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Revolving: Why Do We Need To Pursue Our Community

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Introduction Imagine a world without volunteers. In major times of crisis around the world, there would be no one to rush in to supply aid for those devastated by tsunamis, earthquakes, and hurricanes. If we bring that in to a more local level, imagine living in a rural area about 30 minutes from city limits and there is an emergency. 911 is frantically dialed and the dispatcher responds with “I am sorry but you are third in line and the fire truck or ambulance may be there within the next few hours. Many people do not see the amount of work and effort that volunteers put in to make things like this move as smoothly as possible but we are facing a problem. There are areas where 911 services are too far away to respond in a timely manner. …show more content…

A lot of people see the problems that plague our community as large problems that require too much involvement and time commitment. Others may just feel as if they are not qualified to help anyone else. Then there are those that have time, want to help, are able to help, but do not know how to connect with people or agencies that need help. Burnout is another major issue that plagues volunteers for several reasons. People may not see their work as important or may feel overwhelmed because the lack of new volunteers coming along side to lift up and support the current volunteers. In the article The Revolving Door, the authors argue that there are people volunteering but burnout is a major issue. (Allen, J. 2013) When an agency loses a volunteer, there is a strain put on the rest of the volunteers to pick up the slack and there is a never ending battle to keep people …show more content…

There are several benefits to volunteering. Several studies show that volunteering helps man kind in several aspects to life. According to Allen, D, the author of the article Volunteering works, volunteering can help one’s improve mental health and quality of life. (Allen, D. 2008) This article goes on to explain several benefits to volunteering such as building skills and confidence in volunteers. There is also a community sustainability aspect to helping others within our community. If we lend a helping hand to others in need, we set the example and hopefully others will follow. When there is a strong volunteer base in a community, the community itself will start to flourish in several aspects. The authors of Volunteerism and sustainable livelihoods asserts that the key attribute of volunteerism is the “glue” that holds a group or society together. Conclusion Needs of our community can be met if several people just give a little bit of time and effort. There could potentially be a major shift in the way the community acts as a whole and the way the community presents itself. It could potentially help clean up some neighborhoods and help guide people into a better way of living. There is a large need that must be met, but if everyone did their part and just put in a little bit of time volunteering, we could see the needs start to diminish and the community grow

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