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Posted on May 15, 2008 by Amber |
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Amber
September 2008 
Access: Public
I'd be interested to know how you spark the motivation of people who “know “they're too busy and too poor to make a difference. It's something I work with every day.
Martha,
That is an excellent question. There are a few ways I try to overcome that. First, I focus far more on people's ability to give time than money. Being from a fairly poor family myself I had to learn ways I could make a difference that did not involve spending money. Secondly, there are more and more ways to volunteer these days that do not require any kind of long-term commitment. There are organizations, for example, all over the nation that host one-day, two to three hour long events. You can sign up and attend one, and then never do it again if you choose not to or don't have time, but the idea is, people who are very busy want to be able to help even though they may only be able to do it in short bursts of time like that.
To show very busy people how to make a difference without having to commit to anything long-term or very time consuming, I make them aware of these opportunities that only take a few hours on a single day. It is a great way to get involved, meet people, and make a difference despite a busy schedule! :)
Let me know if you need more information on the organizations and opportunities like this in your area!!
Actually, I was thinking about your question a bit more and now I wonder if you meant How do you encourage people who don't believe in themselves and their ability to make a difference?
I originally interpreted the question as How do you show people who say they are too poor or too busy to make a difference that they can?
Let me know - though my answers for either may be similar; I believe that when people are aware of all their options and that when making a difference is made easier for them, they will genuinely want to help somehow.
My students are typically from fairly dysfunctional, and sort of first- and second-chakra centered families. They often aspire to personal sexual prowess, to be admired and feared, to own a fast car, to be successful at nightclubs, to obtain a job with a paycheck that affords them domination over others and a prestigious residence. They have little education and a fairly narrow worldview. Please don't think I'm putting them down. They struggle. Many of them have had children since their mid teens and have raised their children as single parents, even if they are able to maintain any type of relationship with the father or mother of the child. Many of them haven't the tiniest socialization into college and are surprised and offended when I clarify for them that they are expected to attend regularly, listen to others, and actually do the work. These are people who have never heard of the Civil War, are not sure who Jimmy Carter was, think the Dalhi Lama is satanically dangerous and don't know how to read maps, bar charts or graphs. They do know how to go on myspace, and they often decide my opinion doesn't matter for much, since I'm too old to go clubbing and no guy would be interested in picking me up if I did, because I'm a hopelessly unfasionable dresser. I mean, I love these people. They will be the leaders of tomorrow whether they know it or not. They have common sense and a lot of heart. They love their families and survive economically even though they are oppressed and taken advantage of at every turn. But they get angry when they discover this. Nobody wants to be a victim. And of course they're not, but they're collaborators in their own oppression. And part of that mentality is the notion that they have enough time to work overtime to purchase a Coach handbag, but definitely have no time to volunteer. How DARE I ask? This is what I'm dealing with.
In that case, my advice would be to show them how helping others can help themselves. See if there are programs they can participate in that, when they're done, will give them a step up to getting a better job, etc. Things like, volunteer leadership programs. They volunteer, sure, but they are also taught important leadership skills that will help them in the real world. Some programs even come with cash prizes.
Once they start making a difference, even if they DID start out for selfish reasons, they will feel so good they will want to continue for the feelings of fulfillment and pride!
Then of course there is always appealing to things they are already interested in. Some people don't realize how many different volunteer opportunities are out there!
Do these people like animals? They could help animals at a rescue shelter, etc. In fact, here is a great site with some volunteer opportunities in your area: http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/index.jsp?searchToggle=0&zip=85280&radius=city&category=Everything&words=&skills=&city=&state=&national_org_id=&container_id=&submit=y&submit=Search
Sorry, hehe, one more thing. Another thing some people don't realize is that sometimes nonprofit organizations hire people to help them - and pay them as employees. They could begin volunteering for an organization, then do such a great job that they get hired - and probably paid way more than they'd make working at some normal jobs.
Hi Amber, thanks for the link. When I followed it, I thought it was a good one. I was thinking about what many of my students would say– “I can't do that because…” What came up for me is that one of my responsibilities is to stay positive and model for them what a positive approach is, and how people think about things in positive ways and work them out for a “win” outcome, or a “win/win” outcome. Have you ever worked with populations who are “at risk” or have habits of looking at the events of life that are primarily negative, blaming and oriented toward control? BTW, thank you for letting me talk about these issues with you! Some of the other teachers on Gaia really understand these issues in terms of thinking about how to interest these people in a genuine education, but they don't use service-learning.