Introduction
Community service is a popular activity among Americans today, and I would like to be a part of this idea. More than 51% of the US population over 16 years, about 124.7 million, are informally involved in volunteering, while 60.7 million formally organize similar services (Schneider & Marshall, 2023). Initially, it was hard for me to understand which community site to choose because I wanted to help different people regardless of their age, gender, race, or other demographic characteristics.
After researching my options, I discovered the Salvation Army in Turlock, whose intentions covered the local community’s spiritual, physical, and emotional needs without discrimination (“What do we do,” n.d.). I joined the organization as a volunteer, and this reflection aims to discuss the main aspects of my experiences and address the strengths and challenges of my work.
Community Site
The Salvation Army is an international organization led by the principles of the Christian Church and the distribution of God’s name among the population. However, instead of relying on the Bible’s words, this team proves its worth by offering real help for people in need: free breakfasts, food boxes, communication, sharing living space, and housing support. My role as a volunteer at the Salvation Army is delivering food boxes and communicating with the locals. I can help people meet their basic needs and share their best and sincere emotions about how mutual support and cooperation can make a person smile and believe in something good.
Expectations and Reality
When I had the opportunity to choose a service, I preferred to work on delivery because I like change and discovering new places and people. Still, my expectations were not high because I understood my role was simple—to get the box from the organization and deliver it to a particular person. However, I was lucky to realize that my opinion was incomplete.
When delivering food boxes to needy families, I could see people and their reactions to what I was doing. Most did not expect external help from the Salvation Army, and their emotions were never fake. I also talked to other team members, and we shared our experiences to define where our services could be vital. Cooperation and mutual support created the strongest feelings about what I had to do and how to improve this world.
Community Involvement
It is not enough to say that I liked volunteering at the Salvation Army. In fact, it has been an eye-opening experience for several reasons. First, I have never thought that many people are eager to spend their free time helping others in difficult situations. Defining specific goals or establishing some boundaries was unnecessary because people were motivated to serve the community on their own.
Second, I was surprised that individuals with different backgrounds could cooperate and complete multiple tasks despite a lack of evident leadership. There is no need to have just one person to lead a team, but to discover the strengths of each individual and use them. Finally, this volunteering practice is a good opportunity to understand how poverty, poor housing, and other social issues affect people, not in general but specifically.
Motivation
Going to the workplace is not always easy, not because it is uninteresting or too many tasks to be done, but because of some personal factors. For example, I know that volunteering is based on free will. According to Fernandes and de Matos (2023), volunteering is associated with engagement, dedication, and interaction. However, there were moments when I did not have the power to do something or spend much time doing the same job.
In this case, I remembered that this practice was necessary for my future career in public services. I am a volunteer, but it does not mean I can do whatever I want. It means I become an example for others and do something necessary for my community. These thoughts about the future have become the best motivator during my practice.
Skills at the Community Site
In addition to motivating and evaluating my obligations, the community site allowed me to discover several critical skills for my personal and professional development. One of the main benefits of volunteering is establishing professional relationships with different people. With time, I have noticed that I do not need much time to initiate a talk.
My communication skills have improved significantly, and I know how to involve people in discussions. Another important skill is active listening, which differs from ordinary listening in that it involves asking questions or using eye contact or other non-verbal communication means. Many people want to be listened to, but they also want to be heard, and I am working on my active listening skills to ensure individuals enjoy talking to me.
People Who Impress
Cooperation with people is the main advantage of my volunteering experience. I met many interesting men and women who shared their ideas and stories about how the Salvation Army changed their lives. However, one young girl in the community’s story impressed me the most. During our communication, she was a regular team member and had completed all the expected functions. Still, not long ago, she was one of those who received the help offered by the Salvation Army.
She was from an incomplete family, where the mother took care of three children alone because their father died in an accident, and no governmental support was offered. They did not have much money to buy food or clothes. When she learned about the community site, she wanted to join it, not because she needed help but because she knew so many people suffering from similar situations. She proved that mutual help, faith in God, and cooperation were the most important things in this life, and she wanted to share these ideas with others.
Benefits of Doing Community Work
In fact, there are more stories similar to the one told by the girl, and I began to discover new benefits of doing community work in places like the Salvation Army. It is a good chance to decrease loneliness and find new friends with the same interests and plans. Today, it is so easy to find people online and talk distantly, but it is also so difficult to meet a real person and trust them. Community services unite people with different backgrounds and expand the opportunities for socialization.
