Why Give?

As a volunteer manager, I hear from many people who are interested in helping, and I have several conversations each week about volunteer opportunities and striking the balance in order that both volunteer and program are benefited from the service.

I guess the following argument and musings make it clear that I am not a development person and come from a very direct-service, program perspective...I believe in the idea that service, volunteering, and giving should be beneficial for the giver, volunteer, or server. I, just think, however, that the service or gift ought to be done in a way that does not expect or want; this is the way to true happiness, anyway, asking of no gratitude for work that is done. Going in with expectations of "feeling good" will ultimately hinder this feeling, and quite bluntly,  defeats the purpose of giving and serving. Many people have made the service all about them, when the only real goal of service is to benefit and support those individuals, charities, and others that need it most. 

One of my favorite quotes that I often find myself meditating on is one from Rabindranath Tagor, and goes, "I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I woke and saw that life was service. I acted, and behold, service was joy." 

So, yes, service is joy and people can certainly get a lot of perspective, purpose, and joy from giving to their community. It's just that what you're willing to give or do must be something this community wants or needs, otherwise, what's the point?  

What good is several thousand pounds of canned goods to an organization that is not a food pantry? How helpful are your grandmother's old clothes to people looking for jobs? I get queries all the time from people interested in volunteering in a specific way...for things we do not do. We need very specific types of volunteers, and it is a burden on staff to incorporate a person who wants to do a specific thing that is not currently done. Perhaps this thing isn't particularly useful to the clientele served. 

Another request I get all the time is for my organization to create large-group volunteer opportunities. People want to be able to help just once or twice a year! Why? So they can feel good about themselves! People expect that an organization ought to accommodate their schedules. We run our programs during the day, when many people with interest in volunteering are working; we ought to accommodate them, by creating opportunities to serve on the weekends and in the evenings. Creating projects that don't exist and changing working hours puts a large burden on staff and isn't actually beneficial to the people served via the program. These demands would be for the sole purpose of appeasing would-be volunteers. 

Now for the development perspective: yes, it is important to build a strong group of individuals who might be potential donors. If we engage them and they learn something about the population served or the issue at hand, they might become donors or at least  pass this knowledge on and the community will be better informed. 

Still, this is privilege-service to me. People want to have an activity once in awhile, or to say they did this or that for some person or some organization. It is a privilege to "other" and alienate these people that are served by going in to "learn" about them; it further divides people into two distinct groups. 

I encourage everyone during this holiday season to get out and volunteer! It's a great way to give back, support your community, and build relationships. I also encourage you to challenge your way of thinking. Why are you volunteering? Find out what it is that motivates you to this service. If it is self-serving, you will not get the same joy from it nor self-reflection. Serving must be for the sake of serving in order for anyone to be involved. Finally, ask organizations and charities what it is they need and be willing to do that. You might be surprised: organizations often most need someone to scrub some floors or help out with data entry. These aren't the glamorous or feel-good jobs that people often want when they go looking for service work, but these are truly the ways to give back and be humble. 

There are all types of service opportunities, and there are all types of people with unique skills and talents. Your specific skills and talents are needed some place. The best way to get involved is to ask what needs to be done, and to be humble enough to do it. Giving and service can provide real transformation in the life of a volunteer, and it is truly what life is all about. To do it right requires a certain amount of sacrifice. 

--Megan

Silver Linings Playbook-flick pick

So if you know me at all you know that I love to see a good film especially in theatre. The most recent film I've seen is going to be what I'll call my Flick Pick of the week. Not sure if I will continue to make these "flick picks" but to kick it off for this Thanksgiving holiday weekend is Silver Lining Playbook.

Directed by David O. Russell, staring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Dinero. With special guest stars Chris Tucker and Julia Stiles. To give you a quick idea of this film, Cooper is released from a mental health facility into the care of his parents and is attempting to correct certain things with himself and get his life back.

This film is captivating, very funny, and may even inspire a few to get their lives back on track. I was also very impressed by the performance of both Lawrence and Cooper, but especially Bradley Cooper whom I thought couldn't deliver this sort of range in a film. There are some parts of this film where Cooper has you really thinking that he should still be held in that mental health facility. Rumors are already spreading that Jennifer Lawrence may be a Best Actress Oscar nominee.

Only time will tell how this film does in the box office or throughout award season, but it is definitely worth seeing and I would say one of the top 5 films I've seen this year.


