The organization in which I volunteered for 25 hours is the Eastern Star “Imperial Chapter 431”. This subsection of the Order of Eastern Star is devoted to providing positive Biblical values into society by developing modern society’s charitable, educational, fraternal, and scientific factors (About Order of the Eastern Star, n.d.). The organization has vast charity money accumulations which are constantly used as funding for scientific research and support programs. For example, the organization has sponsored the practical exploration of different terminal illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and cancer (About Order of the Eastern Star, n.d.). The organization focuses on providing philanthropic and charity-oriented services for people in need.
The ideology of the organization is based on the Biblical ideas of truth, love, and kindness. Initially, the Eastern Star was supposed to be a woman-oriented organization; thereby, the female Biblical images are the core elements of the Order’s interest. Therefore, the organization is Christianity-oriented and offers philanthropic services for people in need. Nowadays, people of all denominations are eligible to become members of the Order and serve the good of society. There is no particular target population for which the organization serves. Considering the Biblical ideology, help, and love should be delivered for all people regardless of race, age, religion, or sex.
The Eastern Star, as any volunteer organization, needs people with a profound knowledge of social mechanisms. The events and programs to help people level their mental and physical living conditions should be carefully planned. Understanding the social needs of the population of interest is essential for working in this organization skill. Social worker knowledge can help to analyze society and strive for more efficient volunteering outcomes. Therefore, there were various opportunities to perform multiple tasks working within the organization. As far as Eastern Star’s activities are oriented on providing help for people in mental and physical need, this organization is the perfect practice for understanding how volunteering works in practice. Due to limited practice hours, I participated mainly in discussions and program planning events. The organization provides various opportunities for the development and application of theoretical knowledge in practice. Promotion as a member of an organization is also possible. However, such opportunities are hard to call career-oriented due to volunteering character. Considering the spiritual support, which is the primary aim of the Eastern Star, the workers do not seek career development in the organization.
During my practice in the Eastern Star, I learned some principles about volunteering that may significantly impact the outcomes of such an activity. The first principle is the legal justification of the programs or the administrative approval. All the actions should be performed following the law of a particular region. Moreover, to be executed, the volunteering practices require permission from the governing bodies. The second principle is closely connected with the first one and addresses the careful planning of any program or event. To gain permission to hold the event, which is out of the organizational jurisdiction, the organization’s representatives provide the administrative bodies with a structured plan discussing the purposes and associated risks of the program. The last principle that seemed essential while working with the Eastern Star is the ability to adjust communication. A clear discussion and analysis of the problem under consideration are required to plan the services and maximize the benefits for people in need. All the outstanding members of the organization are perfect communicators and good listeners.
During service learning, I was devoted to the three event planning, which, from my perspective, contributed to people’s mental development. For example, one of the charity programs was oriented on collecting books for the people in Africa who have no or little access to literature. The books were on different themes, including not only religious but also literary and scientific ones. I participated in this fundamental project development as a communicator. My role was to contact the libraries or people owning personal libraries who are ready to offer the books for volunteering. Moreover, I was supposed to provide the shipment possibilities for the collected books and the organization’s representatives. Unfortunately, I was not able to see the end of the project myself. However, I believe that the activities of the Eastern Star will significantly help people in need by providing access to knowledge. I consider my hard work as contributing to the positive changes in people’s world perception and understanding of kindness and help.
The service-learning practice allowed me to be part of a fundamental organization that is devoted to providing volunteer services for people in need. Being a social worker for 25 hours helped me learn more insights about the nature of volunteer work. The Eastern Star organization is genuinely focused on making the world better by providing mental and material support for people of different ages, races, sex. Creating the project’s organization gives practical help and empowers the theoretical exploration of various moral and practical issues. As a result, acting within the organization helped me apply my social worker skills in practice. Even though my contribution was minor compared to the whole organization’s activities, I gained valuable knowledge essential for my subsequent career as a social worker. I plan to apply these skills to make the world better.
Reference
About Order of the Eastern Star. (n.d.). General Grand Chapter O of Eastern Star. Web.