William Penn Life, 2003 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2003-05-01 / 5. szám
Focus cn youth Show your character A ‘How-to’ guide for young volunteers from www.usa.pointsoflight.org In communities across the country, kids and young people are tackling some of society's toughest issues — and they're doing it through volunteering! These young people have learned first-hand that volunteering is a great way to connect with other people and to help solve social problems in their own schools and neighborhoods. In Deerfield Park, Fla., 11 year-old Courtney was inspired by the work of others around the problem of hunger to develop her own project on the issue. She sought and received permission from her school and church to organize two food drives. Both were successful and altogether collected an estimated 600 pounds of food. Enough to feed one meal to nearly 1,500 people. In Laredo, Texas, a fifth-grade class identified that many students in the community did not have enough warm clothes or shoes. With the assistance of the local Rotary Club the class collected and sorted 2,000 items of clothing for others in the community. To help give away the clothing, the students and other volunteers hosted a free breakfast and clothing giveaway for 35 needy families. In Blissfield, Mich., 13 year-old Christi visited a local homeless shelter as part of a church outing. During the visit she noted the spare conditions of the shelter and decided to do something about it. She told her best friends; they told others in their community. Soon, they rounded up money, supplies and 475 volunteers to help paint and refurbish the shelter, helping Christi realize her dream of making shelter children feel "more like they had a home." You, too, can be part of the solution. The Points of Light Foundation, an organization that helps young people and others make a difference in their communities through volunteering, has created the following guide to help you get involved in your community. STEP Find a problem you want to solve The first thing you need to do is to figure out what problem you're interested in tackling in your community. To get focused, think about the following: What do you see in your community? Is there trash in your neighborhood? Do you wish there were more parks or play areas for you and other children? Are there lots of stray animals? Talk to other kids, your parents, your teachers, and other adults about the problem and why it exists. Read the newspaper or watch the news. Here are some questions to ask yourself and others: • What would you like to see changed in your community? • What are some problems that are facing your community? • Why do these problems exist? What causes them? • What are some actions you can take to fix these problems? What interests and abilities do you have? Think about what you're good at and what you love to do. Do you like to talk? Do you play a sport? Do you have a hobby? If you connect your volunteer idea to your interests and abilities you will get more out of your project. For example, if you love animals you could organize a pet walk-a-thon to raise money for a local animal shelter. On a separate piece of paper, jot down all of your talents, hobbies, and interests. Then pick a problem and see if you can think of a way to use your interests and abilities to help fix or solve that problem. STEP Designing a community service project 1. Talk to your parents. Talk to your parents, teachers or other adults about your idea and get their support. 2. Recruit Your Team. Find a small group of friends who want to help plan the project. 3. Get to Know Each Other. If you don't know each other already, spend time talking about interests, activities, and hobbies. 4. Find a Problem. Draw a vision of your ideal community, take a walk around the neighborhood to identify some things that your group wants to change or write down your ideas for changing your community. 5. Examine the Problem. Why is this a problem in your community? What is the cause of the problem? Who else is working on the problem? 8 WiliuNilA, May 2003
