How can you educate others or raise awareness about this group or social issue?
I can educate others and raise awareness about a group or social issue through direct communication. There are several ways to directly communicate with the student body here at Virginia Tech, one of them being The Collegiate Times and The Tab; I can reach out to them and see if they would be interested in doing an article on our service trip. Something new I think would be great to incorporate are brief, one hour seminars that teach attendees about the social group or change it is focused on. For example, since VT Engage frequently goes to Feeding America to help combat food deserts, we could hold a seminar on food deserts, how they impact local communities, and what everyday citizens can do to help. Word of mouth is also a simple yet highly effective method of communication through which we can also use emotion to get people excited and passionate about what we do.
Do you see benefits of doing community work? Why or why not?
I see great benefits to doing community work, both for those to which the service is being provided and for those conducting the work. The recipients have the benefit of what the community service produces, such as the houses constructed by Habitat for Humanity, or the food from Plenty farms. Those completing the community service receive the invaluable lessons that come along with the experience. For Habitat For Humanity, the workers learn that not everyone is able to have a sufficient quality of living, and get the humbling opportunity to help those who do not. Plenty farms offers insight into the lifestyle of farm labor, which is especially eye-opening and exciting for students who have never set foot in such an environment, such as myself. While at the end of the trip it may seem as if only the recipients have benefited, but I believe that the new perspective offered to those who service is just as, if not more, valuable.
What institutional structures are in place at your site or in the community? How do they affect the people you work with?
The primary institutional structure in my community is the one I attend, Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech’s motto, Ut Prosim, or That I May Serve, brings forward a crowd that has a passion for community service and strives to help others in any way they can. This also includes taking initiative themselves and starting their own programs to organize community service trips, such as VT Engage and the several service-oriented fraternities. These service initiatives further expand the horizons in which Hokies have the opportunity to serve, from Blacksburg all the way to Peru. Overall, Virginia Tech is a pioneer in community service initiatives not only in the Blacksburg area, but all around the globe, and the people this brings are some of the greatest, most kind people one can meet.
What did you do that seemed to be effective or ineffective in the community?
One of the community outreach activities I have done is Fire Prevention Night in my hometown of Medford, NJ. As a member of Medford’s Junior Fire and EMS Program, I had the opportunity to help run the event where we invite the entire town to the local park and offer them a grand tour of our firetrucks, ambulances, and police vehicles, as well as the chance to shoot the firehoses and learn basic medical techniques. Each year Fire Prevention Night was a huge success; aside from years when it rained, we always had a huge turnout and I feel like I made genuine connections with the people I conversed with, which was especially important as someone who was representing the township. We also offered free smoke detectors and installation instructions, benefiting Medford’s citizenship from a safety perspective as well.
What are the most difficult or satisfying parts of your work? Why?
As a volunteer EMT, one of the hardest parts of the job is not knowing what happens to my patients. We turn them over to the ER nurse and after that we usually don’t hear anything about them again unless they reach out to us, which is difficult and consequently usually does not happen. However, the patients are also the most satisfying part of my work. It brings me great pleasure to be able to help someone in their time of need when they cannot help themselves. Almost ironically, sometimes the patients whose attitudes are the most difficult to work with are the most satisfying to treat, because often by the time you have them at the hospital they’re feeling much better and apologize for their earlier behavior. That’s what I get the most enjoyment out of – being able to bring someone from a crummy situation and sour mood to a slightly better situation and grateful mood.
How are your values expressed through your community work?
The values I hold closest are selflessness, honesty, and caring of each other, all of which I can express passionately as a volunteer EMT. Selflessness is present on each call we go on, as we’re putting ourselves in harm’s way for the benefit of others. We risk catching diseases, such as those transmitted through blood, and our own physical safety, one example being when we’re on the scene of a motor vehicle crash, but each time we keep coming back. Honesty is another crucial part of being an EMT – even if the patient may not want to hear it, we often have to be the bearers of bad news. This is also where caring for others comes in; although it isn’t in the job description, it’s also our job to help the patients mentally cope through their darker hours.
Because of my service learning, I am more culturally affluent than ever before. Because of my service learning, I have a more accurate perspective on the different lives people lead. Because of my service learning, I am driven to continue helping others through their times of need.