Harini Kannan Week 10 - The Power of Volunteering
The Power of Volunteering
I’m not sure if this is a cliche subject for a blog revolving around the theme of “Power,” but I will try my best to share my thoughts in an interesting way. I feel that volunteering is a pure form of power. It is a way to create change through compassion rather than control. It is almost selfless, yet not entirely, at least in my opinion. As Joey from “Friends” says, a good deed that “made you feel really good…makes it selfish.” But I won’t dwell on that (this time). I want to talk more about my experiences volunteering and where its power lies.
Around a year ago, I signed up for a program that recruits people to virtually tutor underserved youth around the country. I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I started working with my current students. At first, they were shy. Sometimes, they weren’t very eager to learn (understandably so). But I learned to be patient and encourage them. I learned how to tutor effectively alongside my students learning how to add fractions. The power of this volunteering is in helping someone grow while growing with them.
More recently, I have begun doing environmental volunteering for my APES class (because it’s required…just kidding). In November, I planted trees in Contra Costa County. In December, I did a trash pickup at Lake Elizabeth. Today (I’m writing this on Sunday, January 26th), I did a habitat restoration near Los Gatos in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Honestly, I felt like I wasn’t doing enough during all these events. I felt like there were more trees to be planted, more trash to be picked up, more weeds to pull. But I realize now that planting a single tree or picking up a couple of pieces of trash is a step toward something bigger.
To rephrase, the power of volunteering isn’t fixing everything at once. It’s about showing up and taking action, even when the results aren’t immediate. Volunteering shows us that the power to drive change doesn’t always have to come from grand gestures. It can come from our consistent efforts that, over time, turn into something amazing.
Hi Harini! The way you wrote your blog, with a conversational and honest tone, made it really fun and engaging to read. I agree with you, that volunteering is a pure form of power, because it is a way to create direct change, though the change may be gradual and not immediately obvious. I also volunteer at my local library to teach art, and the feeling that comes knowing you were able to make a difference in your local community is truly amazing. I also really liked how you used personal experiences from volunteering to show how it affected you, and also display how your volunteering made an impact to show the value that volunteering brings to our society. Your reference to friends was also funny, and added a layer of amusement to your writing. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your blog, and can’t wait to see what you write next!
ReplyDeleteHi Harini! I just wanted to say that it's great that you're able to reflect on your experience volunteering, and how it's shaped you as an individual. I found your blog to be really thoughtful and unique; I also think that it's really fun that you're immersing yourself in APES by doing environmental-related volunteering. I agree with your point on how volunteering isn't a do-it-all-at-once process, but small thing done consistently over time. Environmental conservation is a collective effort, so keep up the good work. I hope you continue to find fulfillment in your volunteering!
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