I am an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in Springfield, Massachusetts. In truth, I came here out of boredom and frustration. After struggling intensely with my mental health during my brief time in college, I made the decision to leave school and focus on getting better. In the meantime, I became a barista. The one redeeming quality of the job was interacting with members of my hometown community that I wouldn’t otherwise meet, and yet all the while I was yearning for something greater. (A pretty low bar, honestly; it’s not that hard to find greater purpose than lattes.) Afraid of slipping back into a depression if I couldn’t work on something I was passionate about, I scoured the internet for worthwhile causes and job opportunities, eventually ending up at the Americorps site. An opportunity to engage community residents in improving social and physical health in Springfield spoke to me, and three months later I was packing my life into a tiny Honda …show more content…
I have been embraced by my department; a group of single mothers far more educated than I am, who nevertheless give me a voice and an opportunity to speak. I sit at the table during community police meetings, and I am there when we gather with the hospitals and organizations that silently move mountains to improve the area. On the weekends, I organize sports and games in the park for kids at risk for gang recruitment. I helped sixth graders plant mums along Main Street; for many, it was the first time they had planted anything. Mums and sports in the park are precious, surface level community projects. It’s not hard to lose myself in the feeling of having done some tangible good, yet there are reminders everywhere that this community is in need of deeper and more significant change. Springfield is heavily segregated and poverty-stricken, and desperation breeds
The first time I heard about Americorps, it was my first year as a transfer student at Georgia State University. I had no idea of what the program was and what it consist of. The moment I search and read about the program without doubt I wanted to be a part of. The reason why I would like to join Americorps program because of the purpose it exhibits. Americorps represents the theory of idealism.
I volunteered at Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, an emergency food pantry, in Wilmington, North Carolina from 2012-2016. Throughout my four years of service, I learned how to handle almost all of the jobs available to volunteers, including packing packages for families with a stove or no-stove individuals, teaching new volunteers about the Cupboard and the jobs available, checking patrons in at the front desk, preparing hygiene supply packages for patrons, and working at various tables in the front to distribute various additional food to patrons. I am interested in serving on the Feed the Pack Leadership Team because I want to expand the overall impact and efficiency of Feed the Pack. I am committed to service and I want to lead a life of serving others, and I believe that working on the FTP Leadership team will allow me to continue to maximize my service efforts in the community and beyond.
The Effect of Poor Health and Unemployment On Homelessness Among Veterans According to the Homeless Research Institute, veterans compose more of the homeless population than they do the civilian population, formulating only 11% of civilian life compared to 26% of homeless population (Veterans Inc.). Although not all veterans wear camouflage, all face similar struggles upon returning to civilian life. Unfortunately as they return to civilian life their needs hinder. As a result, veterans face a future of poverty, illness, and above all, homelessness.
Although no one can do everything, each of us can do something. Through open dialogue with community change-makers, I have come to understand that the best way to sustain your own energy is to devote your time to where you feel a personal motivation. Having that feeling of “want to” instead of “have to” will provide the determination to continue doing something no matter the amount of adversities that will arise down the line. This especially resonated with me after hearing from a group of women (the first set of female engineers to head a municipal project) and their experience implementing bike lanes in Calgary. Although their entire process of research and development was met by overwhelming opposition by both policy-leaders, citizens and the media, they were able to embrace their idea in a conservative city, expand upon it years later, and build their resilience.
I am an active member in our community. I volunteer every month, at least once a month. One of the organizations that I volunteer at is Spoonful of Hope. This organization dedicated to feeding those who were, and still are feeling the effects of hurricane Sandy. They also give food to those who are hungry and in need of a decent meal in our community.
When my time ended with Americorps,
I have had the unforgettable opportunity to personally raise $1,400 for kids to go to summer camp, whose families could not afford it otherwise. I have worked at food drives, homeless shelters, and kid’s programs in my town, in hopes to make someone’s day a little bit better and ultimately make my community stronger. These experiences shaped who I am today. While I cherish the experience I had making a difference in my own town, I am ready to grow and leave a positive impact somewhere else in the country.
Regularly, I work as a volunteer at American Cancer Society. I aspire to assist the one who are on the edge of life. The fight against cancer is tough, and the patients need all the supports that they can get. The volunteer opportunity helps me realize that I’m not the center of the universe, but we are the universe. The best feeling when a person does such thing is the smile on cancer patients’ faces.
Through serving others, I have come to realize that every person, regardless of one’s cultural background, has something to offer to the community. As an immigrant, I was quite hesitant about accepting new challenges. The fear of others’ judgment regarding my performance hindered my progress. However, through serving others in various capacities, I was able to interact and help people in my community, who themselves helped me overcome my fears. Whether helping patients at St. John Providence or assisting refugees at the American Red Cross, I was amazed as to how much my presence made a difference, especially for those who needed me to interpret for them.
For that reason, I believe that one way to improve police relations in local communities would be by having the police more socially active in communities, as opposed to only interacting when problems arise. This would put a face behind the actions of the police and improve their relationships with the people they
This will be a great step in repairing the broken relationship between the Philadelphia Police Department and the community. Events such as neighborhood cleanup, meet and greet with K9’s, and community cookouts. These events should be held in low-income neighborhoods such as North Philadelphia. Actions such as this will build trust between the two communities. Also, considering the police are seen as the outsiders or the ‘warriors,’ being normal individuals in the community event will change the perspectives people have on officers and vice versa.
Eight years ago I walked into a Navy recruiter's office and said, " If I join today, when is the soonest I can go to boot camp? " I did not know what to expect. However I was sure of one thing, and that was that I wanted to join the United States Navy. As those eight years ensued, the Navy began to mold me physically and mentally. Some of the changes I underwent were positive, and others were rather uncouth.
As a result of the intense scrutiny, improving community-police relations is vital. Even agencies such as my own that have traditionally valued and focused their efforts on community engagement must continually strive to strengthen those relationships and to build new ones. Public safety is the entire community’s responsibility, and we will not be as responsive or as successful without strong collaborative
Police officers have the unique ability to be a role model and make an impact in their community. “Despite some recent negative media coverage, police officers go above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis. They devote their lives to the communities they serve.” I’ve seen this first hand, back in high school I was in my local police explorers and didn’t just learn what they have been taught but I also became friends with the police officers in my post. In my post, we did a lot of volunteering events and at these events we would help people set up or give directions and just give people a hand in anything they needed.
I have always been the type of person that receives an immense amount of gratification from helping others. I believe this goal is realistic due to my preconception of the career, love for helping others and experience. I've always loved helping other, so when I made it to middle school I joined an organization called builders club were we gave back to the community in various