Madeline Dowd

October 3rd, 2015

LDRS 1015
Criticisms on Volunteerism

Everyone does community service for different reasons: some because they are forced,
others because they have a quota of hours they must perform, but my reasoning for performing
service differs from both of those. I do community service, because I want to help better others
lives. I mentioned this in my previous essay and I stand behind this. Many people do community
service because they have a longing to help others, but what they dont realize is how their
underlying motives for volunteering can be selfish. Altruism is nearly impossible to avoid, but
everyone, including myself, could improve. If someone doesnt know what they are doing
wrong, then they have no way to improve; The best way for someone to improve is to be made
aware of the faults in their work, so that they can avoid making the same wrongs when they
serve others again.
One of the most common reasons people volunteer is because they feel as if they need to
because they are fortunate enough to have more than those who they serve. This is a common
thought. I know sometimes I find myself complaining about not having something that I want
and then I think to myself, but there are others out there who would kill to have what I have.
This is not a good mentality for someone to have because that means they are serving only
because they feel bad. Davis stated, I choose to serve you because I see you suffering. I cant
help but imagine myself suffering and, I dont want to suffer. By alleviating your suffering, I take
care of myself. This is a potentially cynical view because the server emphasizes her own good

rather than that of whomever she serves. Its good for you, yes, but Im doing it because its good
for me. (Davis 2-3) Some may argue, does it really matter what someones motive is for
helping others, as long as they are helping others? But it does matter; it matters because if
someones mindset is so self absorbed, they wont take the time to get to the root of the problem,
they will just temporarily fix the problem.
On top of volunteering because they cant imagine their selves in that situation, people
also have a tendency to throw money in the direction of those who need help and thats what they
consider helping. People who are in communities that are assisted by only having money
thrown at them begin to loose hope and stop trying to help themselves. They become reliant on
outsiders who come in with the Santa Clause mentality, throwing gifts and money all around.
These Santa Clause helpers think they are helping, but they are actually creating a community
that holds a permanent dependence on money or monetary gifts being thrown at them, so they
loose their ability to create solutions to their problems. As Kretzmann & McKnight said, They

begintoseethemselvesaspeoplewithspecialneedsthatcanonlybemet
byoutsiders.Theybecomeconsumersofservices,withnoincentivetobeproducers.Ican
avoidbeingavolunteerthatcreatesthiskindofatmospherebysittingdownwiththe
communitiesIhelptofindtherootcauseoftheirproblems.Thatway,Icancreateasolution
thateliminatestheproblemandkeepsitawayforgenerationstocome.
IvanIllichmentionedanothercriticismofvolunteering;Thatmanypeoplewho
volunteergointocommunitiesanddomoredamagethanhelp.Hesaidthatbecause
Americanshaveatendencytointrudeonacommunityinalargegroupandtrytohelp,but
theydontthinkaboutthedamagethatresultsfromthembarginginonacommunitywithout

preparingthemaheadoftime.HeusedtheexampleofAmericansvolunteeringabroadin
LatinAmericaasanexample.Hearguesthat[volunteers]starton[their]taskwithoutany
training.EventhePeaceCorpsspendsaround$10,000oneachcorpsmembertohelphim
adapttohisnewenvironmentandtoguardhimagainstcultureshock.Howoddthatnobody
everthoughtaboutspendingmoneytoeducatepoorMexicansinordertopreventthemfrom
thecultureshockofmeeting[theAmericanvolunteers]?(Illich,4)Manyvolunteersareso
caughtupindoinggoodforothersthattheydontevenconsiderthatitcouldbe
overwhelmingforpeopleofanother,foreigncommunitytoadjusttheirwayoflifeto
accommodateforallthechangesvolunteersinflictonthem.Thisisevidentinthemovie,
LivingonOneDollar.Inthemovie,afewguysgotoGuatemalaforeightweeksandliveon
onedollarperday.Throughthefilm,weseethemstrugglewiththeunrealisticrealityfor
manyoflivinginarural,impoverishedareaononedollaraday.Theybattleillness,having
todealwithfinances,education,family/friends,andmuchmore.Theproblemwiththeway
theywentaboutdoingthisexperimentistheexactproblemthatIllichmentioned;they
simplyintrudedonafamilyandexpectedtheytoaccommodateforthembeingintheirliving
space.Yes,theywereintrudingonthisfamilybecausetheyweretryingtohaveapositive
outcomeresultfromtheexperiment,buttherewasalsosomedamagedonebythemstaying
inthefamilysspace.Ibelievethatwhilevolunteering,Ihaventintrudedonanother
communitybecauseIhavenottraveledabroad.However,fromhearingfrommyfriendsthat
havevolunteeredabroad,Idobelievethatthisisaproblem.IhopethatifIevergetthe
opportunitytovolunteerabroad,thatIlookintowhatorganizationIgowith.Bydoingthat,I
willhaveabetterunderstandingoftherelationshipbetweenthevolunteeringorganization