--Krystal

A New Thanksgiving Tradition

Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays. The tradition of bringing families and friends together being thankful for what they have and count their blessings. But year after year this holiday is changing right before our eyes with the over hyped, over advertised, expansion of "Black Friday."

This year stores opened early than ever with WalMart leading the pack and opening right after Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday afternoon. Big stores like Target, Best Buy and Macy's were not far behind, opening Thursday night. Not only has Black Friday leaked into Thanksgiving day, but stores are  advertising these "great" deals on a very select few products of a select quantity. Tantalizing the consumer with 42inch TVs for just $130 while only stocking a very few 40 of these "must have" television sets. It's all about getting the consumer in the door and it works. It amazes me that stores will open on Thanksgiving afternoon and people will rush out and away from the people they are so thankful for to stand in a long line waiting for deals that will last longer than just on this "Black Friday"

I admit that I enjoy a "good deal" just as much as the next person, but I see no reason to rush out of Thanksgiving dinner to stand in a Best Buy line for another television set only to see that this same television set will be available for a similar price in the days to come. I understand everyone is different and obviously our country is infused through capitalism, but I'd hate to think that Thanksgiving Day traditions will now include a trip to WalMart after your Thanksgiving meal.

Is it worth it to include a shopping trip as part of your Thanksgiving tradition?

--Krystal

Living History in Gettysburg

Krystal and I visited historic Gettysburg this weekend. We really enjoyed the quaint feel of the town and the wide open spaces. It made me feel like I was in a 19th century landscape. We arrived during a heritage festival weekend, and many people were out and about in downtown Gettysburg dressed in colonial clothing.
The Gettysburg park is full of monuments from the time of the battle. There is tons to explore and learn from this era in our country's history.
As a relatively young country, it is rare to find places that breathe history the way that places in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East do.
Gettysburg is one of the oldest historical sites in our nation, and the people there celebrate this history. Lincoln's face and words are everywhere, as are relics of small town, old fashioned living.

If you haven't been to Gettysburg, it is just a short drive from the District and a relaxed place to visit!

--Megan

Politics and Relationships

More than ever, politics are dividing people. Moderates are disappearing and people are becoming more extreme in their beliefs, even refusing to reconcile with persons of different beliefs.

As people become more extreme in their beliefs, political parties strategize their candidates and who will run, even knocking out people in their own parties in order to get a seat at a later time,  and more and more money is thrown into campaigns, which are often funded by super-PACS and private money.
This polarization of the political parties might be because of the tough times America faces now, as depressions and soaring unemployment rates certainly are frustrating. As I've discussed before on this blog, Why We Hate Us, gives us the idea that the internet and media has much to do with this polarization, as well, as more and more people are able to express themselves and find "niches" where people who believe like them gather.
As last week's This American Life, "Red State Blue State" notes, people aren't only divided on how things should be handled, they are divided on what are the actual issues that face America right now. "Red State Blue State" surveys people who have lost friends due to polarizing political beliefs. It was interesting to listen to because many people said they've always known the person they are now estranged from was a conservative/liberal, but at one point in recent history, it just became too much. People started refusing to respect one another's differences. They wanted to insist on people believing what they believed--as some people surveyed said: "it became too important."
What is key in all this is that people are allowed to think differently or feel differently. A person who believes in a certain party is not ignorant of the issues. Our dialogues with people from different political parties ought to be about understanding one another and listening and not changing people's minds. It's ok to say, "you're wrong," but it's not ok to say "you have to be like me."

Something to ponder in this polarized time. Political issues all have their own spin, and different parties even view different issues as important or things that should be on the national radar. It is important to encourage discourse among all US citizens. Conversations might be unpleasant, but they can still happen. You might believe that fundamentally the opposing political party is wrong, but you cannot compare them to "nazis" or call them names, this does not encourage open dialogue and instead opens the flood gates to animosity.

I encourage you all to check out the podcast "Red State Blue State" by This American Life, and try to keep the discourse civil!

--Megan

The Results are in..Now What?

Election day has come and gone. There were wins which means of course there were losses as well. All felt throughout the country. Did you vote? Did you make your voice heard? I was talking to a friend the other day and asked them if they voted in the election and was surprised to hear that they hadn't bought in to election day. This individual is not alone in their decision to stay away from the polls on election day. It is estimated that about 60% of Americans, roughly 132 million, turned out to vote. There were many high profile and big ticket items across the United States' ballots and some states passed some key legislative statements.

