Over the course of the semester, various points have been made in depth to criticize

volunteering and all of the related aspects. There is a wide range of subjects, but a select few are
far more important and could be considered a necessity. Discovering how one can move across
the volunteer spectrum, and how they are a part of social change is crucial to be a successful
volunteer. While everyone is still learning, possessing a better understanding of what is harmful
and what is helpful can be the beginning to a successful volunteer. Leadership, community, and
the act of volunteering itself should all be taken into account before giving time to a cause,
especially abroad. Several authors have touched on this subject, and volunteers possessing the
ability to accumulate all of the ideas will give a them a better idea of how they will affect those
they are volunteering for.
Leadership is a key aspect of volunteering. To step up, and have a true passion to help
others is where everything starts to develop. The goal is to be self-less and be sure that personal
intentions are in the right place. Altruism, or helping others without an agenda or expecting
something in return, is rare. Volunteers knowing what situation they are going into and how they
can utilize their skills to help is very important. If we want to be effective servant-leaders, we
need to be aware of who we are and how we impact others. (Keith) True leadership begins with
awareness of the situation and knowing how one can help. Leadership can be translated into
various traits when talking about community service. A leader is someone who designates time to
learn about the situation, and then decides how others can find a solution. Leaders, in this case,
are also those who stay true to their beliefs and do not give into those who may cause harm. For
example, Liza from VT Engage was stuck with the decision to turn down community members
because their idea of service abroad would result in unhelpful, risky, and unsustainable results for

the foreign city. Possessing the main leadership qualities will assist one in excelling towards
becoming a successful volunteer.
Volunteering itself should take place after the proper education and a definite idea that the
volunteer is aware of how they will be assisting the community. There should be a clear and
concise plan before beginning any service projects. Ivan Illich stated in a recent speech that The
damage to which volunteers will do willy-nilly is too high a price for the belated insight that they
shouldnt have been volunteers in the first place. Without careful consideration, research, and
involvement with the right organizations, volunteering will do more harm than good. The author
of the speech argues that volunteers are unable to relate with those that are not on the same level
ranging from income to social status. A volunteer would, hopefully, not venture into a poor city
in America and start making the changes they think should happen without facing extreme
ridicule, so why is it okay over broad? This leads right to the next point, Our task is to help each
person uncover and express their vision for the organization theyre a part of (Block). What
Peter Block means by this is portrayed by the following statement: Who knows the community
better than the members of the community, no one! Volunteers and volunteer organizations need
to take the time to bring the concerns and wishes of local residents to attention. The changes
done need to be sustainable and relevant, if not then what or who is the work really for?
Community partnerships should be made from the beginning of community service trips.
Personal relationships are recommended, but if the relationship is ongoing through a trusted
volunteer organization, that can be acceptable as well. With developed relationships, there is a
smaller chance of harm being caused to the community members, and a greater chance of selfsustainability. Peter Block mentioned Individual transformation is not the point,
strengthening the community is a collective effort and starts in the shift of our mindset about

connections. By stating this, the author further confirms a crucial belief that together, with the
help of community members and volunteers together, real positive changes can be accomplished.
Calling ahead, finding partnerships that have been ongoing for several years, and keeping in
touch are a few ways to strengthen the partnership between a volunteer and the community.
There is a true possibility for changes to be made if all the right precautions are taken. Work
should provide people with opportunities to lean and grow and fulfill their potential. (Keith)
This quote proves that volunteers are not providing useful assistance by wandering into a
community, doing a few odd jobs, and then leaving them without any support or room for
growth. I have personally heard stories from volunteers who have traveled abroad to the
Dominican Republic and worked along-side of the community member to create a sustainable
garden. They have followed up since, and maintain that partnership. This is exactly what Ivan
Illich and Peter Block have been stating, coming together can have all the difference.
Educated and prepared volunteers have the opportunity to make a difference and create
social change. This can start anywhere from spreading awareness to other volunteers, creating
more partnerships, and increased engagement throughout local communities. Social networks
have real value for both the people, as well as the bystanders. (Block) Now, the genuine
relationships that can be established will make all the difference. Every article or excerpt that has
been read in class all states how the effort to communicate well and understand the wishes of the
local community will make the volunteering meaningful. Communication may be difficult with
language barriers, misunderstandings, or other possibilities out of a very broad range. If the
people interested in creating a difference show effort, the rest will fall into place. Others who
witness the successful changes that have been made are more likely to get involved and make a
better effort as well. There needs to be an established understanding of what the volunteers are

