Activism blog # 2

 

Activism: During this week our group hosted a donation drive for the Harbor House, which is a domestic violence women’s shelter. Some of our group members decorated boxes that housed the supplies that were donated to the women.  Other group members were picking- up boxes and dropping them off to the Harbor house. I was able to contact other donations sites on campus to pick-up and drop-off these donations boxes to the wellness center.  It was very crucial that I got these donations in by Friday, since the drive was going to be done by Saturday. It was very chaotic contacting the offices to pick-up the boxes, but I was able to accomplish my goal. It was great to see so many donations that were going out to these women in need. Although, I was only able to help out a little this week, I still felt like my job was very important. I know that after I finish working with MVP, I will definitely be a part of this important organization.

Reflection: The donation drive that was hosted this week, made me really think about our consumption of our resources. Many of these women count on the donations that are given to them for their daily living. Many of these items such as toothpaste, sheets, & clothes many of us probably have more than enough of these resources at the convenience of our homes. This idea of what we consume on a daily basis, relates to the article we read this week entitled, “Consumption.” The idea of consumption ask the question of how much resources do we utilize on a day-to- day basis. When I ask myself this question, I was shocked to think that I use more than I actually need. One thing the article talked about was how people “learn to assess their real financial needs, how to budget, and invest to achieve financial independence on a sustainably reduced income” (Kirk, Okazawa-Rey). The result of doing this impacts their lifestyle on the environment by using less energy, products, and waste. Many of us cannot live on the idea of less is more, because we like to live a fancy lifestyle.  Unfortunately, the women who are in domestic violence situations have to think about the idea of less is more, because their needs are bigger than their wants. This really has impacted me in my daily life to live one less resources.

Reciprocity:  These past weeks working with MVP has taught me a lot about time management, when it comes to school and service learning hours. I have also learned a lot about these women in domestic violence situations that has made me want to be an advocate against domestic violence.  Through our WST class I learned a lot about how domestic violence plays a part in working atmosphere and the environment. This made me realize how domestic violence really impacts everyone’s daily life and not just the victim This service learning project has honestly opened my mind up and made me really think about the world around me. Although, I might have played a small part in helping the donation drive this week, I feel like I helped many women in domestic violence situations. I really enjoyed my time with MVP and I hope to continue working with them in the future.

 

Works Citied

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Rey. “Consumption." Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 567-573. Print.