Psychology

Social service not only provides a means of assistance to those in need of such assistance, but it also helps the volunteer to come closer to the realities of life and relive some of the most wonderful moments. I have been volunteering at the Detroit Job Corps for the last 10 weeks from 6pm-8pm. I had my reservations when I joined the group, but with time, I came to know that it is proving to be a very good learning opportunity for me. Honnet and Poulsen (1989) have aptly stated that combining service and learning proves to be a good engagement for people in responsible and challenging actions for the common good. Besides bringing in active participation such volunteering activities help in learning about accountability, risks and consequences of the actions.

I have been entrusted with the task of looking after kids in the age group of 16-22 years. These kids are from the mid-west region, ranging from the state of Michigan cities of Detroit, Flint, to Cleveland or Toledo Ohio. I have been facilitating groups for the kids. On an average each group comprises of 20 kids. These kids have been referred to me because they are all addicted to Marijuana. While analyzing their backgrounds I found that most of them have been exposed to problems like trauma, abuse and substance abuse, on account of dysfunctional households, which in turn have forced them to fall in the company of drugs, to seek temporary solace. This was indeed quite a revelation for me. I never realized the extremes to which kids can be driven by routine household brawls amongst parents or unintended ignorance of the kids by working parents. The role of faculty at such service learning centers therefore becomes quite crucial in successfully implementing reformist measures. Bringle and Hatcher (1995) state that a well structured program and the faculty can play an important role towards
Developing a common understanding amongst the participants
Increasing the confidence level of the faculty, and
Towards institutionalizing the service-learning system, so that gradually such values can be inculcated amongst the educated youth in general.

The groups that we are handling consists of majority African Americans, with just about 5 Caucasians and 5 Hispanics. I have been teaching them about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, using a cognitive behavioral therapy curriculum entitled BRIEF. It is one of the best practiced tools of Substance Abuse  Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In addition I have been assisting the kids in strengthening their concentration power, so that they can gain the inner strength required to take on the drug abuse habits. I have been teaching the kids how to be more mindful and meditate using the music from Rain of Blessing by Lama Gyurme in the beginning of each session over the last 5-weeks. Initially I had my doubts about the workability of such an arrangement, but the way kids responded, is not only amazing for me, but it is quite satisfying as well. Their yearning for peaceful moments seems to have grown further, because now whenever I walk into the room, they say, Lets meditate first, Mr. Johnson. Such developments have further strengthened my bonding with the kids. With the kind of rapport I have established with the kids, it will indeed be very difficult for me to leave such an environment. I accord due respect to the thoughts and wishes of the participants in my group, without letting them feel any sense of deprivation or inferiority. I feel treating them as normal human beings would certainly make the interactive more fruitful and satisfying.

The kind of rewarding feeling that someone gets when heshe is able to contribute something towards bringing about a positive change in another human beings life proves to be a big motivating factor for continuing with volunteering. With the kind of bonding and rapport that I have developed with the kids, I know for sure that I dont want to quit volunteering with these kids because I feel like I have to do much more for them. I realize how important it is for me to establish a rapport with my young friends and earn their trust in order to allow them confide their enigmas and difficulties in me. If the kids are able to share their inhibitions and difficulties clearly, the task of a volunteer like me becomes quite easier. Many of them have experienced lots of hardships, disappointments, and high school dropouts during early years.  As a result these kids were driven towards drug addiction. Some of the girls were even pregnant with some more having HIV infections. This indicates how difficult it had really been for these kids at this tender age, to even think about their future. Seriousness of the situation can also be understood by the fact that some of the kids were even used to live alternative lifestyles (e.g. homosexual  lesbian).  I had to treat them as equals, without any bias towards anybody. This was an aspect, which required me to work hard towards not letting out any bias or being unfair to anyone on the basis of their past acts. In fact, I also had to meditate prior to group interaction, just to facilitate the group with a clear open mind. Well, thats why it is a learning experience while contributing for a social cause.