History of volunteering in USA

Introduction.

Volunteering - a very common phenomenon in the United States. Philanthropy has long been a tradition and a good tone for the Americans. Volunteering is so great that it covers all sectors of the society: in its ranks children and the elderly, young people and adults work. To do this, there are many different programs and organizations, schools, municipalities, clubs, associations and religious organizations.

Being a volunteer in the United States - it is prestigious, so to find a free position is not easy. Though there’s a lot of various work not everyone can be taken in voluntary movement. The United States participation in the volunteer movement is the most bright indicator of personal qualities. Social activity aimed at the development of moral qualities, patriotism, national culture and history, social behavior, humanity, tolerance, respect for the older generation and traditions, personal qualities in social directions.

There are 7 billion people in the world; more than 600 million are volunteers. They brings more than 300,000 (in Russia) hours every year. It’s necessary to reflect how this work influences our lives. Volunteer organizations carry most of the government in the social sphere. It is impossible to imagine any country without volunteers. In Europe and the US social activity is well developed and has long existed. Unfortunately, in Russia the volunteer movement hasn’t been existing long, it’s not more than 5-6 years.

The project aims to introduce the younger generation with a volunteer social movements in different countries.

Who are the volunteers?

Volunteering - a wide range of activities including traditional forms of mutual help, formal service delivery, which is voluntary at the public benefit without remuneration. Volunteers, from the point of view of the law of the Russian Federation are individuals engaged in charity work in the form of gratuitous works and services (volunteering).

Voluntary work in USA’ law includes:

Ø Volunteer activities aimed at protecting the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, to protect the rights of vulnerable groups of citizens;
planting flowers, flower beds, lawns, shrubs and trees

Ø planting flowers, flower beds, lawns, shrubs and trees;

Ø assistance to such social categories of people as the elderly, young people and students, the homeless people, people with disabilities, migrants, refugees, former prisoners and others;

Ø landscaping and arrangement of courtyards, areas, city streets;

Ø animal care, voluntary work helps zoos and nature reserves;

Ø educational talks aimed at preventing drug use, smoking, alcoholism, AIDS, juvenile delinquency

Ø charity concerts and theatrical performances;

Ø environmental marches, garbage collection, and pollution of water bodies;

Ø promotion of healthy lifestyles;

Ø Online volunteering;

Ø work in technical support;

Ø pensioners, rescuers, doctors, etc., for example: searching for a lost person, the survey population, etc

Ø assistance in organizing major concerts, festivals of various kinds

Ø .distribution of educational literature, aimed at improving the quality of human life and its environment

Ø work on the protection of human rights in the field of psychiatry (Citizens Commission on Human Rights)

Voluntary work in Russia’s law includes:

The objectives of the volunteer (volunteer) are:
1) To assist individuals, legal persons, social groups, society as a whole, environmental protection;
2) participation in socially significant events

3) the formation of citizenship, self-organization, a sense of social responsibility, solidarity, mutual assistance and charity in society;
4) help society in solving social problems;
5) formation of mechanisms to involve citizens in diverse social activities aimed at improving the quality of life;
6) development and support of civil initiatives aimed at organizing volunteer (volunteer) activities;
7) the formation of the population of healthy living habits, upbringing patriotism;
8) providing the citizens of self-realization and self-organization skills to solve social problems;
9) assistance to citizens in mastering skills in first aid, social work with various target groups and categories of the population, the basics of life safety, promotion of vocational guidance;
10) preparation of reserve volunteers (volunteers).

History of volunteering in USA

Th century

During this time, America experienced the Great Awakening. People became aware of the disadvantaged and realized the cause for movement against slavery. Younger people started helping the needy in their communities. In 1851, the first YMCA (Young Women's Christian Association) in the United States was started, followed seven years later by the first YWCA. During the American Civil War, women volunteered their time to sew supplies for the soldiers and the "Angel of the Battlefield" Clara Barton and a team of volunteers began providing aid to servicemen. Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881 and began mobilizing volunteers for disaster relief operations, including relief for victims of the Johnstown Flood in 1889.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 1408