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MLK DAY OF SERVICE
Published On 01-18-2009 , 12:21 AM
Across America, in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2009, we're all being asked to support the American spirit of volunteerism and community service by making a commitment to help in our communities, not just for the one day on Jan. 19, which is being called MLK Day of Service, but for the entire year.
But say the word volunteer to some folks and you might as well be speaking a foreign language.
Ask their children to help one of their neighbors and the first thing parent and kid alike want to know is, "How much they payin'?"
Then there's the people who know the goodness of helping others simply because they know it's the thing to do. These are the people who know that their deeds aren't being delivered for a reward that's beyond the feeling of doing for someone else.
These are the people who know the power of selflessness. These are the people we can call on over and over again and their response is always predictable. Time and time again they simply want to know what it is they are needed to do.
So this column is pretty much for the first batch of folks I described - the ones who don't believe they or their children should participate in a ritual of giving back, spreading kindness, spreading joy.
"That's teaching our kids wrong values," I've been told by too many parents when I suggest their unemployed teenagers get up off the couch and give of their time at some community program.
"Slavery is over,"I've been told by others who would rather see the kids playing video games than doing for others.
The classic comment is, "Nobody's done anything for me so what you're talking about doesn't fit into any kind of give back."
We all owe something back and we have all benefited from the volunteer work of others.
How much was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. paid for sitting in a Birmingham jail? How big was his paycheck for the Selma March?
Isn't the Red Cross on the scene when disaster strikes? What about the women, young and old, who can often be found wearing candy-stripe outfits and assisting patients in hospitals?
One of the values our children need to learn and adhere to should be that giving is far more important than receiving.
Earlier this week, while Brandi and I were sitting on the patio at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, a group of well-behaved and clean-scrubbed elementary students from Mayfield Junior School descended upon the grassy area and took their places at several tables filled with craft supplies.
They got busy making cards. Ah, cards to give the patients? The students were on a field trip. They were at the hospital to present a $4,000 check, which was the money they had raised from a walk-a-thon.
Ah, giving! And at a young age.
Too many children I encounter are always on the "getting" end of things because someone has determined they are at risk. I guess I'm to surmise that means they can't be taught the concept of giving.
Parents who join the volunteer ranks have children who follow suit. If you don't know where to start, visit the following links: www.USAService.org or www.volunteermatch.org.
This blog can be found in our columns section where you can print a copy or e-mail to someone
http://talkaboutparenting.org/pages/articles.php
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Comment
| | 1. | An excellent column in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. who never stopped giving. And after making it to the mountain top said he wanted to be remembered as a drum major for justice, which means taking a stand for the benefit of others And in remembering Martin Luther King's commitment to service, the Obama-Biden Administration is on record as saying that we are our brother's keeper we are our sister's keeper. Because unless we understand that and commit ourselves not just on King's birthday but every other day as well to make life easier for someone else, the work that has to be done in the next eight years to undo the destructive last eight years will not get done. And where will we be as a Nation then? I shudder to think. Accept the challenge and do something for someone else on a continuing basis. Encourage your children and grandchildren to follow suit. And guess what? Our world will be a better place.
- by Beverlee Bruce, PhD, 01-18-2009, 12:38 AM
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