andthecommunitythatisgoingtobehelped.IwillbeabletohelpeducatethepeoplethatI
volunteerwithontheproblemwithsimplyintrudingonanothercommunitywithout
preparingthembeforehandonwhatisgoingtohappen,sowecandevelopstrategiestohelp
preparethecommunitybeforewearrive.
Onewaythateveryonecouldmakevolunteeringmoreeffectiveforthecommunities
thatneedhelparetohavethemcommunicatetheirstorytothevolunteers.Thisisa
suggestionmadebyBaldwin.Baldwinemphasizedtheimportanceofpeopleputtingthings
downonpaperinstoryformorverbalizingtheirstoryinsomeotherformofcommunication.
Storytheabundanceofitandthelackofitshapeus.Storytheabundanceofit,andthelack
ofitgivesusplace,lineage,history,asenseofselfThepowerofstoryisunderstoodbythe
powerful,yetthepowerofstorybelongstoallofus,especiallytheleastpowerful(Baldwin
34).HestatesthatThepowerofstoryisunderstoodbythepowerful;Bythis,hestates
thatthepowerbehindlettingpeopleinneedcommunicatewhattheyhavestruggledwithand
whattheyneedhelpwith,willbeunderstoodbythepeoplevolunteering,thepowerful.
Whenhesaysthepowerofthestorybelongstoallofus,hestatesthatthepowerofpeople
inneedcommunicatingtheirstrugglesandwhattheyneedhelpwithwillhelpboththe
volunteerspurposebyallowingthemtoproperlyhelpwheretheyareneededanditwillhelp
thepeoplewhoneedhelpbecauseitwilllimittheamountofintensefeelingsofdisarray
whenthevolunteerscomeintotheircommunity.IbelievewhatBaldwinsaidisverytrue;the
powerofstorycanhelpimprovetherelationsinvolvedinvolunteering,whichinturnwill
makevolunteeringmoreproductive.
I believe it is always great to end on a positive note.Whilevolunteeringhasitsflaws,it

isagreatwaytobringcommunitiestogether.Blockstated,Along with this distress comes

the knowledge that each of us, myself included, is participating in creating this world. If it is true
that we are creating this world, then each of us has the power to heal its woundedness. This is not
about guilt; it is about accountability. Citizens, in their capacity to come together and choose to
be accountable, are our best shot at making a difference. Each of us has the power to leave a
positive, permanent impact in communities that we serve and through improving our service, we
improve the world! Cole couldnt have stated it better when he said in brief moments of caring,
we can give service an everyday life.

Works Cited
Baldwin, Christina. Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives through the
Power and Practice of Story. Novato: New World Library, 2007. Print.
Block, Peter. Community: The Structure of Belonging. San Francisco: BerretKoehler Publishers, 2008. Print.
Block, Peter. "From leadership to citizenship." Insights on Leadership:
Service, Stewardship, Spirit, and Servant-leadership. Ed. Larry C.
Spears,New York: Wiley,1998. 87-95. Print.
Coles, Robert. The Call of Service. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1994.
Print.
Davis, Adams. What We Dont Talk about When We Dont Talk about
Service. The Civically Engaged Reader: A Diverse Collection of Short
Provocative Readings on Civic Activity. Ed. Davis, Adams & Elizabeth
Lynn, Chicago:Great Books Foundation, 2006. 148-154. Print.
Illich, Ivan. "To hell with good intentions." An Address to the Conference
on InterAmerican Student Projects (CIASP) in Cuernavaca, Mexico,
on April. Vol. 20. 1968.
Kretzmann, John, and John P. McKnight. "Assetsbased community
development." National Civic Review 85.4 (1996): 23-29.
Ingrasci, Zach, and Temple, Chris, and Leonard, Sean. Living on One
Dollar. Movie