Community and Serivice hmw due on 9/22/2013

Homework due by 9/22/2013 3:00p.m. Chicago time.

1.

Share a community story (it need not be a personal experience) and show how at least 3 of the concepts in the Course Perspective are illustrated. 2.

Finish the Agency Profile #2 in the second doc.

3.

And write a short Forum for Agency #2 Critique.

4.

Finish the Volunteer Service Plan in the third doc.

 

Please upload the homework in four different doc.

Mini-Lecture

for week 4

Course Outline–Week 4

COMMUNITY SERVICE AND THE POWER OF ONE

Mini-Lecture: Welcome to Week 4. The activities of this week include short stories and assignments that help us focus on, and appreciate, the power and contributions of one person–as well as what can happen when people join together.

We begin our journey in week 4 by extending the insights and understandings gained through the Course Perspective and applying them to several important activities for this week. First let’s look more closely at the contributions of individual volunteer efforts. While it appears that we may be doing very little to impact large social issues and human needs, there is ample evidence to support and convince us that helping one person, family, or group at a time is really at the heart of volunteering and community service.

Consider this: large sweeping social programs do benefit large numbers of people but in every program there are those who do not qualify for services and thus they fall through the cracks–they remain un-served or are under-served.. Now this would be fine if we did not value every human life equally. A simple shotgun approach to meeting most of the needs of most of the people could be ok. But the values of this society is that every person is a person of value and worth and, consequently, deserves the best of what our society has to offer. Inherent in this idea are concepts of social and economic justice, dignity and worth, strong Christian beliefs, and caring and concern for others that has contributed strongly to making this nation the great nation that it is. In light of this, our individual efforts–in the slightest way–adds to the combined efforts of all the other individuals who are out there doing the same thing.

Consider how massive and monumental this effort can become and what contributions are presently being made. This is “community” in its most beautiful, effective and personal sense–the caring and helping of one another. There is no greater contribution to be made by citizens than this. This steady, growing, concerned group of people who are constantly thinking about the welfare of one another is the culmination of everything that is sacred, spiritual, ethical, moral, and ennobling in the human experience. This attitude and its resultant actions becomes the building blocks of strong and responsive communities. Ponder this for a moment. What would the world be like if this were the case everywhere in the world? Impossible? At any given point in time–maybe–but what of tomorrow and the next day? Who knows what effect our efforts of today might have on tomorrow. And how do we begin such a movement? Obviously we do not wait for this to happen in some other place–with someone else. We make it happen here and we become the person or persons who dedicates themselves and provides the vision. Make a commitment to make a difference in some way–no matter how small. Seek to find something good and helpful to do every day. The Boy Scout Motto might fit well here: Do a good turn daily. A wonderful motto for a life to embrace. Many of us have had parents or other adults in our lives who lived by this idea. They actively sought the opportunities to help others every day. It made their lives much more gratifying and greatly enriched the lives of others and their community.

Let me tell you two such stories that come from my childhood. All of us have these but I’ll share mine with you and you can share yours also on Forum.

Story #1

I grew up in Northern Utah. We lived in a small and very homogeneous farming community bound together by a common religion–Mormon. The small community–actually valley–had been settled by relatives of both my mother and father. There was a rich tradition of helping and caring for one another. I was raised by the entire community which, by the time I came along, included other families besides my relatives. It didn’t matter where I was, someone was always there to look out for me and to apply the appropriate assistance–and discipline–if necessary. But everyone had one thing clearly in common–caring for one another. Seldom was there a request for assistance that went unheeded. People would alter their work schedules to help out their neighbor–and it didn’t have to be anything critical or monumental–just the small everyday kinds of helping that says we care and that you are important.

