Community Service: 2010

An Explanation of My Community Service Hours

My community service is centered on civic duty, specifically consisting of feeding the hungry. My volunteer work was done at St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, whose mission is “to promote the elimination of hunger through the gathering and distribution of food while encouraging self-sufficiency through advocacy and education.” I participated at their location in Phoenix on 31^st Avenue, where I packed food in bags, delivered food to people’s cars, and helped organize their facility through breaking down boxes. The first day of volunteering was the more labor-intensive of the two, working for eight hours and doing more running around. Day two was less strenuous, working for three hours and staying in one area instead of doing work that involves more movement. On that day, our group packed a total of 1,350 boxes, which equated to 250,000 pounds of food. I felt that my experience volunteering was very successful, and that many people were able to benefit through our acts of civic duty.

A Summative on Civic Duty

Civic duty, in simplest term, is defined as “the responsibilities of a citizen” (Princeton). In other words, civic duty is a reflection of patriotism. Because the government provides its citizens with benefits such as protection, citizens then have an obligation to the government. This is most commonly shown through obedience to the law, completing jury duty, and paying taxes (U.S. Legal). However, it is not confined solely to serving the government of one’s country, but also helping people in need within that country.

Civic duty is vital to any nation’s well-being, keeping peace and order within the nation. Obeying the law, while some might see it as the most basic reflection of civic duty, is crucial; without these standards and regulations for citizens to abide by, the entire nation would drown in chaos. Although many view jury duty and tax-paying as superfluous, both play an essential role in giving back to the government. They both help enforce the law, and taxes give out other benefits, including public education. The military is able to protect the country in times of trouble that the government would otherwise not be able to do. Its citizens are therefore protected, and the nation is able to thrive to its full potential.

When a national crisis occurs, civic duty links citizens together to promote assistance towards whatever the cause may be. The most thorough understanding of civic duty is shown through historical examples. Arguably the most profound nation-wide movement of civic duty, September 11, 2001 united all of America to repair the damage caused by that infamous day. The tragic event marked the death of nearly 3000 people (CNN U.S.), and stirred the nation’s sense of loyalty to their government and their commitment to aid those affected. Firefighters challenged death, resulting in numerous survivors as well as almost 300 deaths of their own (NY Magazine). Many joined the military to help protect their country from future occurrences as horrific as that day. Others simply donated, whether it was time or money, and raised about one and a half million dollars to September 11 charities (NY Magazine). That day had a clear impact on America, inspiring citizens to support the nation in any way possible, enacting their sense of civic duty.

Another incident that aroused America’s sense of civic duty was Hurricane Katrina. On August 29, 2005, a hurricane hit the Gulf of Mexico, destroying everything it touched. From the five state affected, there totaled 1,833 deaths, 300,000 homes destroyed, and an estimated 125 to 150 billion dollars in economic loss (Tate). People around the nation found ways to help clean up the mess and repair people’s lives, and the Gulf has been restored because of their sense of civic duty.

Without civic duty, the nation would be lost. It establishes a foundation of security, democracy, and hope. As important as it is to give back to the government, it is equally as important to give to others. A nation’s government cannot be considered successful if its citizens are suffering. Although all of that suffering will never fully be eliminated, civic duty allows for more individual prosperity, which then allows for national prosperity. America would have never recovered from September 11, Hurricane Katrina, and other deadly events such as these if civic duty did not play a role. This reflection of patriotism truly shows the success of the country.

Works Cited

Princeton. Web Definition. Definition of Civic Duty. Retrieved from wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn.

U.S.

Legal. Definitions. Civic Duty Law and Legal Definition. Retrieved from http://definitions.uslegal.com/c/civic-duty/.

Tate, K. (24 August 2010). Environment. Hurricane Katrina History and Numbers. Received from http://www.livescience.com/environment/hurricane-katrina-new-orleans-aftermath-infographic-100824.html.

CNN

U.S.

(29 October 2003). World Trade Center. New York Reduces 9/11 Death Toll by 40. Received from http://articles.cnn.com/2003-10-29/us/wtc.deaths_1_death-toll-world-trade-center-names?_s=PM:US.

NY Magazine. 9/11 by the Numbers. Death, Destruction, Charity, Salvation, War, Money, Real Estate, Spouses, Babies, and Other September 11 Statistics. Received from http://nymag.com/news/articles/wtc/1year/numbers.htm.

Analysis of Civic Duty

The theme of my civic duty was feeding the hungry, accomplished through volunteering at St. Mary’s Food Bank. The warehouse was packed with different forms of food: in boxes, in cans, frozen goods, and even fresh produce. Although it seems like a hefty amount of food, with all the boxes we packed the food disappeared before our very eyes, on their way to hungry people, waiting as patiently as they could for it.

Food banks have become almost a necessity in “bad” or “gruesome” parts of towns, with many people living in poverty, struggling for their next meal. This generous offer is taken advantage of by so many people that some less fortunate were turned away. Never the less, many have been helped because of institutions like St. Mary’s.

Out of all the forms of civil service, food banks have become some of the most popular that volunteers donate food, money, and their time and service to. For food banks as well-recognized as St. Mary’s, volunteers are so numerous that they have to make an appointment ahead of time; spots fill up quickly, and some are even turned away because there are too many volunteers. While some of these volunteers are considered “regulars” by the employees because of how often they come, others donate their time semi-annually or annually and make a day out of it. Food banks may be reliant on volunteers, but they are not in short supply.

Society benefits tremendously from food banks, from the perspective of both the receiver and the volunteer. On the day that I helped people take food out to their car, it felt like it would never end, not because the task was tiresome, but because of the amount of people that were there. Herds of people kept flocking to the doors of St. Mary’s, eagerly anticipating the food that they would bring home with them. Many of these people had their children with them, some too young to comprehend the desperate situation that they were in; they were simply happy with the food brought home from their grocery shopping trip where they did not have to do any actual shopping, just waiting for the food to be delivered. The recipients of the food seemed grateful, and minus a few people who, after receiving their food, decided to take a cigarette-break in the parking lot, the gratefulness could not be more legitimate.
The experience of volunteering moved me as well. One woman who I helped explained to me her situation: she was laid off of work three months ago, she continued searching for a job but had no success, had children to take care of. She openly admitted to me that this was her first time to come to the food bank. She did not care about her pride, but rather her children; her honest effort in searching for a job led her to the doors of the food bank, but she refused to give up. It made me realize how much a lot of these people deserve food banks like this, and how much better off the country is for that.

One man that I helped was the most genuinely thankful person that I encountered the entire day. He kept on telling me the entire way to his car how happy he was that we were doing this, how good for the community it is, and how much he appreciates it. Before I left to continue my work, he left me with: “God bless you.” He was so humble and appreciative, one of reasons the experience was worth-while. His gratefulness reminded me how deserving people are of benefits like this, and that our volunteering efforts have not gone to waste.

Pictures

Our Volunteer Badge

Mission: "To promote the elimination of hunger through the gathering and distribution of food while encouraging self-sufficiency through advocacy and education."

Values: "We are inspired by helping others. We celebrate our heritage and embrace our role as ambassadors of food banking. We better our community through innovative and professional service. We treat everyone with dignity and respect. We act with integrity and impeccable stewardship. We value and encourage teamwork."