The organization formally called Andre House is essentially a non-profit organization dedicated to providing for homeless individuals living in the Phoenix area. I have personally volunteered at Andre House a little over half a dozen times, and each time it impresses me even more. The food kitchen feeds hundreds of homeless people every day. The majority of the work that is accomplished at Andre House is accomplished purely by volunteers.
The experience at Andre House is priceless. Although it seems to be a food kitchen just like any other, the concept of a food kitchen being located no more than thirty five miles from Anthem is mind-boggling. It is difficult for Anthem citizens, who are usually sheltered within their three thousand square-foot homes, to comprehend the fact that there are thousands of people starving on the streets less than an hour’s drive away. It is a truly humbling experience to spend even a few short hours at one of the many food kitchens there are in the world and experience what it means to do your civic duty for the less fortunate.
The implications that civic service like that of a food kitchen may have on society today are numerous. The most obvious implication of civic service is that the homeless individuals are able to eat a free meal and possibly obtain free clothing and other supplies. The circumstances that may have put a homeless person in their position are numerous and diverse. The person may either have a mental problem, or they could be addicted to some sort of drug that has caused them to struggle with daily tasks, or they may have simply lost their job and find it difficult to get back on their feet. Regardless of the reason, non-profit organizations like Andre House give homeless people the opportunity to have another chance at regaining a normal life and becoming the person they dream of being.
However, not all of the implications of this particular form of civic duty are positive. The idea that the services at Andre House could be taken advantage of is a disturbing thought, but the idea is true. While volunteering at Andre House, one of the leaders there stated that some of the homeless individuals that walk through the line choose to live the life they live. Many of the people that live on the streets choose that lifestyle. It is a difficult thing for middle or upper-class individuals to comprehend, but many people enjoy a homeless lifestyle. The homeless person is provided with the materials that are required to survive, like food, water, and shelter. They are not forced to work, pay taxes, or participate in any other typical American habits. Each homeless person can easily find a way to live completely off of the government. Food kitchens like Andre House are numerous in every major city around the nation. While this lifestyle is not illegal, or necessarily immoral, the fact still remains that homeless people that choose to be homeless are living for free off of the funding of the government, yet offer no civic service in return.
Civic Duty is a fundamental piece of the American system. It is not difficult to see how giving back to the community can improve the well-being of America as a nation. Community service can give much needed aid to those in need; it can lead to government action through participation in politics, and can even help protect the people living in America. It is important to recognize the importance of participating in the community and being a valuable part of society. These principles establish the very basis of America as a nation and provide America with the ability to operate as an effective democracy.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Civic Duty Summative
Civic Duty is defined as “the responsibilities of a citizen” (dictionary.com). Although this definition is very vague, it nevertheless gets to the heart of what civic duty truly is. As a U.S. citizen, a person is expected to serve their community in some way. Whether that way is through community service or not is up to that specific individual. Many would state that it is only their civic duty to do things for the government, like participate in voting or show up for jury duty. However, community service is a great way to give back to the community.
In a nutshell, doing community service through civic duty means that the person is going through a non-profit organization that gives back to the community. In order to be classified as a non-profit organization the organization must in some way be giving back charitably to their community and the IRS and the government must recognize them as a non-profit organization (nonprofit.about.com). A non-profit organization, however, is still a business and still must take expenses into account. However, the funding for non-profits stems partially from government and privately funded grants and contributions and partially from earned income by the organization (artsusa.org).
America is a big participant in the area of civic duty. America is notorious for being a supporter of community service. No other country supplies more community service projects than America does. However civic duty does not stop at community service alone. The idea of civic duty can also be applied to voter participation and participation in the government as a whole. Without American citizens participating in the government, the American system of democracy would fail because it relies solely on the support of its citizens.
Some forms of civic duty that most people may overlook are some of the most important examples of being a responsible citizen. One form of civic duty is abiding by the law. People overlook this simple concept because it is simply expected that people should respect the law or else they will likely be punished. Paying taxes to the government can also be considered civic duty. Although it is expected that every taxpayer should pay their taxes or else be punished for it, many forget that paying taxes is not just a way that the government is trying to punish its citizens. In reality, tax money is a necessity for the government to operate; as it is the main source of revenue for America, accounting for four in every five federal revenue dollars (taxpolicycenter.org). Another form of civic duty that citizens often don’t categorize as such is military service. In reality, military service is one of the most respectful and honorable ways that a person can serve his or her country. However people often do not categorize military service as a form of civic duty, simply because they see it as being a career choice. In the same way, becoming a police officer, doctor, or teacher can also be considered a civic duty.
Civic duty often has very loose interpretations. However, it is no dispute that America puts a great amount of emphasis on the importance of civic duty. Whether a person is participating in community service through a non-profit organization or getting involved in political structure, the civic services they provide to the country are vital for the country’s well-being.
Bibliography
(2010). Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/civic+duty.
(2010). Nonprofit.about.com. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from
http://nonprofit.about.com/od/nonprofitbasics/a/classifications.htm.
(2009). Taxpolicycenter.org. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/background/numbers/revenue.cfm.
