The Meaning of Volunteerism*

“Volunteering is an act of heroism on a grand scale.  And it matters profoundly.  It does more than help people beat the odds; it changes the odds.” 

Former President Bill Clinton 

 For many years I have been a volunteer at a faith-based agency that operates a food pantry and used furniture program for needy people.  We serve over one-hundred families each week.  Most of the food we distribute is donated by local churches, organizations and individuals and, except for a paid director and two part-time assistants, all of the work is done by volunteers.  Without its volunteers, the agency would not have the necessary finances to exist.  And, without the agency, hundreds of people each week would not have the basics they so desperately need.  Many of our clients are employed and some have two jobs; many are single mothers and many are elderly and disabled.  What they all have in common is that they need a “helping hand” to make it through the month.  Our agency is able to provide that helping hand through the generous volunteers who donate their time and talents while bringing hope to the people we serve.  And, in turn, our volunteers experience the true meaning of what it means to be members of a caring community. 

In the town where I live there is a nonprofit organization that sends high school students to global destinations (primarily emerging nations) to help build community facilities such as medical clinics, schools, daycare centers, youth facilities, and homes. The students volunteer their time and talents during school vacations and funding to participate in the experience is provided by monies raised by the students.  Through this unique volunteer experience these students are able to begin to establish a pattern of lifelong humanitarian service and are able to gain exposure to global issues and problems facing emerging countries.  And, while working alongside local residents, the students also help to foster relationships between the two cultures.

These examples of how volunteerism can make a difference and can be life changing are well expressed by author and lecturer, Marianne Williamson, who stated “In every community there is work to be done.  In every nation there are wounds to heal.  In every heart there is the power to do it.”  I believe in the power of volunteerism and what can be accomplished when people band together for a common cause.

*Written by Rose Jordan, a friend of Transdiaspora Network

Subscribe to the comments for this post

Let’s Build Something Together

In early June, The Archives of Internal Medicine published an article concluding that our health care system fails minority patients because of what the study’s author, Dr. Thomas D. Sequist, an assistant professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, called “a systemic failure to tailor treatments to patients’ cultural norms.” According to Dr. Sequist, “it isn’t that providers are doing different things for different patients. It’s that we’re doing the same thing for every patient and not accounting for individual needs. Our one-size-fits-all approach may leave minority patients with needs that aren’t being met.” To address these gaps, Sequist suggested that health care providers learn more about minority communities so they might better understand cultural barriers to treatment compliance.

As many of you know, Transdiaspora Network recently conducted a health survey in the Crown Heights community. After analyzing the survey results with  Gretchen Maneval, Lorna Mason*, and Naomi Braine at the Center for the Study of Brooklyn at Brooklyn College, we found that knowledge and impact of HIV/AIDS varied widely among survey participants, a diverse group ranging in ethnicity, age, and gender.

More than 60% of those surveyed reported that they had not participated in HIV prevention education, and 67% reported that they discussed ways to protect themselves only once per year or even less frequently.

Not surprisingly, an overwhelming majority of those surveyed (79%) reported that their HIV prevention education had not incorporated cultural elements at all.

But most interestingly, we found that 50% of those whose education had incorporated cultural heritage described their knowledge of HIV prevention as “excellent” compared to 27.7% of those whose education did not incorporate cultural heritage at all.

So what does this all mean? Sequist is right, but he is also quite wrong. While his study sheds light on the shocking lack of cultural sensitivity among most health care providers, an even more ambitious approach is needed. We must go beyond simple cultural sensitivity or even competency and demand cultural proficiency. Cultural differences need not be a limiting factor merely to be accommodated or referenced, as Sequist’s study suggests. Let’s not just consider culture. Let’s use it. Our rich cultural heritage can provide many of the tools we need to address our most intractable health challenges such as effective HIV prevention. Setting the bar higher – aiming for cultural proficiency – will allow organizations to develop more sustainable prevention programs within a community that improve the capability of its own residents. Let’s take a closer look at everything that our own community has to offer. Harnessing the full potential of our own very powerful cultural resources may well provide the more lasting, more comprehensive, and ultimately more sustainable approach to HIV prevention that we urgently need.

*TDN would like to give a special thank you to Lorna Mason for creating the beautiful graphs you see here.

Subscribe to the comments for this post