The Voice » volunteering

Mandatory Volunteering?

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 21:28:05 +0000

Presentation is known for the volunteer work we do in the community. Each year, thousands of families would be left without necessary holiday items and would not be able to enjoy the festive season without our donations. Pres is lucky to have many generous girls and families on campus, making the drives successful.
What’s even more remarkable is that all this service has been done without any mandatory requirements. Unlike other Catholic high schools, Pres has never required its students to volunteer, instead espousing the idea that volunteering that comes from the heart will last a lifetime.
However, recently Presentation has begun to make it essentially mandatory to partake in the drives. Now, juniors are required to sign contracts promising to bring in bags and cans. The contracts say that students must bring in well over ten cans, spend an afternoon leafleting or picking up bags, and they must also donate during the other drives.
Right now, only the junior class is requiring girls to sign the contracts, but they mean business. The contract states that girls must bring in fifteen cans and spend at least one afternoon leafletting or picking up bags. It doesn’t take into account after-school practice, TA duties, jobs, or driving eligibility, and some girls have expressed fear that they will get in trouble if they are unable to leaflet.
Other classes are not planning on issuing contracts. According to class moderators Ms. Rosenthal and Ms. Colvin, the senior and freshman class have no plans to require participation in the drives. Also, the sophomore class is currently striving to have the girls donate without contracts; however, if the volunteer level is low, they may resort to them, said moderator Ms. Livingston.
So which is it, Pres? Do we have mandatory service hours or not?
Pres has always prided itself on not requiring students to do mandatory community service. Pres chooses to promote volunteer service because it is their goal to instill good moral values in the students. But now with the addition of contracts, it seems that service is obligatory rather than altruistic. We have always had a very giving student body, and the drives are always successful. But now, with the required service, students may feel that after they have fulfilled their contract, they have finished all of the volunteer work they ever need to do.
Presentation’s strong Catholic beliefs have pushed all Pres girls to see that there are people in our community who are less fortunate then we are. We are all aware of the hardships that homeless and poverty–stricken people endure, so there should be no reason why we wouldn’t choose to participate in these drives that represent such great causes. But now, students are feeling forced to participate in the so-called voluntary drives.
It is understandable that class moderators may feel that a contract is necessary because it is true that some girls do not participate while a few select students donate much more than others. Those few girls are the core of the drive. They spend all of their time around the drives and do everything they can to help. Without those few girls, the drives would be far less successful than they are now. However, while the contracts may scare more timid girls into helping, their threats of punishment will not change girls who are determined not to participate.
In fact, forcing students to participate brings on flashbacks to mag drive. Some of the same punishments are used in food drive as they are in mag drive–students are publicly reprimanded by not only homeroom teachers and reps, but also by the class officers. Negative reinforcement never works as well as positive feedback, so let’s hope that teachers and reps will remember that in this recession, most of us are doing the best we can, and use the contracts appropriately.
While the contracts may bring in more donations, what are they ultimately going to teach girls about giving from the heart? Some girls may choose to no longer volunteer later in life since they feel as though they were forced to early on. By keeping the drives voluntary, Pres can teach students to give because their help is needed. Not to mention the school can retain a favorite selling point: non-mandatory community service.

Volunteer Opportunities

admin — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:23:20 +0000

Feel like you want to get involved in the community, but you don’t know where to start? Grab a friend or two and check out one or more of these common places where Presentation students choose to volunteer.

Humane Society

The Humane Society is a private, non-profit organization that provides numerous care services and homes for pets. The pets are there because they do not have these things or they have owners who cannot afford these things. The closest branch to Pres is in Milpitas and is called HSSV (Humane Society of Silicon Valley). As a volunteer here, you are taught a variety of animal well-being skills and you get to play with and nurture the animals at the shelter. Callie Douthit, a junior here at Pres, said “I like giving the animals the love and attention they deserve,” on explaining what effect volunteering at the Humane Society has had on her. If you are an animal-lover, this would be the perfect place for you to volunteer. For more information on how to volunteer here, visit their website hssv.convio.net/.

Sacred Heart Community Service

You may already recognize Sacred Heart Community Service as the place where the food, pennies and toys that Presentation collects are donated. Also, many Pres students visit Sacred Heart during busy holiday seasons to help sort food and toys and distribute them to those who so desperately need them. Located in downtown San Jose, Sacred Heart offers numerous services to local residents who are in need of assistance during what may be a very difficult time. Junior Amanda Plant, who volunteered at Sacred Heart with her father, said “You realize how privileged you are and how appreciative you should be,” and working there “is a good way for your family to help other families.” The list of their services includes Louise’s Pantry, Clothes Closet, JobLink, Housing Assistance, Children’s Education, Adult Education, Legal Assistance and Embracing Families. The Embracing Families program assists families who are striving for certain goals, such as stable housing and jobs. If you are interested in volunteering here, you can contact Ms. Murphy in the CLC for further information on how to do so.

Good Samaritan Hospital

Good Samaritan Hospital, located in San Jose and Los Gatos, provides medical services to residents of Santa Clara County and surrounding areas. By volunteering here as a high school student, you would experience the medical environment as well as provide support, comfort and a set of open ears for the patients in need of services other than those surgery or medicine account for. Applying for a volunteer spot at Good Samaritan is required, and the deadline for this year’s applications is Oct. 15. Although you do not assist in medical tasks, you provide something just as important–comfort and company. Some of the procedures and conditions patients endure have a large impact on their emotional state. As a volunteer, you are available to those patients who otherwise have no one with whom to talk or give comfort through difficult times. Junior Vi Nguyen said “It’s really fun because you get to experience what it’s like working in a hospital and knowing what it’s like interacting with patients.” If you are interested in possibly applying for this volunteer opportunity contact Mr. Crary in the CEO office for an application.

Casa de Clara

Casa de Clara is an organization that provides shelter and other services to homeless women and mothers. Many of you may recognize this name if you participate in the Community Involvement club. Each month, a group of Presentation students volunteer at Casa de Clara to help serve meals and talk with the women who are living there. As students attending an all girls’ high school, we automatically share a unique connection with this organization because we know just how powerful the bond among women can be. Volunteering here would also provide countless eye-opening examples of just how difficult life can be, and how fortunate our Presentation community is to have all the resources and support we receive from our families, friends and teachers. A visit to Casa de Clara may include serving a meal, playing with children and distributing clothes, but in reality it is so much more than that. Elizabeth Cardenas, a junior here at Pres, said “The women are very inspiring because of everything they’ve been through and yet they keep their chins up and they teach you to be grateful for the life you have.” If you are interested in volunteering here, you can contact Ms. Murphy for further information on how to get involved.

BAWSI

BAWSI, which stands for Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative, was founded by Women’s World Cup Soccer Champions Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy and the former manager for the San Jose CyberRays Marlene Bjornsrud. If you are a member of Panther Pride, you may have heard about this organization or volunteered with the club when they made their weekly visits last spring. Panther Pride worked specifically with BAWSI Rollers, a program that allows physically and or mentally disabled children to participate in sports and other physical activities they would normally be unable to take part in. Some of these children are also confined to wheelchairs. BAWSI not only provides a place for the children to play sports, it also teaches the children the values of good sportsmanship that all athletes should demonstrate. As a volunteer, you get to know each of the children and help them throughout their activities. If you are interested in joining Panther Pride in their visits to BAWSI, contact Ms. Connolly or Ms. Mallison for further information.

Driven to Make a Difference

adviser — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:03:47 +0000