You have decided to give several hours of your time each month to improve the community where you live. What is one thing you will do to improve your community? Why?
Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
The assertion wants to provide herself with the opportunity to contribute more to society. She proceeds to give a few ideas about what she will accomplish, then justifies her decision by stating, ‘I am happy to give my time. This idea seems sound. However, the act of volunteering is a personal one, and the decision to volunteer time should not be based on what others expect of us. Giving back is often a selfless act, and it requires a great deal of personal resolve to establish. The assertion suggests that if others expect her to volunteer, she will volunteer. However, if others do not, she should volunteer anyway. I believe that the statement should evaluate herself and determine whether she is truly giving her time away out of altruism or because she has a selfish motive. If she has a selfish motive, she should ignore others’ expectations and give her time anyway.
The assertion states that volunteering her time will improve the community in which she lived. However, she has not provided any specific reasons as to why she believes this to be true. This lack of justification leaves her ideas open to question. Perhaps she merely wants to help others; however, if this were the case, she could have spoken of a specific cause or person that needs help. If the statement truly believes that giving of her time will improve the community, she should use specific reasons to back up her claim. The assertion should first identify the type of community in which she resides. Is it a small town with fewer than 10,000 residents? Is it a medium-sized town with between 10,000 and 50,000 residents? Or, is it a large city with more than one million residents? Understanding the type of community in which she lives will help her to determine the specific cause she can help. For example, a small town may not have a senior citizen center, or it may have one, but the center is barely used. The assertion may volunteer her time to help organize the center’s activities. On the other hand, a large city may have many senior citizens, but it may be hard for them to get around town. This may mean that there are not enough volunteers to help the elderly passengers get from point A to B, so the statement may volunteer her time to help the elderly get around. Once she has determined the type of community in which she lives, she can then research the needs and issues facing that community. This will provide her with more specific reasons for volunteering her time. For example, if the elderly in the community do not get enough exercise, the statement may volunteer her time to help organize walking groups. If the elderly do not have transportation to the doctor, she may volunteer her time to drive some of the elderly to appointments.
The fact that the statement is willing, or even eager, to give of her time each month suggests that she is selfless. However, she must provide a strong reason for her desire to help others. She should evaluate her motives and determine whether she is giving of her time because she is selfless or because she has a selfish motive. If she has selfish motives, she should disregard what others expect of her and give her time anyway.