Reflection Paper: My Service Learning Project

For my service leaning assignment, I volunteered at the Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival in support of the Montgomery County Food Bank receiving donations at the festival entrance. In volunteering at the event, I learned the differences in service learning, volunteerism and community service and will provide details in what I learned a about each. I will also provide details and examples of teamwork, communication and networking experiences gained while at the event. A brief overview of the Montgomery County Food bank will also be provided with information on the assignment task, measurable success and interaction with fellow students and organization directors.

Although it is clear that so many U.S. citizens are suffering, the government has little to no efforts in decreasing the homeless population. The lack of initiative for the betterment of the homeless prevents them from becoming richer because their resources are extremely limited. Furthermore, it is more difficult for a homeless child to receive and education than it is for a child raised in a wealthy family. Homeless people are not provided with many opportunities, even though they need them more. “Connections with universities, employers and government will make sure you have access to many more opportunities.

Almost everyone has seen a man or woman begging for money at the corner of a highway intersection. A sign usually reads “homeless, need food,” but what brings so many of these people to the corner of a street is quite a controversial topic. Middle-class citizens may lose their job and their home. Similarly, a hardworking citizen may lose his or her apartment due to a new owner who enforces a higher rent. Homelessness can affect anyone, even the middle-class, without the need for drugs and alcohol.

I had the opportunity to spend my service learning hours with an amazing young lady by the name of Paige. Paige is 25 years old and has a twin brother and a younger brother who she recently lost to suicide. It affected her deeply and she now battles depression. Paige was born premature, 3 months before her due date and weighed in at a whopping .??ounces. From the gate Paige had complications and had open heart surgery at ?

People who are homeless encounter much ridicule in our society’s. The stigma homelessness carries have in some ways devastated the dignity of so many of whom have fallen victim. One might think that the homeless had been involved in some misdeeds that ended them up on the streets or assumed that laziness is the culprit and have resolved to panhandling. We attempt to justify our responses by rehearsing why our need is greater or suppose that whatever means given would not be used for purposes intended and so we talk ourselves into or out of meeting the needs of others.

We all need help at one point in our life, so why do we deny our help towards homeless .Why don’t we help the people who once fought to protect this country that we are currently living in. They now need our help to survive. Why not pay them back with our help towards them .

Amy Taxin and Geoff Mulvihill’s blatantly titled article “Don't help the homeless, critics say - it hurts them” works as a counter to my claim. The article describes how the good intentions and actions, such as camps and free resources (toilet paper, showers, etc.) only enable and prevent the homeless from a desire to move. Logos helps to develop the claim.

Although there are multiple issues and questions that may arise about how the nation can assist the homeless, there are also answers that can be put into place. The first problem that the government may run into is how

Should We Help The Homeless? As once written by Andrew Carnegie, “The problem of our age is the proper administration of wealth, so that the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and poor in harmonious relationship” (Carnegie) Homelessness has been around for centuries, just like the debate over Americans helping the homeless or letting them fend for themselves. There are many aspects must which should be considered in the argument of whether we, the American people and higher class, should help them or not; such as the ethical values of the situation from both the poor and those involved in helping, the cultural and social causes, and effects on their lives.

This says that homeless people must progress through a continuum before they can become secure in their environment. In this experiment residents enter an emergency facility and complete the extensive work available there then they proceed to housing and complete the emotional/educational work required there, and then they move onto permanent housing that provides additional securing services. The process ends with these people becoming fully self-sufficient and being able to afford available housing. This shows how homeless find housing first, with support services offered at different times. This indicates that housing, in and of itself, provides stability.

A struggling individual can go without meals, and sometimes cannot pay their bills. This person can become trapped in debt because of past due bills they are not able to afford, resulting in an increase in our nation’s homeless

Some slept in parks or sewer pipes, wrapping themselves in newspaper to fend off the cold. Others built makeshift shacks out of scrap materials” Others Numerous people rummaged through garbage cans or begged. The soup kitchen offered free or low-cost food for people. Thousands of the unemployed searched on foot or in boxcars for food and a job. Once normal life turned into a fight for survival.

After reflecting on all that you have learned in this course, share what you believe is one current trend in the human services field in meeting the needs of individuals, families, and/or the community. This course has been a revelation for me. In the past eight weeks, I learned many things about running a nonprofit organization, and I am sure I will learn a lot more. There are so many different elements that goes into managing an organization like how to build capacity, funding/budgeting, assessment tools, the role of the board of directors, and past/current trends in the field.

and I wouldn’t help them myself. I always thought if you wanted to change something then you could. As I read “What Is Poverty?” by Jo Goodwin Parker, I began to feel differently, however I then believed maybe there are some impoverished people that do need help. I believed that some people

Community service does not only have a profound impact on our community, but the impact it has on the individual people is even greater. The concept of community service has always been something that I grew up with, and now that I am older I better understand how important community service is for society. I have participated in community service activities. Starting in elementary school, I helped feed the homeless and rescue animals. Even with my wide range of volunteer experience, it was difficult to find an activity that would be meaningful and fulfill my thirty-hour obligation for my senior project.