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| This is me labeling bags of sugar that will eventually be distributed with the food. |
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| This is me doing some more labeling, but this time, it's coffee! Items like sugar and coffee have to be broken down to ensure than everyone gets some, rather than a few people getting a lot. |
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| Here, I am sorting and labeling food that will eventually be stocked. This was from a huge donation right before Thanksgiving. |
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| Wow, I really love labeling pasta boxes! |
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| This is the crates of food that make up the majority of the space in the food bank. It is all organized based on what kind of food it is. |
Narrative:
Civic Duty:
Civil Service in America
Civil service, civic duty, and civic responsibility are all words that bring to mind this country’s ethic foundation. All of these terms at least partially revolve around the idea of helping others and doing so without any promise of monetary compensation, as well as ensuring that the underlying foundation of democracy is maintained through the actions of the people. The founders of this country “vested the new country’s sovereignty in the citizenry”, and therefore relied on the fact that the people would be willing to support each other and actively use their civil duties as a way to support their freedom (www.informaworld.com).
Civic responsibility is the responsibility of the citizens, and involves not only volunteering, but also “advocacy for various causes, such as political, economic, civil, and environmental or quality of life issues” (learningtogive.org). Volunteering in various ways is the option that most citizens choose to express their personal responsibility. This type of service is relevant to how America, and democratic governments in general, operate, because the good of the people is always in mind, and looked at as a top priority. In fact, the first traces of this type of political involvement can be traced to ancient Rome, the original model of democracy (learningtogive.org). Democracy is meant to be ‘of the people’, so it is fit that the people do what they can to keep their own society properly functioning, which involves looking out for those in need of help. Civic responsibility coincides with what is considered civic duty, which includes the “rights, obligations, feelings, and habits of a citizen” (informaworld.com).
Civic duties include numerous tasks. Among these are voting, serving jury duty, paying taxes, serving in the military, addressing issues that affect society as a whole, being a law abiding citizen, and volunteering (ww.eric.ed.gov). All of these ideas are in direct correlation with citizenship and what it means to be a true American citizen. They are fundamental rights established in the Constitution that are not ensured to citizens of non-democratic nations. If the previously mentioned duties are not fulfilled, then democracy seems to be “disabled” (ericdigests.org). These rights, and duties, help to ensure that the people are being governed how they please to be, and that they have a place in the political process. An emphasis is put on the American ideal of promoting the general welfare of the nation. Whether it is in the form of volunteering at a local soup kitchen, or protesting an injustice to society, civic duties exemplify this by demonstrating that the public is willing to help others and be involved in something bigger than them.
Without the implications of civic duty, American society would be extremely contrasted to what it is known as today. Civic responsibilities, when acted upon, strengthen the core of what is considered American values and ideals. Although some Americans take their rights for granted and choose not to take advantage of these duties, they still reap the benefits of years of hard work and dedication to these responsibilities
Bibliography:
Patrick, J. (n.d.). The concept of citizenship in education for democracy. Retrieved from http://www.ericdigests.org/2000-1/democracy.html
Potter, L. (2005). Documents and civic duties. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ727943&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ727943
Volgelsong-Combs, V, & Bakken, L. (2008, April 15). Civic duty. Retrieved from http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a792046918~db=all~jumptype=rss
Fostering civic responsibility. (2000). Retrieved from http://crf-usa.org/service-learning-network/8_1-fostering-civic-responsibility.html
Self , J, Civic responsibility. Retrieved from http://learningtogive.org/papers/paper11.html
Analysis:
Community Service Analysis By completing volunteer hours at a local food bank, I successfully participated in fulfilling my civic duty and my civil responsibility. I served my community by helping those in dire need, an idea that is important in American society.
Work such as volunteering may seem insignificant to some, but it is it truly does make an impact on those involved, and in the bigger picture, this nation as a whole. Many establishments that help to serve the needy, such as food banks, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters, rely heavily on the help of caring volunteers who are willing to give up their personal time to enrich the lives of others. Some people do not even realize that it is one of their responsibilities as a citizen to contribute to their community in this fashion, but simply do so to help. There is no doubt that this type of service is not only present in this country, but makes it better as well. Not all nations stress the importance of citizens helping one another, and coincidentally, do not have the type of resources for aid that this country does. Places mentioned earlier, such as the food banks, lend a helping hand to people who may have fallen on hard times. In turn, this gives the people a chance to recreate a good life for themselves, without losing hope in times of darkness. America was built on the promise of chance and opportunity, so this idea comes full circle. It is one of the distinguishing characteristics of democracy, and it remains one of the reasons why it is still highly respected and unique to other forms of government.
My personal impact was in the form of helping those who needed it in a community that I love, and have a special connection to. By volunteering in a food bank, I distributed food to people who truly needed it. Being that most of Cave Creek is a relatively affluent area, some of these people have suddenly found themselves in a position to ask for help when they previously may have been the ones helping. One volunteer told me that in the month of November alone, the food bank, which is very small and not a part of a large organization, gave food to about 500 families. Until then, I may not have fully comprehended what I was taking part in. Without the work of the volunteers at the food bank, countless of people, including young children, could have been left with nothing to eat, or with no other options but to resort to extremes to acquire food. In this light, I feel like I truly did make an impact on these people, without them having to recognize my work. I was proud to contribute to my hometown and country in this way.
Until doing research for this project, I did not completely understand how important community service is in terms of civic duty. I did not think that I had previously taken part in truly exercising my civic duties, since I cannot vote and rarely take part in any form of protest. However, now I am able to realize that I have indeed been able to participate in something that classifies me as a functional citizen of this nation. Also, I had the realization of just how much better the world we live in could be if everyone actively attempted to help those around them and better their surroundings by realizing what it means to fulfill civic duties. These duties go far beyond voting or being a law-abiding citizen. They are meant to instill a sense of identity, and a willingness to be a part of the larger picture in a meaningful way. If everyone in this country realized this, democracy, which is ‘for’ and ‘by’ the people, will continue to be promoted. Citizens may actually gain a new appreciation for what it means to be a part of a democracy, and how lucky we as Americans are to be able to live in a place where it is cherished and expected, not something to be striven for.