When I was about 8 hears old my father and my brother began raising turkeys. We would get them as small “poults” and raise them to maturity and they became the main course for someone’s dinner table. Baby turkeys took much attention in the first few weeks so my brother (then about 25 or so) had a cot in the turkey coop where he would spend the night. You see they (the baby turkeys) had this deadly behavior–if they became a bit cold they would bunch together for warmth–actually pile on top of each other–smothering those on the bottom of the pile. So he spent time waking and sleeping to see that all was well. We kept them warm by placing them in 8 foot diameter pens enclosed with 1 foot high corrugated cardboard with cedar shavings for bedding. Hanging from the ceiling suspended over this pen was a conical heating unit that covered about 5 feet of the pen. It used heating oil as fuel and they were toasty. Temperatures had to be kept constant to prevent them from “piling up.”

I remember on evening in early January–still pretty cold outside in Utah. I was sleeping in the downstairs bedroom and I heard my brother come to the door and in a voice filled with fear and panic–he yelled, “Dad, the coop is on fire!” What terrible words to hear! My father–in his underwear–sprinted to the coop, as did I–pants on, of course. Too late. The coop was engulfed in flames and all of the 3,000 little turkeys–except one–were lost. This was a considerable setback to the economy of this small farm family. Not only losing the investment in the small baby turkeys but also the coop that housed them.

As I write this the memories of the experience and what happened later brings great emotion welling up inside me. It is almost uncontainable–I simply want to cry–and I am. Lucky this is not a face to face class.

The next day–just after sunrise–neighbors began arriving, unannounced and unsolicited, with their tractors and front end loaders, their dump trucks and their families. The process of removing the remnants of the coop began. Food began to appear from everywhere. There was an atmosphere of sadness and concern but a lightheartedness as well as men, young men, women, and young women began the process of helping however they could to support and rebuild the misfortunes of a neighbor. The outpouring of support, caring, love, and dedication was almost overwhelming. Within one week a new coop was standing–filled again with small turkeys–and we began again.

This is one of the most touching experiences of a lifetime to me. A small boy in a close knit community seeing first hand what “community” really means–not only in word but in action. And the attitude and spirit among those who where participating was infectious. It was impossible to become discouraged with the disaster because we knew that we had so much support surrounding us that all would be well.

This event left a lasting impression of the importance of positive transactions between people and mutual interdependence as well as the great sense of purpose and satisfaction that is given to the giver. My attitudes about life and others were forged in those early days in my small and wonderful community. My father and mother continually reinforced the idea of service as well. Often I heard my father singing parts of a favorite religious hymn. These words have been with me since I was a child. It went something like this:

“Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need?

Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad? If not, I have failed indeed.

Has anyone’s burden been lighter today because I was willing to share?

Have the sick and the needy been helped on their way? When they needed my help was I there?

Doing good is a pleasure–a joy beyond measure–a blessing of duty and love.”

Story #2

A family that had originally immigrated to our community from Germany–before WWII–had flourished in the community and one of the sons and his family occupied the farm adjacent to ours. They were a hard working–and loud group. They were never in bed after day break and you could hear the father call his children for almost two miles in all directions. We lived together as neighbors for a number of years in a very congenial and helpful relationship.

One spring at the time when the first crop of hay was to be harvested, my father and I were cutting and raking the hay in our field and we noticed that, some distance away, the neighbor’s tractor-drawn mowing machine had stopped in the middle of his field. This was not uncommon as often cut hay would get stuck in the mower and would have to be manually removed. We thought little of it but after about a half hour, my father came over to my tractor and asked if I had noticed that John’s tractor had been stopped for some time. I said that I had noticed. He indicated that we should go over and see if we could be helpful.

We encountered a grisly sight. Our neighbor had stepped off his tractor that was pulling the mowing machine–without shutting off the spinning shaft that provided power to the mower. Even though the shaft was protected by a guard, he had slipped and straddled it much like riding a horse, and his overalls (the kind people wear now as a fashion statement) had become entangled in this spinning device and had wound up his overalls and injured his genitals terribly. He had lost consciousness. I quickly went for help at his home while my father attempted to free our unfortunate neighbor from the machine that had so injured his body. This was a painful and life altering event in the life of this man and his family (and they spent many difficult days and years coping personally with this event). All of his crops would need to be harvested as the months progressed and support to he and his family would be needed on a physical and psychological basis as well.

