Our Journeys of Service
By David Kelly-Hedrick, Western Regional Field Representative, Youth Volunteer Corps of America
This article originally appeared in the Spring, 1997 issue of The Resource Connection. It remains a classic that has withstood the test of time.
We are each on a journey of service individually, and we are all on a journey of service together. This simple realization has a myriad of meanings to explore and ponder. In our experiences with national and community service programs, we can take the opportunity to learn both personally and communally, and to deepen and broaden the ethic of service for ourselves. This applies to all of us connected with the programs: AmeriCorps members, program staff, Corporation for National Service staff, trainers, senior volunteers, youth volunteers, project directors, those receiving service, communities-at-large, and others whom I may have missed. We all need to be encouraged to participate in the sharing of observations, realizations, feelings, and insights along our journeys of service.
The mission of the Youth Volunteer Corps of America is to "create and increase volunteer opportunities to enrich America's youth, address community needs, and develop a lifetime commitment to service." As a National Direct AmeriCorps and volunteer-generator model program, we have sought ways to assist our members in exploring the ethic of service for themselves, and in promoting and developing the ethic with the teams of middle and high school-aged youth that they lead on projects. Reflection is a critical component of our program and is something that we strive to practice as we preach to our members.
Why we serve
A positive and meaningful way to commence a year of service is by discussing with members the variety of reasons, impulses, and purposes behind why they serve. Reasons include personal, social obligation, religious, and family history to name a few. This is best explored in a safe, non-judgmental arena -- it helps raise awareness and links members to the larger role, the big picture, of service. It also important to make concerted and genuine attempts to help members see the impact that is made by a person who serves: upon themselves, the recipients of service, the programs, and the communities they work in. Helping them see the expanding circles of impact can help them define their reason and purpose of service. Below are some ideas for helping members understand their roles in service.
Ways to Explore Ethic of Service in a Training Environment
- Community Dialogues on Service
Bring members together with people of the communities in which they are serving and facilitate discussion around a variety of subjects related to the ethic of service. - Timeline of Service
Create a historical timeline of important dates in the history of service (e.g., CCC, Civil Rights Movement) on a large roll of paper. Allow members and staff to add personal milestones of service/volunteerism from their own lives and that of their families/ancestors/communities. Leave room for current year activities and highlights to be added at subsequent trainings. Finally, extend the timeline into the future as a way to have members put down future goals related to their service journey, keeping the goals as concrete as possible. - Member Journals or Portfolios
Use journals as a place to record and reflect on the service experience; further promote this process by providing time, encouragement, starter questions, and opportunities for sharing. - Develop Personal Mission Statements
Include a workshop on this at your initial training and revisit it. A powerful and succinct mission statement connects with core values, and expresses reasons for being in the program and doing the work. Other related activities include identifying service heroes and the reasons they are so, or choosing a service mentor and making a plan to utilize such a mentor during the coming year. - Conduct A Service Project During Training
Involve members in the development and implementation of a project during each training. This grounds all attendees to the community and its needs, with reflection on the project as an important additional aspect. Offer suggestions and ideas for improving such a project in the future. Part of this activity is to assist members and staff in establishing models for continuous improvement of their programs and themselves.
Reflection Activities
Numerous reflection activities can be designed to explore service and its benefits. Not all need be done through talking or writing--the following are a few creative approaches:
- The Arts
Create community murals for one of the national days of service, or include drawings, collages, poetry around the theme of service in member journals or portfolios. - Multi-media
Include video, role-playing, skits and performances, web page design, and other similar ways of sharing and promoting the ethic of service. - Silent or Guided Meditation
take time to be still, listen to the silence, serve through non-action, ponder deeply, and become more self-aware of one's actions, reactions, and the consequences.
