A writer's Random ramblings
How can we, as parents, help the school system demonstrate civic pride? After all, many school systems now require students to acquire Service Learning Hours to graduate. Many parents need or want to model for younger children how to do this in order to inspire them as they grow. Oftentimes, we also lack clear ways to show them how to accomplish the feat.
Community service begins with donation of time and/or goods when possible. Show up for the children’s school events or designate someone who can help photograph or video-record them if you work at night. Keep in touch with the teachers and see when you can send in things the class may need or If they have a particular opportunity to help a charity by donating extra things from around the house. If time permits, chaperone a class trip or event. Alternatively, volunteer to help copy, color or cut out paper items for elementary teachers, or see if you can help lead an after-school program with your special skills. Schools appreciate help with the arts, foreign languages, and many other ideas. Beyond the school, let the children see when you give to groups. This begins with allowing them to help you stuff money in envelopes or put stamps on the ones to be mailed. Let a cashier or self-checkout machine round up a grocery bill and donate the change to a worthy cause. Tell the children when you hear that a given brand or product gives back to the community. Make sure to buy those brands within the products you need while shopping. Have the child help pack up toys and clothes her or she has outgrown and/or bring those items to a local charity. Many times, extra towels and blankets can be brought to an animal shelter for puppy or kitten season. Let the child dial the phone and listen as you discuss with the local shelter whether they need such donations. Point out any articles or televised stories about people who serve their communities in various ways as examples for the child. Thus, children can learn by example. Parents and the people featured in news stories become the leaders. Through such modeling, children can see that the world has positive influences as well as negative ones. Exposure to this idea helps the young people decide which way to go later, especially when positive stories receive more attention than negative ones. Parents provide the best way into that idea as children learn to serve their communities, whether for school credit or to perform civic duty.
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Recently, many news programs have presented stories regarding the homeless community. IN some places, the tents in which these folks live and even their prized possessions fall into the trash. Cities seek to “clean up” their areas. They claim it lies in the interest of public health and services. If those who lose what they identify as their homes are our neighbors, shouldn’t we look out for them as they seek to become productive members of society?
Anyone who cares about humanity needs to jump in on this issue. Business owners can donate money, time, and even property to groups who work for the equality of all. Those who have businesses in construction and real estate begin the process. Those who have real estate deemed uninhabitable can give the land to programs setting up shelters and places for people to stay. They could donate the land to groups such as Habitat for Humanity. This group often has the recipient of a home to be built pitch in toward the house if he or she can. The idea can extend to vocational and art schools. Hire those about to graduate both. Those in building trades can build or renovate the structures once they learn how. They can do so either in classes or by serving internships with those already in the trades. Maybe the students could even earn service learning hours if they need those toward graduation by helping on these projects. Art schools can provide students who want to paint and wallpaper buildings or help future tenants and owners with decorating their spaces. This could also be done as internship hours for service credits or for money. Those who receive the homes from these ventures can then learn to help others. They can construct and decorate others’ homes. They could help renovate buildings for business or teaching purposes alongside the students who helped them gain homes. Other community members with particular interests and skills can jump in and help the whole process. For example, perhaps the homeless being helped in these programs decide through their affiliation that they would like to become social workers or public health officers. The people providing these services can refer them to educational programs to then help others. Once everyone comes together in these or similar ways, cities can revitalize downtown, uptown, and everywhere to make a better society. Any student, intern, volunteer, or worker can help and inspire others. Colleges and trade schools alike can take in those receiving services who then want to pay it forward to others. Through these programs and ideas, people can learn to overcome prejudices of prior generations and show future ones better ways for humanity to operate. |
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