Harleen Kaur, a university student and activist, describes the challenges and learning about volunteering in the office of the nonprofit newspaper Groundcover News:
I have realized what a great effort and passion it takes to maintain such dedication. Even when the work is this difficult, I have never seen a hint of despair or a sense of wanting to give up.
Groundcover News cover (source: Groundcover News Facebook page)
According to their website, Groundcover News, located in Michigan, is one of many publications that “exist in cities all over the United States in an effort to raise awareness of the plight of homeless and combat the increase in poverty.”
To serve selflessly and to aid those who are less fortunate is part of the Sikh ethos, and so it is inspiring to read about Harleen Kaur’s work in this regard. Read more about Harleen Kaur’s experience and the nonprofit she supports at the Groundcover News blog.
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The Road Isn’t Always a Smooth One kaurharleenhttp://gcnsocialmedia.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/the-road-isnt-always-a-smooth-one/ Non-profit work is tough. February 28, 2013: Granted, I never expected it to be a walk in the park, but I don’t think I understood how difficult it would be until I started to work in the Groundcover office. Beginning a month ago, I now volunteer in the office for about four hours a week. My first day, another volunteer trained me, and I was slightly taken aback when she explained to me that I should call 911 if I ever feel uncomfortable or scared. I couldn’t yet process why I would ever need to know this, but that realization would come soon enough. As I spent more and more time around the vendors and staff, the deeper issues of homelessness and poverty became apparent. These people had been through some extremely hard times, and because of their bad luck with the system, had never been able to come back from it. One vendor simply had an accident at home and because of a string of bad doctors, never recovered nor was able to work again. Other vendors struggle with addiction and other mental health issues. Because these people have never been helped, it is up to them to help themselves. Through this volunteer work and time in the office, I have gained a better understanding of Groundcover’s struggle with communications. I also truly admire all the Groundcover staff members and volunteers. I have realized what a great effort and passion it takes to maintain such dedication. Even when the work is this difficult, I have never seen a hint of despair or a sense of wanting to give up. Even though it was founded in April 2010, Groundcover has had a multitude of other issues to handle. It is my hope that, as a dedicated volunteer, I can focus on communications and help the organization grow. I feel inspired now because I see the benefit that can come from valuable communications and new social connections. With these new interactions and relationships, the organization will hopefully have more resources to handle some of the issues with vendor behavior and personal problems. |
