Volunteering helping people with mental disabilities has been a great experience. It has become a routine for me to go and help them in what ever they need. Most of the time they just need a companion, someone to say hi or smile.
Throughout my last year at Washington, I want to continue volunteering with them and make my last year worth everyday; I want to know that I did not just sit around and did nothing to change what I think is wrong. Every little piece of rice counts.
With this I want to encourage anyone who reads this to participate not for getting service hours or for a project, but to be someone that helps close the gap of inequity here in our community. In American Studies this idea of inequity and inequality opens our eyes to many things that I, personally, had not recognized in the way that I understand now.
We are empowered to make a difference where something is not right. Just do something. Take Action. It does not have to do with what I am doing, but rather with something that you are passionate about.
With that said, I have gotten so attached to some of the students I work with that I wanted to go to the graduation ceremony, because some of them are actually graduating, not like us, but they get promoted to a different program where they are more independent. Here in Washington, they are learning to become as independent as they can be and when they graduate they actually become more independent. If they can have a job, they can learn about money, safety, all kinds of important things, this that we learn and take for granted.
I can not stress enough the fact that they live like a family and they take care of each other like so. Even when one person leaves the others always remember.
3 comments:
You are right! I do not think that we should volunteer for hours if we want to make a difference! It is also true that American Studies has made us realize the bigger inequalities and inequities. Great Post!!!
Well said Maria, we don't need to help out and volunteer only because of a project or because of community service hours. You're also right that American Studies opened our minds to the inequity and inequality that we live in. I'm not going to lie, but before American Studies I was very ignorant of what was going on in our own communities. After the first final I realized there is a lot of inequity in the U.S. and I'm glad we got to fight this second semester. Now because of this project I will most likely be volunteering more, and not for the hours, but for the help that is needed. Good job Maria, keep up the good work.
It's nice to see you working with people that have mental disabilities and wanting enjoying it, there are a lot of people in this world that have little or no tolerance for these people and it is fantastic to see someone with motivation going and helping them.
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