4/23/08
it seems like there are problems everywhere i go. most days, i like to listen to npr and take in the happenings, but lately, i've been on sabbatical from the news. there's a problem with prioritizing in our world, and it seems like international powers cannot decide between people and profit.
by now, everyone must know about my passion for food security. one of the big issues in the world is-- has, and always will be-- hunger. since the development and implementation of corn-and-soy-based ethanol, people around the world are feeling an economic pinch. these grains are being converted to fuels for cars rather than for our bodies. feed for livestock is more expensive, and so that is driving up the price of dairy, meat, and eggs. that, in turn, is increasing the cost of other foods in which these animal-derived items are main ingredients.
it's a good time to be a farmer, but a bad time to be any other kind of impoverished person. if you have been to the grocery store lately, you've been feeling the pinch. after all the bills are paid, how much of your income can you use for food? many of us are lucky; we may not be eating everything we want , but more often than not, we aren't going to bed hungry.
i heard this story about local food banks and the food stamps system on npr and it made me cry. i can't imagine what it would be like to know that you can't afford to feed your children, they must fend for themselves while you are away. many children are heading to soup kitchens. fortunately, there has been a great program created with funding from the united way to open schools and feed children who might otherwise go without.
for anyone who can, please volunteer or donate to one of the local food pantries. as the economy is in decline, more people are in need. in times of high demand, people stop giving. but, if we needed the help, where would we turn if those food banks weren't there? would we be too proud to stand in lines at a soup kitchen, rather than dishing it out?
i remember our diversity and anti-oppression training on classism, everyone was really upset. they were'nt upset about the condition of things as a whole, but specifically that they were promised breakfast, and were only given rice and oranges. in the real world, when someone is hungry, those things can be a godsend. we're lucky that p.a. helps us out with foodstamps. there are people in our communities who still needd help. and the problems we have here are always exponentially worse in the international community. with the dangers of violence, hijackings, and the price of gas, food aide organizations are sending less because they can't afford it. a co-worker of mine sent a link to me, and it's a fun and easy way to expand your vocabulary as well as helping provide food to the hungry. all you have to do is click on the definition of a word, and for each correct answer, 20 grains of rice are donated to the united nations world food program.
what are you waiting for, go out and feed the people!
Showing posts with label volunteer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label volunteer. Show all posts
Wednesday
dinosaurs vs non-profits
11/07/07
q: what is a ynpn?
a: young nonprofit professionals network
last night, i attended (briefly) a meeting on volunteer management at von trier with dave. i was indeed late, but it wasn't my fault! those delicious tacos at live as well as a frosty draught got the best of me....
i am not sorry.
in fact, i am sorry i didn't stay longer to eat more tacos, drink more beer, and watch jeff goldblum's incredible struggles against gigantic man-eating dinosaurs
(what a lovely man.)
the event was hosted by the education committee of ynpn, and reminded me very much of the first friday training session, only less focused because everyone was there with their own agenda and expectations. all in all, it wasn't the presentation that was so bad. if it weren't information we'd received already, i might have been really interested. the problem was the aftermath, or what dave came to call "the fixers."
every one's dealt with that person who asks a question they already know the answer to. in fact, the questioner is often only looking for someone to back him up in the conclusion he's already drawn. (read: he wants to be right, and wants someone else to say so.)
after said question is proposed, the fixers come in and make suggestions that usually begin with phrases like, "well, what i usually do..." or "you know what i think..." and in the end offer little to no new information that the questioner had not already discerned in their wicked little mind.
every one's looking for validation, right?
from what i gathered, everyone at that meeting was deeply affiliated with a particular non-profit. the problem with this: the topic was volunteer management. it seemed that many of them were very far-removed from the volunteering process in reality. some of the comments on strategy [like how to treat volunteers in problem situations (for instance, overly needy, aggressive, or perhaps physically incapable)] enraged me as a volunteer observing this group.
it seems as if non-profits forget that people are doing work for them that people in the real world do in fact get paid for. they may not be giving dollars, but they are giving their time to do jobs most np managers and coordinators just don't want to do. when is the last time a board got together to stuff envelopes for 3 hours outside of work? if donors are the lifeblood of non-profit sector, volunteers are the living tissue that houses the well-intentioned spirit.
(sorry about the envelope metaphor)
does anyone else consider the volunteer-organization relationship? it's one thing to say you appreciate them, but how do you make them feel? are they taken for granted, or perhaps spoken to in a condescending fashion? maybe the next session will be about coming back to the grassroots of the movement.
dinosaurs:1
non-profits: 0
q: what is a ynpn?
a: young nonprofit professionals network
last night, i attended (briefly) a meeting on volunteer management at von trier with dave. i was indeed late, but it wasn't my fault! those delicious tacos at live as well as a frosty draught got the best of me....
i am not sorry.
in fact, i am sorry i didn't stay longer to eat more tacos, drink more beer, and watch jeff goldblum's incredible struggles against gigantic man-eating dinosaurs
(what a lovely man.)
the event was hosted by the education committee of ynpn, and reminded me very much of the first friday training session, only less focused because everyone was there with their own agenda and expectations. all in all, it wasn't the presentation that was so bad. if it weren't information we'd received already, i might have been really interested. the problem was the aftermath, or what dave came to call "the fixers."
every one's dealt with that person who asks a question they already know the answer to. in fact, the questioner is often only looking for someone to back him up in the conclusion he's already drawn. (read: he wants to be right, and wants someone else to say so.)
after said question is proposed, the fixers come in and make suggestions that usually begin with phrases like, "well, what i usually do..." or "you know what i think..." and in the end offer little to no new information that the questioner had not already discerned in their wicked little mind.
every one's looking for validation, right?
from what i gathered, everyone at that meeting was deeply affiliated with a particular non-profit. the problem with this: the topic was volunteer management. it seemed that many of them were very far-removed from the volunteering process in reality. some of the comments on strategy [like how to treat volunteers in problem situations (for instance, overly needy, aggressive, or perhaps physically incapable)] enraged me as a volunteer observing this group.
it seems as if non-profits forget that people are doing work for them that people in the real world do in fact get paid for. they may not be giving dollars, but they are giving their time to do jobs most np managers and coordinators just don't want to do. when is the last time a board got together to stuff envelopes for 3 hours outside of work? if donors are the lifeblood of non-profit sector, volunteers are the living tissue that houses the well-intentioned spirit.
(sorry about the envelope metaphor)
does anyone else consider the volunteer-organization relationship? it's one thing to say you appreciate them, but how do you make them feel? are they taken for granted, or perhaps spoken to in a condescending fashion? maybe the next session will be about coming back to the grassroots of the movement.
dinosaurs:1
non-profits: 0
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