How the Volunteer Work Relates to Wider Debates on Governance for Sustainability - Assignment Example

TOPIC : Reflect on your experiences and how this volunteer work relates to wider debates on governance for sustainability, including debates about social and environmental justice. INTRODUCTION They say that the greatest gift is giving service without asking payment in return. Well, by volunteering my services as till operator and my additional volunteer work when I steam the clothes, I am happy to share my time and my physical help to the older generations of the community(Wheeler, 2004). The following paragraphs explains how my volunteer work, as compared with my six volunteer log data, has greatly influenced my thinking on governance for sustainability(Nicola, 2006). This includes debates about social and environmental justice. BODY I. What did I do in the charity shop? (you can refer to my logs) Volunteer Log entry #1 28th October 2006, Saturday My first day of volunteer worked was focused on the charity shop manager’s introducing me to my co-workers, showing me around the shop and also dictating to me my job responsibilities. I was amazed at how the wastes were recycled into help the aged salable items. I was assigned to steam clothes that people donated. This was a true change in environment because I never did this before. I learned from the shop manager to be cheerfully patiently. My hard work was mixed with happiness and freshness because I had learned a new skill of dealing the shop customers as well as making friends with my fellow workers. I now understand what Margaret Mead’ message “Never doubt that a small group of committed individuals can change the world; in fact they are the only ones that ever have.” I and the other charity shop members are such committed individuals. Log entry #2 4th November 2006, Saturday My second volunteer day was spent learning to operate the till machine while after I finished steaming the clothes. Further I learned how to facilitate the customers’ purchases as they paid their chosen good with either cash or credit cards. Further, one particular customer encouraging smiled at me as I was taught how to process his swipe his credit card purchase. I learned my many things quickly on this day. I quickly learned and developed by serving in the charity shop that everyone ought to be involvement whenever opportunities are conducted in order to meet the needs of communities. Many such involvement opportunities including volunteering my services to steam and operate the till machine are coordinated with local community-based organizations like the Charity shop there. I learned that service has fined tuned the theories I learned in school. For example, governance is needed for sustainability, social justice and environmental justice(Stern, 2000). Log entry #3 11th November 2006, Saturday Social justice wise, I felt bothered because I had preferred the till machine job as contrasted with the steaming work because I can exert lesser effort. I am now confident enough to converse with the shop customers as well as my fellow workers in the charity shop. Educationally, I learned the new job of labeling the prices on displayed items. The prices were not whole numbers. For example, a spoon is priced at 0.99 pounds so that the customers can donate the change to the charity shop fund. I realized that the people in the neighborhood went out of their way to help others including beneficiaries of the charity shop donations. I have learned by serving both the customers and the shop workers that all parties must help foster civic responsibility. On the job training enhances the theories taught in school on social justice, environmental justice and governance for sustainability. Log entry #4 18th November 2006, Saturday This time, I had honed my skills in steaming the clothes, operating the till machines and communicating with the customer, the donors and my fellow workers, labeling the displays with the correct selling prices and others. I applied the classroom theories on the areas of governance of sustainability, social justice and environmental justice to the workplace . I now confirm that it is true that experience is the best teacher and practice makes perfect. I also learned that people are willing to donate clothes, books, toys, shoes, tableware, decorations and so on of good condition. Environmental justice succeeds when the clothes are not burned but donated to the charity shop thereby eliminating burning’s polluting of the air. Shop wise, I have learned that the culture of people with excess money and stuff donating to help others in need is different from other peoples’ culture of thrashing old clothes and stuff. Log entry #5 25th November 2006, Saturday Unfortunately, I committed mistakes on the job because of tiredness. I had accidentally burned my fingers by steam. Also, I pressed the wrong price. Luckily, the senior staff helped me a lot by using a key to cancel the deal as I filled a form stating my mistakes. I learnt how to deal with the complications of my mistakes. I learned how to handle a customer who asked for a discount because the goods were just donated for free to the charity shop. It was company policy not to give discounts. Governance of sustainability wise, I learned to follow company policies to the letter. I had learned that the money the charity shop earns are donated to the elderly in the community. This is in consonance with the social justice theory, governance of sustainability and environmental justice issues because the donors wanted to help the charity shop help the elders. Log entry #6 27th January 2007, Saturday I did not volunteer during the Christmas vacation. I apologized to the manager for not helping my co-workers during this busy time of the year. My vacation had caused my decrease in work efficiency. Governance of sustainability wise(Petrie, 2002), the store staff patiently understood me and even encouraged me to put my heart onto the work at hand. Happily, the store manager invited me to the annual meal for volunteers. Social justice wise, they were so nice to me even though I had not worked according to par. Because of their kindness and help, this time I was able to increase my patience in order to slow down and watch everything; Pay close attention to your physical surroundings: who, what when, where & how; Be aware of people’s reactions, emotions, & motivations; Ask questions that can be answered through observing; Be yourself; Observe with an optimistic curiosity; and to be ethical. II. You can state how “help the aged” helped the elders and write something about “help the aged” What is the mission of the organization (e.g. the agency’s purpose)? My on the job training in the charity shop was a great success because one of the reasons is that I learned that the mission of the charity shop was to help the retired elders by asking donations from everyone in the community. The donations would be sold to the public at less than whole number prices. The difference in selling prices will be classified as donations. The donations are then given to the elderly in the community. How does the organization fulfill its mission? Does it do what it attests to do? The charity shop where I learned much on my six day on the job training days was able to fulfill