going into and what will be accomplished when they arrive. Illich stated in his book that next to
money and guns, the third largest North American export is the U.S. idealist who turns up in
every theater of the world. This can be interpreted as American service providers only travelling
to assist underdeveloped countries for the wrong reasons. With this mindset, there can be interest
in self-gain, or just a lack of education. The first steps toward creating social change are
education and commitment. It is also crucial to remember societal views are not going to change
overnight. Further developing self-sustainable communities, educating volunteers, and creating
long-term solutions for problems is a gradual process. People wishing to get involved need to
realize that social change, community involvement, and volunteerism are closely related and
need a balance.
Everyone has their own notion of what a successful volunteer is. There are variations of
how one thinks leadership, community, and social change play into volunteering. In the long run,
variations are acceptable, but should always stem from an in-depth education on the matter. It is
important to attempt to see all points of view and understand what impact the community service
work being completed has on the surrounding community. Readings from Illich, Peter Block, and
Keith are only a few segments from the supporting articles read in community engagement class.
Almost every person, whether author, scholar, or volunteer who has been educated on the matter
stresses the importance of not harming local communities, utilizing their strengths, and making a
positive impact. Genuine service that is done with a plan, can be positively reflected on. It is
when all affairs are in order that volunteers are able to reflect, and understand their placement on
the active citizenship continuum.

When a volunteer has a clear understanding of what contributions they can provide, they
can pinpoint exactly what strengths they are able to provide a community. Motivation, passion,
and how those two factors are put into effect is how you determine an active citizen. An active
citizen is not only putting in volunteer hours, but understanding the bigger picture and becoming
a necessary part of the cause. The Virginia Tech motto Ut Prosim, that I may serve, can tie along
with becoming an active citizen. To become an active citizen, one must first start out as a
member on the active citizenship continuum. As progression along this spectrum takes place, the
volunteer transforms from someone who arrives to complete mundane tasks, into an important
member of an organization. To give this much time to an organization, something that requires
passion, fits right into Virginia Techs motto Ut prosim. As someone glides along the active
citizenship continuum, Ut prosim eventually becomes a way of life.
First things first, what are the differences of being an active citizen and being an educated
volunteer? An educated volunteer is nothing to be ashamed of. It is already half way through of
adapting a service based lifestyle. Donating time into a cause, and helping the surrounding
community will not go unnoticed, but it also is not near as satisfying as becoming an active
citizen. The active citizenship continuum proceeds as follows: member, volunteer, conscientious
citizen, and active citizen. A member, step one of the continuum, is not interested in social
issues(Active citizenship continuum). On the path to finding ones true passions, and
participating in the same one or two organizations repeatedly, climbing this continuum would be
easy.
Most of Virginia Techs students are already fifty percent through the continuum at the
volunteer stage. Spreading awareness on social issues, and probing students to become more
interested on the root causes of issues will jump start this process. An example of this, in my

opinion, is how I noticed a Tech student at Feeding America. Sam went from showing up every
once and a while and getting the job done, to eventually leading a team and actually making a
difference at the organization. I witnessed how educated she was on the subject, how dedicated
she was to the program, and how saddened everyone was by her leaving. This is just one
possibility, there are different perspectives on the continuum. To jump from stage two, to stage
three (conscientious citizen) would require getting out to students and using marketing to get
them more engaged. These students have passions, and a desire to be involved, they just need an
outlet and some organization.
When it all comes down to it, almost every student at this university has participated in a
community service event, or is still doing service to this day. The issue that remains is that there
is not a desire to dig deeper, to get educated on the matter, or to make a permanent solution to the
various problems this community faces. Everyone at Tech embraces the motto Ut Prosim
whole-heartedly, but it has the possibility to mean so much more. If groups could begin to come
together and start with simple discussions, that may make all the difference. It could begin with
three simple questions before a service event, What exactly is the issue?, Where or how did
this problem arise?, and How can I make a permanent solution or give my all?. Also, just the
simple act of increasing awareness can be helpful as well. The students transformation from
volunteer to active citizen is on them, but spreading awareness cant hurt.
The Virginia Tech campus is so strong on its values that sparking wide spread social
change would be a breeze. The final stage on the continuum is Active Citizen, where
community becomes a priority (active citizenship continuum). In my opinion, hosting events
and stressing the importance of reflection is a step in the right direction. Ultimately, it is up to the
volunteer to make a change and climb up the continuum ladder.