Another benefit is related to self-confidence because this job provides a strong sense of accomplishment and belonging to a good team. In addition, the Salvation Army does not differentiate people but follows the principle of non-discrimination against racism, sexism, disabilities, and sexual harassment (“Statement on non-discrimination,” n.d.). There are many situations when people are misjudged or misunderstood systematically, and this team takes a step to reduce the impact of inequality in human life.
Changes in Views
Initially, I planned to say that volunteering changed my views about the needy populations. Still, I want to be honest with myself and others who would find my reflection on this experience. Since my conscious life, I have known that millions of people live in poverty for different reasons. Although the government offers some help and programs, these steps are insufficient.
The population with whom I have been working included individuals from low-income families or damaged regions where anger, dishonesty, and hopelessness had a significant impact. As I expected, some were ready to accept food or other options, while others rejected everything or wanted more. People in need are unpredictable, and a good community service worker has to know how to find the necessary approach.
Impact of the Environment and Social Conditions
In addition to personal skills and knowledge, the environment and society affect the work of the Salvation Army and the individuals who get help. My organization has already helped millions of people locally and globally, which has become possible due to regular donations and cooperation. The government may not participate in such activities, but ordinary people who know how to help and believe in God play an important role. In America, poverty is a serious social concern, and a single organization cannot end it. However, its contributions are priceless when this site increases awareness, informs communities, and works directly with the population.
Institutional Structures
Institutional structures can be organized formally and informally to solve social problems and population challenges. My community has several public and private schools, churches, a library, and an administrative office. Cooperation between these structures and the Salvation Army has its impact and is always different: restrictions from administration, motivation from churches, and inspiration from schools.
Thus, I should not neglect their presence because they are good sources of information and external help. It is easy for people to exchange information when they work within the same institutional structure. Academic facilities create individuals’ educational backgrounds, while churches effectively promote spiritual support.
Experience and Worldview
Considering my experience at the Salvation Army, I can confidently say that my worldview has been positively changed. I have learned that human faith is one of the strongest bases for cooperation. God guides people to develop the best qualities and understand each other’s needs. They notice the details affecting other lives, including the inability or unwillingness to ask for help or food. I have observed how my values have been reshaped spiritually and emotionally. My compassion and desire to listen to people are contributions that do not cost a thing (from a financial perspective) but may become priceless to another person.
Career Options
Changes in my worldviews and observations have also affected my attitudes toward my career growth. In fact, I have begun evaluating my options for volunteering, but I have faced some questions about the necessity of combining financial and emotional aspects. On the one hand, volunteering is one of the best ways to achieve self-sufficiency and feel happy about what I can do.
On the other hand, I am still trying to figure out how to become financially stable and independent if I spend most of my time volunteering. At the same time, this experience has significantly improved my professional skills, including communication, cooperation, leadership, and goal orientation.
Reasons for the Salvation Army to Exist
Organizations like the Salvation Army in Turlock are obligatory for any nation because they help people in need and develop professionalism in people ready to work. The first reason for its existence is the possibility of saving and properly distributing available resources. Some people do not know how much waste exists because they do not use available resources rationally.
The second reason is supporting the hopeless and the helpless, because only a few formal institutional structures and organizations are ready to do the same. Finally, such activities bring people together and increase their self-esteem and confidence that they can make this world better by spending several hours volunteering.
Surprises in Community Involvement
Following my expectations, community involvement is always associated with excitement and surprises, and my Salvation Army was no exception. Initially, I was impressed by the number of people eager to work at the site free of charge. Most of them shared their religious beliefs and hoped to improve the world and help those who needed it.
With time, I observed that they never mentioned regretting their decisions. This means that volunteering is a social good and a source of personal satisfaction. Still, I was surprised that a few family members were in the same organization, meaning people wanted to diversify their activities and experiences.
Effective and Ineffective Aspects
It is not always easy for me to assess my work and contributions to the community. Still, at this moment, I did several things that seemed effective in the community. I always came happy and with a smile on my face to demonstrate my positive intentions and readiness to work. I also asked questions and gave answers to prove my involvement in discussions.
In addition, I noticed that when some workers had concerns, I was eager to help them, at least by listening to them. Talking about ineffectiveness at work, such a short period of my volunteering practice did not allow me to demonstrate all my best qualities. Time management was also a weakness of mine that I would like to improve.
