(This is an excerpt from a blog written by Chris Jarvis)
Many argue that volunteer rates are falling. They complain that people today (usually young people) won’t make commitments to a cause. The problem, people tell me, is that volunteers want to know what’s in it for them. Yep, it’s true. But self-interest isn’t the problem. It’s the solution.
Why we do what we do
People volunteer for every imaginable reason.
“I have so much, I just want to give back.” or, “We wanted to be part of the solution.” or, “There are people out there who need our help.” Or so on. And so forth.
Some are prompted by an advertisement on the subway. Others are invited to volunteer by friends or family. It may be that they were urged to get more active in the community by our religious leaders. Or possibly, someone took President Obama’s message of activism to heart.
All good reasons. Just not good enough.
The best reason for volunteering is always self-interest.
I know, I know. You think I am drunk-blogging. Hold on, I’ll explain.
“Self-interested volunteering” seems generally at odds with everything we’ve come to believe about volunteering. Right? “Self-interested volunteers.” Isn’t that an oxy-moron? What about altruism and the greater good?
In Realized Worth training sessions we raise this controversial point and discuss two reasons why self-interest is an essential aspect of an outstanding volunteer experience. Both reasons have to do with motivation.
First, as my partner Angela Parker will tell you with great conviction, “We all do what we want.” Meaning, there is always some kind of motivation and pay-off for the choices we make. When it comes to motivation, the discussion can get pretty complicated. Very rarely (if at all) will someone make a choice with singular motivation. Usually there are multiple motivators, each compelling the other. (Test this by evaluating why you chose the particulars of your lunch yesterday.)
The Ins and Outs of Motivation
For simplicity’s sake, I would suggest that we experience two kinds of motivation: one; extrinsic and two; intrinsic. When people volunteer for the first time, they are usually motivated extrinsically. (Such as a desire to “give back.”) Extrinsic motivators exist outside of an individual. They are not intimate. And while extrinsic motivations are important, they are not deeply rooted in our personality. More precisely, they are not essential factors in our journey to become who we are.
Colorado Rocky Mountain School is an independent high school in the heart of the Rocky Mountains where student-initiated philanthropic clubs abound. From Operation Smile and Face Aids to Peace Jam and Souls4Souls, CRMS students continually expand their interest in, and fundraising efforts surrounding, global humanitarian causes. And while all these clubs enjoy strong membership, an amazing thing happened the other day when one student proposed starting a Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) chapter. Based on an international foundation that promotes kindness (established in 1995 as a 501c3 nonprofit organization) the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is a resource for people committed to spreading kindness.
So Grady, a CRMS senior, announces at a weekly all-school meeting that he would like to start a RAK chapter and to simply reply to his email if anyone is interested in being involved. Well, as a small school with only 145 students and 35 faculty/staff, over 55 people immediately responded and joined his effort. So one week into the new RAK club, over one-third of the school is involved in promoting kindness and unexpected gifts of gratitude
Since 2006, McKesson has partnered with humanitarian organization World Vision to provide more than 175,000 World Vision Caregiver Kits to local community caregivers who care for those living with AIDS in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The Company's expertise and infrastructure in distributing medical-surgical supplies have allowed McKesson to negotiate dramatic discounts with suppliers on the kits' contents, passing these savings on to the community groups — schools, churches and businesses — that purchase materials and assemble the kits for World Vision to distribute in remote areas of developing countries.
(This article is worthy of posting in it's entirety) Friends and fellow Colorado Rocky Mountain School juniors Kelsey Bohannon and JJ Worley recently found a way to help needy people around the world, and keep what otherwise would be trash out of area landfills.
Through the Soles4Souls shoe charity, they collected some 500 pairs of used shoes from throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. The shoes will be sent to a warehouse in Nevada, and eventually shipped to villages around the world where people cannot afford to buy shoes themselves.
“I heard about it and it just interested me as a way for people do something for those in need without sending money,” said Bohannon, 16, who lives in Glenwood Springs.
“Some people don't like giving money, because they're not sure what's really going to happen to it,” she said. “There's not much else you can do with used shoes, though. You know someone is going to be wearing them who needs them.”
Worley, also 16, from Carbondale, looks at it as a “one person's trash is another person's treasure” sort of approach to global charity.
“People really do get tired of donating money. This is a way to get rid of something you'd be throwing away anyway, and for a good cause,” she said.
