Essay Sample on Giving Back to the Community: My Experience with Habitat for Humanity Services

Introduction

I have always found it satisfying to dedicate some portion of my busy schedule by giving back to the community. Community service offers me numerous opportunities to be able to utilize my talents and skills in the provision of extra help to those who deserve it within the community. My desire to give back to the city was satisfied when I started working as a volunteer in an Organization offering Habitat for humanity services in Ohio. The fundamental objective of the creation of this organization was to eliminate homelessness and to ensure that housing was a matter of action and conscience (Giri, 2002). In the organization, participated in cleaning the office and the store because I spent most of my time within the organization with limited fieldwork. As such, I also attended in the clearing of the ghost grounds.

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Working as a volunteer at the Habitat for humanity imparted in me the feeling of pride in making my community a better place. I had experienced inner satisfaction, primarily when I provided services to the people who were unable to do it for themselves (Sue et al., 2019). I also learned that many families suffer habitat challenges that need more attention than others. After disasters, several families are left homeless, thus the need for support primarily through offering voluntary money and labor for the affected families.

Lessons From The Project And Ethical Issues

As such, I also learned through participation that the Habitat for Humanity helps various members of the community in improving and repairing their homes as well as those of the neighborhoods. I was also able to participate in supporting decent housing through the creation of awareness in affordable housing in the community (Giri, 2002). The Habitat for Humanity organization strives to end homelessness through obtaining finding solutions to homelessness before it occurs. As such, I participated in enhancing the quality of life of the community members through voluntarily championing the establishment of proper housing for all the affected members of society.

The Habitat for humanity has got an ethics covenant that stipulates the role of each member of the organization in undertaking their mandates without compromising the ethical conduct. Ideally, the organization brings people together to build homes, which is a noble thing to do while restoring hope to the community. The organization is also cognizant of the diverse cultural norms and the laws that guide various communities. The organization also has put in place different mechanisms that ensure respect and safeguard of rights of the volunteers, beneficiaries, and the general staff (Giri, 2002). The organization also ensures that each individual is treated with respect, fairness and integrity for effective service delivery. Even though the Habitat for humanity has stipulated ethical standards and covenants, there are specific ethical issues that have often arisen from its operations (Sue et al., 2019).

For instance, they have often been blamed for misappropriation of funds such that zero money is usually put into materials and labor because they over-rely on voluntary services even though they obtain vast sums of money from development partners. As a result, the work is often done by some unskilled individuals, thus compromising the quality of such houses. As such, they have been blamed for adopting fraudulent means in tricking the desperate families who desperately need homes. However, the community ought to get skilled volunteers and accountable organizational leadership to handle the emerging ethical concerns in Habitat for humanity organization (Giri, 2002).

Applicable Course Concepts

Several course concepts could be relevant to the case of Habitat for Humanity organization. For instance, the belief in the superiority of the dominant group has immensely impacted the realization of the objectives of the organization (Sue et al., 2019). The beneficiaries and the volunteers at Habitat for humanity believe they are inferior concerning their basic societal need for housing. This has raised a series of ethical concerns and the feeling of inferiority among the various members of the community who benefit from the project (Giri, 2002). The effect of the superiority of the dominant group has also led to the favoritism of some beneficiaries of the project than others based on their physical characteristics such as the color of their eyes, their complexion, and their cultural and religious beliefs, such as Christianity and cultural practices.

Furthermore, I was also observed that cultural strengths play essential roles in the success of the Habitat for Humanity project. For instance, affordable and safe shelter is critical in creating a better life for families (Sue et al., 2019). A decent place of living fosters skills and confidence, thus empowering the various individuals to invest in themselves, the community, and their children, which is the essential concern for cultural coexistence (Giri, 2002). Affordable and safe houses also enable communities to traverse their cultural barriers, thus promoting solid foundations for all. In the implementation of the housing program, I learned that knowing the culture of the people at the grassroots level was essential. The volunteer program enabled me to have intercultural experience in the housing needs of the local community.

References

Giri, A. K. (2002). Building in the margins of shacks: The vision and projects of Habitat for Humanity. Orient Blackswan.

Sue, D. W., Sue, D., Neville, H. A., & Smith, L. (2019). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons.