CSP1001

What does Volunteerism mean to you?

I define volunteerism as the act of carrying out activities for the greater benefit of a community

with little or no benefit to the party carrying out the action. Volunteerism may be done for a

number of reasons but should not include to receive an income or to gain publicity for the

individual or group initiating the activity. There are a few benefits that the initiating individuals

have from carrying out a voluntary action such as: growing one’s knowledge base about the

activity in which they are part taking, social entrepreneurship, and networking or build a

community in which one resides.

As our life’s become more filled with work, family, and personal commitments, we tend to lose

sight on our health, relationships and finances. Maybe this is our livelihood, but we need to

make some time to think about, how can I make the surround I live in a better place for me and

everyone else to live in?

Looking at volunteerism from a historical and religious background, volunteerism dates back to

the times of Jesus. Mathew 7:12 reads: Do unto others as you would want them do unto you.

This incorporates from a little kind gesture of helping an old lady cross the street to a well

planned wide scale “feed the poor” operation in some deprived country.

Volunteering usually brings together like minded people who may come from diverse

backgrounds and working with them, one may learn more about a culture that they would

probably never get a chance to experience. Volunteerism, because it brings people together for

one cause, to help others, usually involve many people working in a group setting to complete

specific tasks and this may teach group dynamics, which is an essential skill to master for

especially school and work because one will learn how different personalities may contribute to

the desired outcome.

We may not have the power to make life better for everyone, but we do have the power to

make it better for at least one person and with that frame of mind, we would’ve made at least

one less person feel deprived of basic necessities of life that we all have the right to enjoy.

September 22, 2009