remember that each day is new. In college especially, this advice is hard to follow when tests, paper, and social life get intertwined.  In my case, the community service was not only me helping others, rather, Ada and I both helped each other.  This provides insight as to how this non-profit’s niche is part of a broader range of my community’s life. 

            The special niche of helping these residents spills off and proves to be very important to our community, by providing fun opportunities that will improve many residents quality of life.  By doing volunteerism it produces an atmosphere where people are not dreading to be old.  Granted, many people do not have the opportunity to see the actual chemistry of the residents and volunteer, but some do.  One time or another everyone has had to go into a nursing home.  After you leave you have one of two attitudes; either you think it is the worst place on earth, and you would rather die before you have to live there.  Or, you see that it possess a caring ambiance and everyone associated with the nursing home is there to help.  I have worked in a nursing home for four years, when I see volunteer work being done, I see the residents’ quality of life improve a great deal, and this gives me a reassuring feeling. The grateful feeling I would have to see a volunteer helping my grandpa or grandma would give me comfort to know they are surrounded by love.  When you see all of the residents’ eyes light up when they hear a volunteer is coming, you know how important volunteers are.

            The contribution that I have made does not feel like work to me.  I have gained an advocate and made people residing there look forward, into the future.  This is not unique only to me, many volunteers have made great impacts on not only the resident’s life, but on his or her life as well.  The little things you do, such as a short conversation or a quick game of cards means the world to them.  As I mentioned before, I am in the process of learning how to quilt.  I asked a resident one-day about her quilt hanging on the wall, the next day I was cutting out squares to start my own quilt.  I have learned that most times all that is needed is a little interest in a subject that resident is involved with.  In the future this organization will grow if people take the initiative to try it just once.

            People in our own communities will dictate the future roles of this nonprofit organization.  In order to make any nonprofit organization work is to have willing volunteers.  I think that volunteers will be a big part of the health care industry, especially since this industry will be targeted by the aging baby boomers.  However, I may be bias in saying this because I am deeply involved with a nonprofit organization, and I am having had a wonderful experience volunteering.  To get willingness to volunteer will be an obstacle that must be dodged.  The easy part will be making people realize how refreshing it is.  There will be a major necessity or role that every leader must follow.  All leaders must be willing to teach by example.  These future leaders must be able to recognize the necessity of volunteerism.  Once people are swayed into trying it I think that most will regularly participate in community volunteerism.  The feelings that are felt after helping someone are inexplicable.   

            The problems with volunteer organizations are people’s unwillingness to take time.  In our society today time is money, meaning that volunteering is a waste of money.  To change this concept is impossible, but to make it easier to volunteer will be the answer.  For example, most people do not volunteer because their jobs or school doesn’t allow them time to get all of their work completed and still have time left over to volunteer.  How can we work toward an acceptable balance of work and volunteering?

  Our leaders must utilize all resources available to meet one common goal of change.  With in these changes volunteerism should be a driving force to change ideals of others.  Frances Hesselbein explains, “Religion leaders, university leaders, and college presidents, and the leaders of volunteer organizations need to add their vision and voices to the leadership effort”  (Drucker 178).  Ideas these leaders have must ultimately reflect the ideas of the general public.  Can this vital change take place, “The question of whether the United States is, or can become, a democracy is practically defined by the way that citizen and administrators view one another, work or don’t work together, trust or don’t trust on another, and share or argue about what makes up the kind of society they would want to live in together”  (King and Strives 71).  Leaders must use the general public as a resource, and incorporate them to encourage volunteerism.  By providing people with information about different volunteer groups would be a big step.  If people are aware of certain organizations but not educated about what the organization is about, they will be less likely to find out for themselves.  Ada Miller, founder of the Parkinson’s foundation, expressed, “when I clarified what my organization was accomplishing, people were much more willing to support my group”  (Miller).  Unfortunately, if the transition to wide spread public volunteerism is successful, roadblocks will form that must be overcome.   

            The ethical issues that will be questioned will be much more apparent as volunteerism grows.  Especially in the health care field, there is a fine line to volunteerism and a paid position that should not be crossed.  The volunteer coordinator at the Glencoe Area Health center explained, “Twenty years ago people were able to do much more as a volunteer then they can today, especially in the health care field.”  Because my mother and two of my sisters work in the health care field my understanding was bias.  However, my feelings were reversed as I began my volunteer work.  I feel that the health care industry can use all the help it can get.  By all means, I am not proposing that volunteerism should take the place of paid positions.  To my understanding strong support, loving care and laughter are key remedies to optimum health.

            Volunteers and working people provide these necessary components; however, the difference is, people who are volunteering are doing it only because they want to.  One day has 24 hours in it, to find one hour should come easy.  I have found that one hour will make the entire day memorable for the person that was helped.  Like Malda Fernham stated, “volunteer because you want to, not because you have to.”

            My experience has been very informal, it has brought up issues that I never knew were important to volunteer organizations.  I learned the roles and functions of my nonprofit organization, these helped my analyze the niche it functioned, in the broader range of societal services that were available to my community.   Also, I was enlightened with what possible functions my organization would fulfill in the future.  To execute all of these goals the leaders of my nonprofit organization felt certain criteria must be met.  All of these questions were answered in only 30 hours, I know now that volunteering is more complex then what most think.  The future is now, and volunteering will play a major role in the future of our country.   

Ben Jilek

URSI 230

November