Understanding of the Community
As a result of my participation in this project, my understanding of the community has undergone several changes. I learned that the number of people involved in similar activities had a crucial influence on the quality of work. Besides, there were external changes that the community could not control (e.g., economic crisis, the pandemic, and administrative limitations). I also noticed that people who chose to volunteer had different cultural backgrounds, but they had to have one thing in common for cooperation, and it was faith in God at the Salvation Army.
Further Involvement
If someone asked if I plan to continue my involvement with this group, my answer would be “Yes.” The Salvation Army is an international organization that tries to help people from around the world. I want to gain more experience and understanding of this type of work by visiting other countries and comparing living conditions and people’s needs, depending on their geographical locations and personal beliefs.
Importance of Education
The idea of volunteering is based on experience and knowledge exchange, and it is my direct responsibility to raise people’s awareness of the Salvation Army, which helps to deal with poverty and hopelessness. I am not a teacher by profession, but I can share my stories online and explain how the site changes the world. Another form of education is the distribution of video stories; when people observe others at work, they can create their own opinions about volunteering. Finally, I want to create several questionnaires in which many people like to participate and make them consider their appropriateness for a charitable organization.
Difficulties and Satisfaction
The most challenging part of my work at the organization was coping with my feelings when I saw families that lived in poverty and could not do anything to change the situation. When people have all the necessary things for comfortable living, they do not think about others who might lack something. In my case, I could not deal with negative emotions about why so many individuals of different ages could not find jobs or governmental support to improve their lives. Still, I was satisfied with the possibility of facilitating their living by sharing free food. It was true happiness to see how grateful people could be today.
Disappointment and Success
My disappointment and success in volunteering at the Salvation Army were closely connected. Some friends and family members did not understand my intention to participate in that project and believed I spent my time in vain. They gave a list of reasons to find another practice that could bring me money, and I was disappointed to learn that some people still put financial benefits over spiritual satisfaction.
However, I proved this charity was crucial for many people and my country. I used vivid examples and stories to explain the worth of the Salvation Army in my community. I learned that communication could be more effective if all participants have clear arguments and real-life evidence to verify their intentions.
Outsiders and Insiders
During my community work experience, I have not dealt with being an outsider at my site because it contradicts all my team’s principles and core values. This charity organization has a clear and inspiring statement to remove unlawful gender/sex/color/religion discrimination and harassment (“Statement on non-discrimination,” n.d.). Being an outsider means not belonging to a particular group, while insiders share common ideas and cooperate for the same purpose. I admired the excellent opportunity for an organization to solve the problem of outsiders by uniting under the Christian faith.
Values
With collaboration and mutual support, which are inherent to most employees at the Salvation Army, the company follows the values of honesty, fairness, love, openness, and self-giving. All these values are also on my list, and I am lucky to express them through my community work. Being honest all the time is not necessary, but fair relationships create a solid background for a happy and healthy community. Love and compassion should not mislead people by making impulsive decisions; thus, I integrate self-giving with tolerance and determination to ensure my actions do not harm me.
Despite my positive attitude toward my volunteer work, several things occasionally made me uncomfortable. For example, I missed an opportunity to gather with my team in one place and discuss current achievements and difficulties. Most of the work was done outside the main office, and this uncertainty and belongingness to the whole community made me nervous. Another challenge was gathering a lot of information within short deadlines, and I could not work with the same clients when I wanted to.
Conclusion
Because of my service-learning, I know that many people might have reasons for asking or not asking for help, and my responsibility as a good community member is to observe and make decisions. Although it is hard to believe that someone’s happiness depends on me, this experience allowed me to discover the worth of mutual support and cooperation. Not all individuals develop similar positive attitudes toward volunteering, but my faith and knowledge lead me in the right direction.
I know what I can and should do, and I will continue participating in similar activities to share my resources and hope for a better future for my community. In general, this practice and my reflection show how people may live, and whether it is possible to change something. I am glad to be a part of the Salvation Army in Turlock, and I want to believe that God’s grace that motivates the chosen community site can spread across the globe.
References
Fernandes, T., & de Matos, M. A. (2023). Towards a better understanding of volunteer engagement: Self-determined motivations, self-expression needs and co-creation outcomes. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 33(7), 1-27. Web.
Schneider, E., & Marshall, T. J. (2023). At height of pandemic, more than half of people age 16 and over helped neighbors, 23% formally volunteered. United States Census Bureau. Web.
Statement on non-discrimination in programs and services. (n.d.). The Salvation Army. Web.
What do we do? (n.d.). The Salvation Army. Web.