Activism through community work is encouraged
by Anna Lockhart and Emily Ostroff
In a speech he made in December of last year, Barack Obama called on America to change the course of American history through service. In his speech, he outlined plans to expand the AmericaCorps and PeaceCorps, amd to to create programs in schools that would engage students in service and projects to connect organizations in need with willing volunteers. “We need your service,” he said, “right now, in this moment – our moment – in history.”
Service is a form of activism. It draws attention to aspects of our society that aren’t working, and seeks to rebuild structures that have fallen through. In many ways, our generation is out of touch with the idea that serving our country gives us a hand in the course of its history, and we need to be reminded of that.
But we shouldn’t wait for the Obama administration to pump funds into organized service programs. We have the chance to enact change through service right now.
In the Earlham community we talk a lot about social change, and we value, as a Quaker community, a striving toward social justice and peace.
In Richmond, we have ample opportunity to influence change in a city which embodies so many of the problems facing the country today.
Richmond’s unemployment rate is at 4.7% and climbing. With the recent closing of MasterBrand Cabinets and downsizing in many of the industries the city once relied on, people are struggling more and more to get by in our foundering economy. As citizens (transient or otherwise) of Richmond, we owe at least a kernel of concern for the community that houses our school.
There’s also a lot of talk among Earlham students about not feeling connected to Richmond. Serving a community is one of the best ways to learn about it.
There are always organizations that need you, from the wonderful projects coordinated by Earlham students (America Reads, Amigos), to agencies that welcome students whenever they can come (Habitat for Humanity, Rock Solid Ministries), to others that are in need of students on a regular basis (Boys and Girls Club, Girls’ Inc.), to still others who seek help in a wide variety of forms (City Hall). Our tutoring programs (Westwood, EVE tutoring, Communities in Schools) are invaluable to the community and allow us to share our main assets – knowledge and learning – with others.
We can’t stress enough how easy it is to get involved. Pay a visit to the Bonner Center for Service and Vocation (BCSV) on the first floor of LBC. You can pick up your very own copy of the Bonner Center’s Directory of Service Opportunities (this year it’s bright pink), which provides a more complete list of service sites in Richmond. The Earlham Volunteer Exchange will give you a ride to any place you’re volunteering at no charge if you sign up in the BCSV. We have resources for individuals and groups – you name it. We’re here to find any way to get you out into our community. We urge you to come to us with ANY ideas for service. If you need a guiding light, anyone in the BCSV would be glad to give you advice. You’re probably busy, too, but just giving a couple hours a week, a month, or even a semester would make a world of difference.
As the greater story goes, Obama got his start in politics doing service work in the slums of Chicago. More than campaigning, blogging, pontificating or complaining, using our convictions to serve communities in the direction of peace and justice is the most profound way to see the world change for the better. Let’s take a step toward really “engaging with a changing world” by giving a part of ourselves to the Richmond community.
Anna Lockhart is the senior intern for the Bonner Scholars Program and is reachable at lockhan@earlham.edu.
Emily Ostroff is co-convener of Earlham Volunteer Exchange, reachable at ostroem@earlham.edu.
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