(2004). Artsusa.org. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from
http://www.artsusa.org/pdf/get_involved/advocacy/research/2007/revsources.pdf.
In a nutshell, doing community service through civic duty means that the person is going through a non-profit organization that gives back to the community. In order to be classified as a non-profit organization the organization must in some way be giving back charitably to their community and the IRS and the government must recognize them as a non-profit organization (nonprofit.about.com). A non-profit organization, however, is still a business and still must take expenses into account. However, the funding for non-profits stems partially from government and privately funded grants and contributions and partially from earned income by the organization (artsusa.org).
America is a big participant in the area of civic duty. America is notorious for being a supporter of community service. No other country supplies more community service projects than America does. However civic duty does not stop at community service alone. The idea of civic duty can also be applied to voter participation and participation in the government as a whole. Without American citizens participating in the government, the American system of democracy would fail because it relies solely on the support of its citizens.
Some forms of civic duty that most people may overlook are some of the most important examples of being a responsible citizen. One form of civic duty is abiding by the law. People overlook this simple concept because it is simply expected that people should respect the law or else they will likely be punished. Paying taxes to the government can also be considered civic duty. Although it is expected that every taxpayer should pay their taxes or else be punished for it, many forget that paying taxes is not just a way that the government is trying to punish its citizens. In reality, tax money is a necessity for the government to operate; as it is the main source of revenue for America, accounting for four in every five federal revenue dollars (taxpolicycenter.org). Another form of civic duty that citizens often don’t categorize as such is military service. In reality, military service is one of the most respectful and honorable ways that a person can serve his or her country. However people often do not categorize military service as a form of civic duty, simply because they see it as being a career choice. In the same way, becoming a police officer, doctor, or teacher can also be considered a civic duty.
Civic duty often has very loose interpretations. However, it is no dispute that America puts a great amount of emphasis on the importance of civic duty. Whether a person is participating in community service through a non-profit organization or getting involved in political structure, the civic services they provide to the country are vital for the country’s well-being.
Bibliography
(2010). Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/civic+duty.
(2010). Nonprofit.about.com. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from
http://nonprofit.about.com/od/nonprofitbasics/a/classifications.htm.
(2009). Taxpolicycenter.org. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/background/numbers/revenue.cfm.
(2004). Artsusa.org. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from
http://www.artsusa.org/pdf/get_involved/advocacy/research/2007/revsources.pdf.
Explanation of Hours - Narrative
The first day that I spent at Andre House, along with fellow group members Jared, Max, Eric, Julian, and Ryan, was a typical food kitchen experience. When we arrived we were instructed to sign in, wash our hands, put our gloves on, and get to work. We began by buttering bread and preparing it to be given out to homeless people. While buttering the bread we were able to get to know the people working along with us. Most of the volunteers seemed to originate from youth groups or some sort of church group, while just as many volunteers were students like us that needed community service hours. After we finished buttering hundreds of pieces of bread, we moved on to wrap forks in napkins. After finishing with the utensils, I went to the basement where we were instructed to break in boxes and prepare them for recycling.
It sort of impressed me that Andre House takes the time to recycle their boxes even when they have hundreds of other tasks to complete every day. After breaking down those boxes we took boxes of food out of the food storage and returned to the kitchen where we made final preparations for the people to come through the food line. I was personally assigned to dish duty on this occasion so I didn’t get to experience the actual food line, but I was still able to interact with the homeless individuals as they thanked each of us graciously for their food. After we finished serving hundreds of people, we had to clean the whole place top to bottom and wrap up our day.
The days following the first were composed of basically the same general idea except with different activities. The second day was spent mostly in the basement working with clothing and other materials, while the third was another day of food kitchen work. The experience was altogether enjoyable, even though it was composed of a lot of hard work. It was a great bonus to be able to interact with the individuals that experience Andre House every day. I learned a lot about civil service through my several trips over the years to Andre House.
It sort of impressed me that Andre House takes the time to recycle their boxes even when they have hundreds of other tasks to complete every day. After breaking down those boxes we took boxes of food out of the food storage and returned to the kitchen where we made final preparations for the people to come through the food line. I was personally assigned to dish duty on this occasion so I didn’t get to experience the actual food line, but I was still able to interact with the homeless individuals as they thanked each of us graciously for their food. After we finished serving hundreds of people, we had to clean the whole place top to bottom and wrap up our day.
The days following the first were composed of basically the same general idea except with different activities. The second day was spent mostly in the basement working with clothing and other materials, while the third was another day of food kitchen work. The experience was altogether enjoyable, even though it was composed of a lot of hard work. It was a great bonus to be able to interact with the individuals that experience Andre House every day. I learned a lot about civil service through my several trips over the years to Andre House.
Pictures
Our group playing with our food. Preparing turkey for turkey soup by taking the bones out and tearing the meat apart.
Getting ready to clean the bathrooms. They are cleaned before and after each group of people.
The basement. Hundreds of boxes of clothes, toiletries, shoes, food, and other necessities to life are stored and organized below the soup kitchen.
Ryan and me doin work! Moving boxes around in the food storage.
The mess hall where all the people come to eat their food. This is also cleaned before and after each meal.
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