its mission to help the elderly as they spend the rest of their life in peaceful retirement. In fact, I learned that there are four charity shops near the vicinity of the charity shop that I volunteered work for. Who make up the population the organization works with? First, the population is made up of the donors of the clothes, books, toys, shoes, tableware, decorations and so on that are still of good or usable condition. Second, the elders who will be the beneficiaries or receivers of the donations from the charity shop I volunteered for are part of the population of the place where the charity shop is located. Third, the customers are part of the population of the place where the charity shop is located. Lastly, I and my fellow workers in the charity shop are part of the population of the place where the charity shop sells What are the characteristics of the client population? Characteristics wise, the client population are very kind, thoughtful and helpful and understanding. The customers and the charity shop workers are very kind and understanding to the unintentional mistakes I make while applying the theories I learned in school to the real workplace. The customers are so kind because they are willing to help the charity shop aid the elderly by buying the charity shop’s clothes, books, toys, shoes, tableware, decorations and so on that are still of good or usable condition. Finally, the client population are practicing governance of sustainability, social justice and environmental justice(Edwards, 2005) to the letter. Where is the organization located? The charity shop organization is located within the United Kingdom. It is located in a busy intersection where people composed of the donors, the charity shop customers, the shop workers and the elderly live in harmony and interdependence with each other. What does the neighborhood look like? Smell like? Sound like? The community looks like one big organization where each part performs its part so that the entire organization can move forward to accomplish its over all goals of governance of sustainability, social justice(Vincent, 2002) and environmental justice. The neighborhood smells like a well oiled and harmoniously functioning machine with perfume painstakingly pampering all sectors of the community. The neighborhood sounds like an organization is has been trained to do its part so that a masterpiece with the likes of Beethoven will be resoundingly heard all across the United Kingdom. How does the organization interact with the surrounding community? The Charity shop interacts with the surrounding community by asking donations from the people. Then, the charity shop sells the donated items to happy and willing customers. Lastly, the charity shop donates the earnings to the elderly in the community. What resources are in the community? The community resources are the workers in the charity shop. Also, the donated items are the resources of the charity shop. Finally, the kind hearted donors are also the resources of the charity shop. What is the proportion of paid staff to volunteers in the organization? The proportion of the paid staff to the volunteers in the organization is paid staff none while the volunteers one hundred percent. What is the structure of the organization? The organization is charity organization where volunteers are welcome to help the charity shop maintain, sell its products, and donate the earnings to the elderly. How is the organization funded? The organization is funded by donations from kind hearted people in the community. The donors give their used clothes, books, toys, shoes, tableware, decorations and so on that are still of good or usable condition to the charity shop to be sold. How dynamic and innovative is the organization? What evidence do you have to justify this statement? The charity shop is excellently dynamic and innovative. As evidence, the six logs mentioned here show what I and my fellow workers in the shop have been doing in order to act as the exchange site. The charity shop receives the donated items. Then the shop sells the donated items to the customers. Later, the shop donates the money to the elders. III. Sustainable community (government rules and family rules about the elders) Based on my actual experience in the field as volunteer of the charity shop, My reflection is that the government of the United Kingdom gives policies and statutes that has created a community that is conducive to charity work where each part of the community can freely help the other members of the community so that the entire community has benefited from such government rules. Family rules wise, the charity shop has put in action the theory that we must honor and respect older people than we are. Governance of sustainability wise, the donors, the charity owners and the customers have synchronized their actions so that in the end the elders will be taken cared off because they had once been productive members of society. Evidently, some of the prior feelings regarding theoretical discussions about governance for sustainability with the elderly had been reinforced while others have been changed. For one, my communication skills had been honed there. Effectively, my volunteer work there has helped me define sustainability development as the development that satisfies the need of the current population in the community without compromising the government’s sustainability of the future United Kingdom government’s ability to meet the future needs. Conclusion With my work as a volunteer in a charity home for the older people, I gave them the greatest gift of service because I did not ask for payment in return. Also, as a volunteer worker, I am happy to share my time and my physical help to the older generations of the community as I listen to their childhood, high school, college and other stories. Consequently, my volunteer work has greatly influenced my thinking on governance for the community’s sustainability. The debates about social and environmental justice will end with the donors, customers, charity shop workers doing their best to care for the elderly in the community. In conclusion, my research has proven that the United Kingdom government is serious in its endeavor to implement a sustainability program that will make living in the United Kingdom more comfortable, peaceful and safer. Finally, the government and all sectors of the charity shop community where I donated 6 days of my life has achieved a passing mark in terms of social justice and environmental justice. REFERENCES Center for Sustainability, available from: www.centerforsustainability.org/resources.php?category=91&root=91.[retrieved Mar 6, 2996] Vincent, C., 2002. Social Justice, Education and Identity. UK: RoutledgeFalmer. Wheeler, S., 2004. Planning for Sustainability: Creating Livable, Equitable, and Ecological Communities. UK: Routledge. Nicola A., 2006. Run by the community, for the community Working With Older People, Stern, D., Arie, T., 2000. Funding long term care for older people - Letter to the Editor British Medical Journal. Petrie et al.,2000. Funding of long term care for older people needs to be publicly debated. BMJ Walker, A., 2002. How the rich rob the old, , London: The Independent Edwards, C.,2005. Environmental justice, Geographical, Read More