Community service and volunteering may seem synonymous, but the different connotations and, frankly, the reality of both are quite different.
I have a problem with how Durango and our humanity as a whole views community service. Court-ordered community service, more often than not, misrepresents service work and is, in the end, counterproductive to the intended goal. I think the intended goal is a good one: People who committed an offense must, instead of serving time in one of America’s abominable prisons, perform unpaid work to make the community better.
The truth is that much of the court-ordered community service involves work that may superficially appear to “benefit” the community, such as picking up trash, but in reality deprives the offenders of an opportunity to possibly change their ethical beliefs. By working in a personable or rewarding volunteering position, the offenders have an opportunity to build skills and connections to possibly change their lives, and therefore the community, for the better. The last thing that people who are sentenced to community service need is another eight hours of isolation on the highway picking up trash. They need real, raw, human interaction. Changing a person’s beliefs must ultimately come from within, but meaningful and realistic community service is a great place to give them a start.
On another note, the volunteers have just as big a problem as the voluntold. The majority of the American population does not volunteer. According to data from September 2013 through September 2014 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
8.8 percent of the U.S. population with less than a high school diploma volunteered at least once.
21.9 percent of Americans ages 16 to 24 volunteered at least once.
New light needs to be shed on the importance of volunteering to everyone, but particularly the youths within our town. I know it’s a graduation requirement, but by simply putting the word requirement makes it feel like a punishment.
To start, teachers, coaches and other adult leaders can push the importance of community outreach to students. Clubs and sports should not only stress the importance of volunteering once or twice a season but make it a regular part of participation.
In my experience, community service, err, volunteering, offers high school students an unparalleled opportunity to see the bigger picture and wholeheartedly contribute to a cause bigger than school, sports or video games. Most volunteer work offers immediate visual reward: seeing money being raised; completing a construction or renovation project for an organization that helps those in need; or simply making others smile with appreciation for your work.
There is something more to the visual payoff, though.
The youth today, my generation, are not supposed to help. We are the generation with less physical human interaction than ever, with kids who would rather play on their phones than contribute to society. We have been coined with too many underwhelming nicknames and false stereotypes to count. I know you have heard it before, but we can do something. And it starts with volunteer work.
I, for one, feel misrepresented. Yes, I have a Facebook account. Yes, I am guilty of watching football on a Sunday afternoon instead of doing homework, but I care. I care about making our community better. It is one thing to identify a problem, it’s another to fix it. The variety of volunteer opportunities within our community is an immediate and tangible action we can take to make a difference.
The fact that we don’t get paid for it helps. It shows that money doesn’t matter as much as other things, however much the new iPhone costs. It helps show that hard work can be put in without expecting a materialistic reward. Jobs are necessary, but so is realizing how important giving back to the community is. It is one of the most rewarding, responsible and proactive things we can do at our young age.
Here are some organizations that would love your volunteer help:
Trails 2000 is an organization that helps rebuild local trails, perfect for the avid hiker, biker or runner.
La Plata County Youth Services has numerous programs it can get you in touch with ranging from art workshops, graffiti education groups and helping with special-needs people.
Durango Community Shelter needs help with meal prep almost every day.
Wolfwood Refuge outside Ignacio has volunteer opportunities with feeding, watering and helping maintain wolf dogs.
I urge you to find time in the next few holiday months to give back to the community that raised you in whatever form you choose.
Harry Steinberg is the sports editor at El Diablo, the Durango High School student newspaper. He is the son of Jason and Beth Steinberg of Durango.