What happened over the length of the summer was, again, a most gratifying experience. Caring for his farm and his crops was expertly done by the members of this community–each gladly sharing the responsibilities. Not one water turn was missed (this is “farmer” for irrigation), not one harvest delayed, not one element of what needed to be done to his farm neglected. At the end of fall everything was done as if he had done it himself and ready for the following year.

Our neighbor recovered but not without physical losses that could only be partially restored by plastic surgery. He and his family were ever grateful for the community support. He never failed to remind all of us of the benefits of living in this community. He became a reminder of what communities can do for those who live in them. The next year there appeared a beautiful home-made and hand crafted sign that appeared on the heavily traveled road winding around the hill overlooking our small community. This road was the main thorough fare connecting the state of Utah to Idaho and other north western states. The sign read simply, “Bothwell, the Place Where Friendship is Cultivated.”

The sign remained there many years after the event and was maintained by those grateful family members who still live in the community. Just recently it became a victim of progress when the space was needed to widen the road.

This event and many others that occurred in this small community deepened the commitment and sense of community of the community members and served as a beacon to other communities as well. What happened was that an increased sense of caring, sharing, and concern for one another evolved–especially toward the elderly in the community. Service became an even more important part of living for community members.

Well so much for my stories and their impact. Please share any stories that you wish on Forum. There will be a Discussion entitled, “Your Community Stories.”

Agency

Profile #2

Agency Profile and Critique

In order for you to become somewhat familiar with the opportunities for volunteering in your community, please visit and complete the agency profile on two agencies or programs.**

Please submit the following for each.

1. Complete the Agency Profile (by interviewing the appropriate agency worker) found hyperlinked to the assignment. You will need to copy the form to a Word document and save it as a file on your computer. Then open DropBox and browse for the file and click on it. It will upload when you click submit.

2. Write a meaningful and well thought out critique of the agency’s or program’s activities and the potential for providing meaningful volunteering activities. Post this critique to Forum

Thanks. Dr. S

**You may have a unique and creative idea about volunteering that may not include an established agency or program in your community. If you do wish to do something different than volunteering in established agencies or programs, please discuss your ideas with Dr. Stokes.

AGENCY PROFILE AND VOLUNTEER NEEDS ASSESSMENT FORM

This form is to be used by the student in a personal interview conducted with the volunteer director. Please complete and return to:

Dr. Jack L. Stokes

Department of Social Work MS8400, Southeast Missouri State University

One University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.

This form may also be sent electronically by the student to the DropBox set up for this semester’s class

Name of Agency or Program: ____________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

Phone # _____________________ Fax: _________________________________

Contact Person: _________________________ Phone: _______________________

Do you have a coordinator of volunteer activities? Yes ___ No ___

Will you orient the student volunteers to the agency, its programs, and volunteer responsibilities? Yes ____ No____

Would you like to make a presentation to the Service Learning Class? Yes ___ No __

NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS

Current Programs–Please describe program, the nature of need, times needed and training/experience of the volunteer.

Program and Volunteer Need:

______________________________________________________________

Program and Volunteer Need:

_______________________________________________________________

ONGOING PROGRAMS — Please describe program, the nature of need, times needed, and training/experience of the volunteer.

Program and Volunteer Need:

_______________________________________________________________

Program and Volunteer Need:

_______________________________________________________________

ANTICIPATED PROGRAM EXPANSION OR NEW PROGRAMS AND VOLUNTEER NEEDS — Please describe program, the nature of need, times needed, and training/experience of the volunteer.

Program and Volunteer Need:

_______________________________________________________________

Program and Volunteer Need:

_______________________________________________________________

GENERAL LOGISTICS — How far are you located from the University? Where is the program located? What do volunteers need to bring, etc?

CONCERNS — What concerns do you have related to student volunteering in your programs? What preparation do your volunteers need?

OTHER COMMENTS?

Volunteer

Service Plan

Volunteer Service Plan

UI427

Name of Agency

Contact person

Telephone number

Mailing Address

Please describe your proposed service activity.

What hours do you plan to work?

Please provide a brief analysis of the agency need to be met by your service activity.

In complete sentences, tell me three personal learning goals to be met by your service activity.