Volunteer Experience at a homeless shelter and importance of volunteering to social work
...the 1870s was to “help individuals to help themselves and to encourage personal responsibility for one another.” (Haynes & White, 385) COS evolved largely from concerns that poverty would lead to disease and social unrest. The idea was that if concerned wealthy people got together and provided for training, moral uplifting, and education, the poor would become more highly motivated and able to function independently on their own without relying on charity. They went about this through “friendly visiting” in which they made one-on-one contact with individuals and families in need. They strongly believed that volunteering was more effective than government assistance. The Societies offered no direct relief, but addressed the cycle of poverty by teaching the values of hard work and thrift to individuals and families through neighborhood charity visitors. The friendly visitors were criticized then because they were not trained and often went without adequate preparation regarding the aims and purposes of the society they served. The Settlement house movement evolved from Charity Organization societies movement. The settlement house movement focused on the cause of poverty as a social phenomenon rather than as a fault of individuals. Unlike COS, settlement houses were “characterized not by a set of services but by an approach: that initiative to correct social ills should come from indigenous neighborhood leaders or organizations.” (Blank, 3) They worked to reshape neighborhoods and expand opportunities for the working class through education and community action. The friendly visitors and settlement were volunteers who had a common goal to better their communities. The only difference between them is that settlement workers emphasized social reform and friendly visitors placed emphasis on personal problems as the proper focus of charity. Community volunteerism is very important to the personal and professional development of an individual. By caring and contributing to change, volunteers decrease suffering and disparity. Volunteering not only involves offering one’s time, energy and skills but helps to improve the lives of our neighbors and, in return, enhances our own. Volunteerism is essential to the professional development of a social worker in many ways, it allows people to learn skills, meet people and make community contact, foster new attitudes and perceptions of society, and it enhances classr...