Big legislative results in Maryland 

Dream Act For 59% Against 41% Same-Sex Marriage For 52% Against 48% Gambling Expansion For 52% Against 48%

There were several firsts this election. For the first time, a sitting President voted early. For the first time, candidates spent over $1 billion in advertising. Total cost in all campaigns was close to $5.8 billion, about $50/voter. Most world leaders congratulated and praised Barack Obama on his re-election victory; however, some states, like Venezuela, had tempered reactions, while states like Pakistan also commented on Romney's defeat as being safer for Pakistan-United States relations.

With so much being at stake with this election everyone is waiting and wondering what will happen next. Bush tax cuts are set to expire, fiscal cliff is looming, restructuring in the president's cabinet, Obamacare is here to stay and several states have legalized same sex marriage while a couple of others legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Change is here.

How do you feel about the change that is here and the changes on the way? Do you think gridlock is to be expected or can bipartisanship prevail for the good of the people and the future of the United States.

--Krystal

Time to Vote!

Today is a great day for Americans. Election Day. Regardless of your party affiliation, Election Day can really illustrate the patriotism across the United States. I hope as everyone goes to the polls today they vote with the feeling of patriotism. Also everyone has to remember to take their time going through the entire ballot as many states have key senate races and propositions on the ballot. To help out with your voting questions check out WAMUs voter guide here. Enter in your address and view a sample ballot and have each decision broken down for you so you can easily cast your vote with adequate information.

I just heard that even with the record turnout of  2008 still only 51% of the population turned out to vote. So lets see if we can't close the gap some today. Any predictions for tonight? Share them here!

For those of you still making your decision here is a quick paragraph about what's at stake.


The winner of the presidential contest between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney
could determine the fate of the Bush tax cuts (Romney wants to extend them all; Obama
wants to extend them only for families making less than $250,000). The outcome also could
decide the future of entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid (Obama wants to
tinker with them; Romney wants to substantially overhaul them). And the race could
impact the implementation of the 2010 federal health-care law (Romney wants to repeal it;
Obama wants to keep it).   -msnbc election guide


--Krystal

Bloomberg's Endorsement

In light of the large superstorm Sandy, mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, stepped forward to endorse President Obama.
“Our climate is changing, and while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it may be — given the devastation it is wreaking — should be enough to compel all elected leaders to take immediate action," Bloomberg stated in his endorsement.
Climate change is an important and frightening issue facing America today. Scientists who study this phenomenon have been warning people about the adverse affects of human actions on the planet. And we are starting to see some reactions, too. Large storms, serious droughts and flooding, high winds, winters that are too mild, summers that are too hot, winters that are too cold...these are things that have impacted the United States in the last few years. Storms like Sandy are no longer just "freak" storms, they are something American citizens are getting used to and actual threats to people all over the country. The Onion wrote a parody of this phenomenon, pointing out, ironically, that Americans have gotten used to the idea of major storms altering life as they knew it, but still will not wrap their heads around global warming. 
Global warming is real and we must start taking it seriously in this country and all over the world. The way people live in the first world contributes to the problem of  climate change and pollution; therefore everyone needs to be on board before we can impact the issue. People need to drive less, and have more reliable public transportation options to get around. People need to live closer together. People need to recycle and conserve energy, particularly while heating and cooling their homes. These are all lifestyle changes, and it is challenging to enforce these without government regulation and strong leadership leading the way. Obama wants to invest in energy solutions. He wants to use clean energy and demonstrate ways to make our greedy lifestyles more sustainable. 
Bloomberg awoke to this issue in the wake of superstorm Sandy (and Irene, just over a year before). He saw the devastation and chaos that it wrought, and he doesn't want to sit back and let it happen again. We need strong leaders to take action on this important issue. It's not something that can wait or that we have to leverage in order to look at "more important" issues like affordability. This will be an expensive investment, but it is the only way to sustain life as we know it. It is the way to be good stewards to the earth and leave a planet for future generations. 
Bloomberg endorsed Barack Obama because Obama wants to invest in green jobs and energy solutions. Obama is looking to advance the country and take this issue into his own hands. Global warming, though not the issue I am most passionate or knowledgeable about, ought to be the issue we're all talking about. It should be the most important thing we talk about and we invest in, because it impacts the life of this planet. Everything else can fall in after that.

Tomorrow's Election Day, don't forget to vote!

--Megan