Individual Reflection Paper
Goo Lyann
B1601526
Department of Psychology
MPU 3223
Ms Tong Li Fern
How Am I Different After the Community Service Experience?
After engaging in community service by collecting funds for the rental of Lighthouse, I gained some insight on the social issues prevailing in the society. First and foremost, I obtained direct experience in the issue of child abuse. Before this service, child abuse seemed to be far away from my life as I grew up in a harmonious family. Besides, people around me, especially my peers were also cherished with love. However, this project gave me direct exposure of the unfortunate incidents of the children in the home. Seeing the children in the home made me aware that child abuse does exist in the reality with a considerably large amount, as compared to those few serious cases reported in the news. Additionally, I am aware that the society has to be caring towards these unfortunate children, instead of solely relying on governmental or non-governmental organizations in providing after-care to mediate the trauma faced by the children.
Furthermore, this community service brought me into the issue of homelessness. Growing up in an average family, I never had to face with serious financial issues. Despite having to spend wisely and sacrifice certain unnecessary wants, the idea of homelessness never appeared in my mind. Nevertheless, the community service made me aware of this prevailing issue, in which people with
This can include families that have to potential to have a high percentage of parents being incarcerated, or families in the military. Also, this program has helped to meet the needs of children in traditionally low economic communities. Being a child who grew up with her dad in the military, I decided to do more research on the Big Brothers Big Sisters: Mentoring Military Child. I saw that it is important for the mentor to show their support and appreciation of military children.
Now for more than 160 years of successful help to those in need, the visions are ever growing to fit the needs of families and the community around them. The support for stronger families means help to get them there, supplying legal advice for some, full health services, and special events and programs so everyone will grow together. The start of early childhood programs to working mothers, mothers going to school, and just needing help spread nationwide. All of this came from a controversial social experiment from a handful of
The Virtual Child assignment was a new world for me especially because I have never so much as changed a diaper. I learned how some situations for parents are tough like balancing work and children especially when you want save money to settle down in a home. Overall this experience gave me first hand experience in making the tough decisions and watching children develop in all aspects: language, cognitive, emotional, etc. The program was beneficial because it taught me how a little decision can affect your child’s upbringing. Lastly the program taught me firsthand how child think and act as a result of them trying to learn as much from the surrounding
Homelessness is very real in the United states with 3.5 million Americans left without a place to call home each year. There is a strong stigma against homeless individuals who are seen as chronic and episodic, but in reality, those seen living on the streets in downtown areas of cities are families with children. The vast majority have been thrust into homelessness through a life altering situation that was unexpected and unplanned for. One of the harsh realities is that homeless individuals and families tend to come from communities of concentrated poverty. Many factors lead to pushing people onto the streets and occasionally, these same factors can be the reason they stay homeless.
As a CASA volunteer, my mom works with neglected, abused, or foster care children alongside their legal aid and the court system. CASA volunteers make sure children do not get lost in the foster care or court system and advocates what is best for the child after spending a lot of time with the child and the other adults present in their life. CASA volunteers are often the one stable adult a child can have in their life. My mom would spend hours a week working to help each kid, whether it just be as simple as taking them to lunch or going to court to speak on the child’s behalf. All of the children were in foster or group homes looking for a stable home.
These factors include, but are not limited to, lack of affordable housing, economic insecurity, behavioral health, etc. Research has found that the main contributing factors for children living in homeless families are the lack of affordable housing, poverty, and domestic violence (Aratani, 2009). Similarly, mental illness, substance abuse, and lack of affordable housing are the top contributing factors of homelessness among unaccompanied youth (Aratani, 2009). In addition to analyzing the factors that can cause homelessness, the article explores the impact that homelessness can have on youth. For example, homelessness can often lead to food insecurity since food supplies can be scarce, which can then have a negative impact on the child/youth’s overall health.
When people think of others who are poor and less fortunate, they assume that it is people who are living on the street, don’t have a family, and are classified within the homeless population. What they don’t recognize is that is not completely wrong or correct because it is known that not all homeless people live on the streets or don’t have family to support them financially and more. The first time I recognized this was when I volunteered at the Our Daily Bread Employment Center in Baltimore. After observing and interacting with some of the families and individuals who attend the hot meal program year round, I not only recognized that most of the people came from stable homes and have jobs but also that 1 out of 10 people were homeless by
First of all, something that can be even worse for the kids is that they could have disabilities along with their parents such as ADHD and they can’t get proper treatment because of the lack of money. Also, their children still need food and water to survive and when their homeless with their parents because they got screwed up in the military, that can be a very hard thing for the kids to deal with. Lastly, the kids do not deserve the situation they’re in. They don’t deserve to be homeless just because their parents had to go to the military and after all the things the parents had to deal with, them and they’re kids need
In order to continue to serve children in the best way possible it is recommended that “we need to continue to build
Homelessness in America has become a traumatic way of life for so many over the past decade and has changed tremendously since the Great Depression. During those times, many of the homeless were either elderly or white and now you will find homelessness doesn’t discriminate and that it can consist of any race, age or gender. What is homelessness? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “a homeless person is defined as an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family). Including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility (e.g., shelters).
Assignment #2 - What does service mean to me? This is a concept that I have been considering in great detail. I have always loved doing community service and giving back to the community. However, I never thought of what my life would be like without community service. The definition of service based on the Oxford dictionary: "The action of helping or doing work for someone.
Most of the time I have no choice but to spend from my own pocket to reach places and people who desperately need my help. I have realized that some drug addicts will not come to me for help; therefore, as a social worker, I will dedicate my time to visit them, talk to them and offer them rehabilitation and help. Similarly, when going to areas stricken with poverty, I will have to bring along things like foodstuff and clothes to offer the poor. Voluntary service helps to change people’s perspectives on life and makes them feel obligated to achieve something good as ‘payback’ to the volunteers who help them without asking for pay. Therefore, by doing voluntary work, I will be making a big difference in the society.
1. In the summer of 2017, I volunteered once a week for 6-8 weeks with an organization called The First Tee, which works with youth to teach them life skills via the game of golf. Starting as young as 5-6 years old, the participants learn to play golf and develop their skills in the sport, but a large aspect of the organization’s mission is to teach children life skills such as integrity, honesty, and responsibility. Through golf they learn to be courteous to those around them and to always act with integrity as well.
And community services is much more, it is about taking small steps to bridge the gaps in society and create a caring community that takes care of one
Volunteering is a way of helping others. It is giving a person 's time and ability to help someone who may be in need of help. Not only does volunteering help others, but what they may not know is that it can be helpful to themselves. It is a great way for someone to interact with others in their community. It gives someone that time to themselves while also creating bonds when they are doing the greater good.