About This Project - by Jill Kronstadt, Associate Professor, English

In Fall 2011, at Montgomery College's Germantown campus, my Basic Writing II class had a theme of homelessness and community engagement. As part of this project, we read Jeannette Walls' memoir The Glass Castle; volunteered for service learning project related to homelessness in Montgomery County, Maryland; and wrote essays that connected our reading and service learning.

This fall, with the help of Germantown's Service Learning Coordinator, Kris Borcherding, our class volunteered for service projects that would help shed light on the memoir. Most of the class participated in Montgomery County's first-ever Homeless Resource Day, with a few other students volunteering to tutor children in math, serve Thanksgiving dinner to families in poverty, or bag nonperishable foods for kids who would otherwise go hungry over the weekends.

On October 19, 2011, Montgomery County bussed homeless people from shelters and encampments to a central location in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Students who volunteered at the Homeless Resource Day guided these homeless guests through a maze of medical, dental, mental health, personal care, and social services that had gathered in one location for one-stop access to resources. The day was a huge success, with MC students earning particular kudos for their dedication, enthusiasm, and generosity.

The essays that follow are based on the reading and volunteering we completed during the semester and were written, revised, and edited entirely by the students. Not all the students elected to have their essays published on this website, but the ones that did show growth in both writing and awareness of the issue of homelessness.

Enjoy!

Jill Kronstadt
Associate Professor, English
Montgomery College
Germantown, MD



Saturday, December 10, 2011

What Makes a Good Volunteer? by Brady Patton

When I first heard that we would be volunteering to help the homeless for my EN002 class, I didn’t understand why we even needed to. But as I started reading Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle, I started to understand the importance of volunteering and I liked the idea that I would be helping people out. I know that I will make a good volunteer because I’m flexible, hardworking, and organized.

The first quality that makes me a good volunteer is that I’m flexible. For instance, my friend needed a replacement for that night, so I flexed my schedule to cover his shift. As a result, he got the job that he wanted. Another example of my flexibility is when I got to work one day, my boss asked me if I could pull a double shift, so I called my friend and told him I had to cancel to impress my boss. As a result my boss gave me a raise after two months of working there. Being flexible will help me be a good volunteer because I can change my schedule to help on more important days.

The second quality that will make me a good volunteer is that I’m a hard worker. For instance one day I helped out my boss by training the new worker without pay. As a result my boss gave me more time on the schedule. Another example is when I showed up early too help setup when I wasn’t on the clock for another 30 minutes. As a result my co-workers started doing the same thing to help out my boss. Being a hard worker will help me be a good volunteer because people see me working hard and I can motivate them to work hard themselves.

The third quality that will make me a good volunteer is that I’m organized. For instance I was given a list of what I had to do, but not what was the most important. So I made a schedule to make sure that I got everything done on time. As a result I got to go home early because I finished early. Another example is when I organized the toy room at my church without being asked, because it’s making me mad because it’s dirty. As a result the kids started cleaning the room every week. Being organized will help me be a good volunteer because I will always know what to do all the time.

When we volunteer to help the homeless next month, I know that my flexibility, hardworking, and organization will make a difference. My feelings about volunteering for class has been changed, and I’m excited to go out there and help the homeless. I know that I will always remember that we volunteered and it will be an experience that I will suggest my friends do when they have the available time.

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