I am so embarrassed. While walking the new dog yesterday, I encountered a horde...no, a fleet...no, a BATTALION of volunteers cleaning up garbage on my street. Battalion is the most appropriate way to describe them, as they were dressed in matching uniforms and there were tons of them. They needed those numbers, though, because cleaning up my street is no small job. It is now pristinely clean.
Chances are, if you're a regular blogger on Progressive U, you have come across several of our volunteer faculty members who work to keep this site and the Blogging For Progress Scholarship up and running smoothly.
Have you ever volunteered abroad (or in your own country) and wondered what would happen once you left? Would your message become lost with time? Would the people whose lives you saw change go back to how they once were?
I have been spending some time lately trying to figure out what I want to do next with my life. I have one friend in Africa serving in the Peace Corps. He likes it for the most part, and thinks it is something he could see me doing.
Recently, I started volunteering at the wildlife rehabilitation center. It’s exciting. Today, I cleaned out the cage of two fawn and gave them more grass. I love deer especially baby deer because they are so awkward when they walk around. These two have the biggest eyes.
I have read a few blogs today that seem to question the effectiveness and the usefulness of providing their time, unpaid, to many American not-for-profit organizations. After reading this, I first became a little sad that so much apathy exists in our generation.
I must say I have done an extensive amount of volunteer work. I volunteered at the library, helped at several elementary schools, helped the church secretary, and even tutored people for free instead of at my usual rate of $15 an hour. God, I'm such a wonderful person!
As humans, we pride ourselves in our superior intelligence, customs and advanced way of living. We make great displays of our generosity by donating to charity every christmas and volunteer once in while, walking away with one less hungry person in the world and a "fuzzy feeling". This does appear to be generous, but in fact is only self-serving.