Bohannon and Worley put up flyers around the valley and set up collection boxes at Summit Canyon Mountaineering in Glenwood Springs and at Dos Gringos Burritos in Carbondale.
“They asked me to come empty the box at Summit because it was overflowing,” Bohannon said. “The shoes filled up my car.”
Once they collected all the shoes they realized it would cost $230 to ship them to Nevada, even after the 80 percent charity discount from UPS. So they approached the Aspen Skiing Company, and it covered the shipping cost.
“We didn't even think about the money part of it,” Worley said. “We really want to thank the Skico for helping us out.”
They received some interesting shoes along the way, including some Go-Go boots, a pair of snowboard boots, and ballet slippers.
“Some of them are pretty fancy shoes, and not very used at all,” Bohannon said.
Miser's Mercantile, a local second-hand store, also donated some of the shoes it had in stock, and the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary collected a box of shoes as well.
The students may do another drive in the future, but their collection efforts are done for now. However, Independence Run and Hike, a local running and outdoor gear store, is also a collection location for Soles4Souls.
The store, located in the Gateway Plaza at Highway 133 and Cowen Drive in Carbondale, is collecting “gently worn” footwear and/or monetary donations to help ship the shoes.
The shoes sometimes go to victims of a natural disaster, or who are subject to living in extreme poverty, according to the organization's website, www.giveshoes.org.
“It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets,” it notes. “The charity can use each and every one of these pairs to make a tangible difference in someone's life.”
Independence Run and Hike owner Brion After said he is glad to contribute, both in the charitable sense and because of the reduced environmental impact of recycling used shoes.
“We believe in taking care of the land that takes care of us,” he said. “Partnering with Soles4Souls enables the local running and hiking community to be environmental stewards and assist those in need throughout the world.” jstroud@postindependent.com
For more information on Colorado Rocky Mountain School please contact lraleigh@crms.org
The patents at issue give Myriad Genetics a virtual monopoly on such predictive testing for breast and ovarian cancer, according to the suit. Women who fear they may be at an increased risk are barred from having anyone look at their BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes or interpret them except for the patent holder, which charges about $3,000 per test.
About 10 percent of women with breast cancer are likely to have a mutation inherited from their parents in the genes at issue, according to the suit.
The Patent and Trademark Office first issued a patent for a human gene in 1982 to the Regents of the University of California in connection with a hormone promoting breast development during pregnancy.The patents at issue give Myriad Genetics a virtual monopoly on such predictive... more
Trees for Troops has touched 50,082 military families by providing them a fresh, farm-grown Christmas tree for the holidays.Trees for Troops has touched 50,082 military families by providing them a fresh,... more
AFP - The food crisis in poor countries coupled with the global economic crisis have caused a spike in world hunger, with more than one billion people undernourished this year, the UN food agencies said Wednesday.AFP - The food crisis in poor countries coupled with the global economic crisis have... more
The U.S. terror war as seen through the eyes of a prisoner
When we first began corresponding with Khalid Awan in 2007, we had no idea why he was serving time in U.S. federal prison. We soon discovered Awan was one of the first of thousands of Muslims taken prisoner in the post-9/11 U.S. “terror war.” As the story began unfolding in our letters, we began to realize that this honest, humble and sincere man was not only innocent, but the ongoing injustice being done to him provides critical insight into the mindless, meanspirited, bureaucratic-yes-men idiocy fueling the illegal U.S. “war on terror” (and just about everything else that is going wrong in this country). At our insistence, Awan wrote his story and supplied us with whatever documents we requested. And now, after three months of cooperative efforts, the story of Khalid Awan can be told. We have come to know Awan as a peaceful man engaged in peaceful work who has been wrongfully accused, detained and repeatedly convicted of crimes he did not commit because he was a Muslim with international connections and an office in New York on 9/11. We present this to you in faith that you will realize a deeper understanding of the levels of complicity necessary for the “land of the free” to tolerate the phony war on terror year after year and in hope that Awan—and all the other million or more political prisoners being held by this country—will one day be reunited with their families.
Khalid Awan # 50959-054
USP Marion
P.O.BOX : 1000
Marion, IL 62959
USA http://www.freekhalidawan.com/, http://blogs.amnesty.org.uk/blogs_entry.asp?eid=3759, http://awankhalid.com/, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=60600467317The U.S. terror war as seen through the eyes of a prisoner
When we first began... more
Action Against Hunger warns that increasing scarcity in South Sudan is largely ignored by the international community, and will likely exacerbate an already existing food shortage, increasing the area’s dependence on external assistance well into 2010.Action Against Hunger warns that increasing scarcity in South Sudan is largely ignored... more
"[Video of the horrific situation in the camps in Sri Lanka from the UK's Channel 4]
Would you vacation in Sri Lanka? The beaches are gorgeous. Nice hotels. Plenty of arrack and Lion Lager.