Over the course of four and a half months, I have remained just a volunteer on the active
citizenship continuum. I have spent my time scattered between unrelated community service
projects. Honestly, the leaders of these projects probably dont even recall my name. Even so, I
have grown from who I was in August, I started as a member. I arrived at most service events to
further my own personal agenda. Even worse, I was uneducated on the possible effects
volunteering can have on a community, and I was uneducated about the active citizenship
continuum. I had no desire to further my involvement with any one organization, to focus on
finding my passion, or to make a difference with social issues. My views on volunteering have
altered completely, and I now feel prepared to actually make a difference within an organization
or community.
First coming into SERVE, it was my belief that if people are volunteering, no harm could
come to those being helped. If people were willing to donate their time to achieve a cause, what
could be the harm. Also, I strongly believed that a volunteers internal motivation for helping
made no difference to the work being completed. I was too focused on participating in
community service events to boost my resume for college. Being completely honest, most of the
events I participated in were random and made no effect on the community and some may have
even been unwanted. Service has never been a big focus at my high school, everyone
participated because it was something you do. One example is how the Special Olympics were
hosted at our school each year, and I believed the adult volunteers participated just to get the job
done. Other students just participated because it was just what you do.
Now that I look back, it is obvious how twisted and close-minded those beliefs were. A
volunteer only focused on completing the task has a far less substantial effect on the surrounding
community than a volunteer passionate about social issues. Even if it isnt by the work being

completed, then they do a better job spreading awareness and knowing how to help the
community. Mundane efforts to get a goal completed do nothing to create self-sustaining and
long term changes. A big thing I realize now, is that the volunteers are not necessarily the only
ones being affected by their work. Especially when the work involves other people. I havent
altered my beliefs just based on what I hear in class and following that blindly. Taking the time
and focusing on the issues, noticing how real and wide-spread they are, and knowing that one
volunteer at a time can make change happen has made a difference for me. Not only does it feel
like wasted time thinking about the past, but I also see potential for others who may have been in
the same situation to become educated and open up to possibilities.
Yes, I fully admit my dedication to community service has been low. The transition from
high school to college has hit me harder than I would like to admit, even so, I am genuinely
excited for next semester. Next semester I will have more time and possibility to get more
engaged and try to find an organization I connect with. I am already on the search meeting with
people from campus kitchen, the farmers market, and some other organizations I enjoy. After
acquiring a whole new mindset and way of processing service and change, it becomes exciting.
SERVE gives so many possibilities ranging from inmates getting accustomed to homes being
built is West Virginia. I still have a lot to learn about community service, the negative and the
positive, and I am glad I am a little less ignorant than I was 4 months ago. Across this semester I
have moved from member to volunteer, and eventually I will be like Samantha and make my
way to the last stages of the active citizenship continuum. I dream of the day where I can use my
acquired knowledge and become an irreplaceable member of a service team, hopefully within the
next couple years. No-ones progress on the continuum is the same, and that is okay, as long as
there are good intentions and some prior knowledge.

Works Cited
Illich, Ivan. To Hell with Good Intentions. New York: n.p., n.d. Print.
Block, Peter. From Insights on Leadership: Service, Stewardship, Spirit, and ServantLeadership. N.p.: John Wiley and Sons, 1998. Print.
Block, Peter. Community: The Structure of Belonging. N.p.: Berrett-Koehler, 2008. Print.
Keith, Kent M. The Case for Servant Leadership. Westfield, IN: Greenleaf Center for Servant
Leadership, 2008. Print.
"Active Citizenship Continuum." Break Away: 20 Years of Active Citizenship. N.p., n.d. Web.