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Encouraging Community Service
A Lesson in Perspective and Personal Discovery
By Laura Paul
As a junior at Loyola College in Maryland, Neil Mitten, 20, could stay sheltered from the harsh realities of inner-city poverty. Instead, he chooses to volunteer at a transitional housing program for men who have been homeless.
The Rockville, Md., native has been volunteering for years. While in high school, he helped build an aqueduct for poor people living in the Dominican Republic as part of a five-week immersion experience.
"It opened my eyes a lot to some of the poverty that does exist in the world and the inequalities which I had not seen," Mitten says. "I came from more of a suburban lifestyle. Going from that to the rural part of the poor areas of the Dominican Republic was very eye opening. It instilled in me the idea that I did have a responsibility coming from more of a wealthy part of society to reach out and do what I could to be of service."
Mitten, a political science major, serves as the student representative for the board of directors of the National Coalition for the Homeless and volunteers for the Fredrick Ozanam House. He says kids often begin to volunteer, thinking they just want to help. However, they often find they receive more than they give.
"The men I met through the program have opened me up to a side of Baltimore I would not have seen if I stay on Loyola campus," he says. "They all have different stories about how they ended up being homeless. I got to hear the different stories and issues that Baltimore City faces, such as the lack of affordable housing, lack of jobs that pay a sufficient wage and some of the issues surrounding drug abuse that face the city. My perspective was widened. At the same time, they are really great guys, and I made a lot of friendships."
While parents can encourage their children to volunteer at any age, they also need to be aware of and ready for their support to go beyond the local community. Children who start volunteering in their preteen years may grow to take a similar career path.