Oh, and, ummmmm, hundreds of thousands of people huddled in camps, malnourished and neglected. That's a bit of a downer.
Earlier this year more than 300,000 Sri Lankans fled to the camps to escape the brutal fighting which marked the end of Sri Lanka's twenty-six year civil war. Conditions in the camps are horrific, as the video above shows."
Take action, boycott Tourism to Sri Lanka Until the Situation in the Camps Improves.
Stevens converted to the Islamic faith at the height of his fame in December, 1977.
In 1978, Stevens took the name Yusuf Islam. Yusuf is the Arabic rendition of the name Joseph. He stated that he "always loved the name Joseph" and was particularly drawn to the story of Joseph in the Qur'an.
You can hear the story of Joseph in the Holy Quran from here "Surat Yusuf, Number 12"
Philanthropic & humanitarian awards
2003 World Award also known as the "World Social Award" for "humanitarian relief work helping children and victims of war".
2004 Man for Peace Award presented by Mikhail Gorbachev for his "dedication to promote peace, the reconciliation of people and to condemn terrorism", the ceremony was held in Rome, Italy and attended by five Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
(2005) Honorary Doctorate by the University of Gloucestershire for services to education and humanitarian relief.
(2007), Yusuf Islam was awarded the Mediterranean Prize for Peace in Naples, Italy. He received the award "as a result of the work he has done to increase peace in the world".
On 10 July 2007, Honorary doctorate (LLD) by the University of Exeter, in recognition of "his humanitarian work and improving understanding between Islamic and Western cultures".
(CBS)I used to think of myself as a generous person. If somebody drops a glove in an airport, assuming I’m not in a rush, I’ll often pick it up for them. When I’m in a convenience store I’ll usually leave a penny rather than take a penny. Or if somebody wants the shirt off my back, I’m always willing to sell it to them for a fair price.
But this week I learned what it really means to be generous. In fact, I don’t think I’ve met a more generous, empathetic man in all my life.
Friday, I get the pleasure of telling, and you get the pleasure of watching, the story of Tom Chappell. I just finished putting his story together and I’ve already watched it a dozen times myself. I may watch it a dozen more times before the broadcast on the Evening News with Katie Couric. I do that sometimes when a story really makes me feel good and Tom Chappell makes me feel good.
Tom lives in a trailer in Phoenix, Arizona. He squeaks out a living driving a cab for V.I.P. taxi. His story began a few months ago when a cranky woman got in his cab and immediately started scolding him for being late. Most cab driver’s would have probably barked right back, but not Tom. Tom listened to her vent, found out the real reason she was so irritable, and eventually offered her his kidney. And no, I don’t mean that metaphorically. He really offered her his kidney! Obviously, that gesture alone makes for a great story.
But this tale is just getting started. So please make an appointment to be a near a TV Friday so you can meet this remarkable cab driver. That’s my tip for the day.(CBS)I used to think of myself as a generous person. If somebody drops a glove in an... more
Every morning while on the way to office or coming back in evening it’s not possible for the karachiets to ignore baggers, children with car screen wipers and drug addicts. But unfortunately hardly seen some one talking to them to share there grievan...ces, to know what turns them into a LIFE without SOUL.....
Directed and Produced by Kazim RazaEvery morning while on the way to office or coming back in evening it’s not possible... more
A man who left jugs of water for immigrants is sentenced for littering. Priorities are subjective, aren't they?A man who left jugs of water for immigrants is sentenced for littering. Priorities... more
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After his talks with reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Bill Clinton sure has a story to tell.
And one of the first in line to hear his tale is President Barack Obama.
"I suspect that President Clinton will have some interesting observations from his trip and I will let him provide those to me," Obama told MSNBC on Wednesday.
The former president was chosen by the North Koreans from among four possible envoys proposed to them to try to gain freedom for two American reporters sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in North Korea.
Other candidates for the task were other prominent Democrats: New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and the man who served as Clinton's vice president, Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore.
Thus, Clinton became the most senior American envoy to spend time face-to-face with Kim in nearly a decade.
Kim is ailing and is widely believed to have suffered a stroke in August 2008. There have been rumors about pancreatic cancer and uncertainty about who will succeed him.
North Korea-watchers in and out of the U.S. government are wanting to know how he looked, how he seemed and what he talked about.
Some analysts have speculated Clinton's visit could open the way to direct talks with the communist state over its nuclear weapons program.
"I think it'll be very interesting," said Republican Senator John McCain. "He's the first Westerner to see Kim since his reported stroke and other problems. I think former President Clinton will have some interesting information."
In the secret negotiations that led to the rescue mission, Clinton made clear to Obama administration officials he only wanted to go if he had some certainty that Americans Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36, would be released to his custody.
"We considered the request carefully," said a senior administration official. "We tested directly with the North Koreans repeatedly. We sought and received North Korea's agreement in fact that a visit by President Clinton would secure the release of Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee."
'INCREDIBLE'
Clinton had a meeting with Kim for an hour and 15 minutes and a dinner with him that lasted about two hours. In Clinton's entourage were his former White House chief of staff, John Podesta, and Clinton's personal physician, Roger Band.
Asia expert Nick Szechenyi of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the up-close look at Kim was probably one of the most fascinating aspects of Clinton's visit.... (more at link)
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so glad that this injustice is over! and I'm sure the stories will be very interesting.WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After his talks with reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong-il,... more
30 July 2009 – Millions of hungry people around the world will not receive food aid from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) due to a “dangerous and unprecedented” $3 billion budget shortfall this year, the head of the agency has warned.
WFP is hoping to reach 108 million people in 74 countries this year with food aid, but it expects to receive only $3.7 billion of the $6.7 billion needed for 2009.
“We are actively cutting $3 billion of our programme – which means a reduction in rations and programmes throughout the world, including those to the world’s most vulnerable people,” WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran told reporters yesterday in Washington, ahead of meetings at the White House.
In Bangladesh, for example, the agency sought to feed 5 million people this year, but must now cut back to reaching only 1.4 million, with a school feeding programme only feeding 70,000 children out of the original target of 300,000.
Ms. Sheeran welcomed the recent $20 billion pledge to boost global food security made by the so-called Group of Eight (G8) nations, which shows the industrialized world “takes the food security issue seriously.”
But she cautioned that “we must also keep pace with growing emergency needs. The problem is not all about agricultural yields; the challenge is people cannot get access to food – whether because of poor infrastructure or because they can’t afford it.”
The food crisis is still raging in the developing world, where high food prices are exacerbated by the impact of the current financial crisis, WFP said.
Data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that in most developing countries, food prices are higher today than they were one year ago, at the height of the food crisis.
The WFP head was in the United States capital to urge policy-makers to keep urgent hunger needs as a high priority as they find long-term solutions to food security.
She also called for the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) gathering in Pittsburgh, United States, to “take action not only on the financial crisis, but on hunger.”30 July 2009 – Millions of hungry people around the world will not receive food aid... more
A great tribute to Mother Theresa for advocating peace, compassion, caring, and welfare of the world.A great tribute to Mother Theresa for advocating peace, compassion, caring, and... more
On June 24, Iranian Superstar Andy Madadian went into an LA recording studio with Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and American record producers Don Was and John Shanks to record a musical message of worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran. This version of the old Ben E. King classic is not for sale - it was not meant to be on the Billboard charts or even manufactured as a CD.....it's intended to be downloaded and shared by the Iranian people...to give voice to the sentiment that all people of the world stand together....the handwritten Farsi sign in the video translates to "we are one". If you know someone in Iran - or someone who knows someone in Iran - please share this link:
Christians in Muslim-majority areas are constantly being targeted by radical Islamists, especially in the Gaza Strip (where they've largely been driven out altogether), Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, and parts of Nigeria. There is also tremendous pressure against the Christians (Copts) of Egypt. Hundreds of specific incidents of murder, kidnapping, expulsion, threats, and the destruction of churches have been documented.
Since Muslim-majority states or areas are the only places in the world today where Christians face real persecution, the silence on this issue is both inexplicable and despicable.
Indeed, when it is mentioned--as in the recent special issue of National Geographic magazine--the only country blamed is Israel. Yet my direct contacts with West Bank Palestinian Christians leaves no doubt that the cause of emigration is Hamas and such elements, either through threats or fear that Islamists will come to power in future.Christians in Muslim-majority areas are constantly being targeted by radical... more
