How do you decide where to volunteer?

            I have written before that I intend to incorporate service into life after graduation. I love my city, and I feel that it is important to repay the community for all of the great opportunities it has afforded me. Therefore, I committed in July to volunteering at least once a week.

            My commitment to volunteer was immediately challenged. As I searched for volunteer opportunities, I was absolutely inundated. There are so many organizations looking for volunteers. The sheer number of opportunities was overwhelming. I was simply unable to choose an organization to join for ongoing volunteer efforts. I responded by instead choosing singular opportunities for volunteering. I reasoned that volunteering at a single event requires less commitment, so I could afford to risk a few bad experiences. Unfortunately, I am too busy to continue this strategy as well.

 

           Because my time is severely limited, it is important that I use my time as effectively as possible. I can only reach my goals if I choose those activities that provide the greatest benefits. Although this principle applies to volunteering as well, I have struggled to evaluate the value of volunteer opportunities. Therefore, I would like to propose three criteria for evaluating volunteer opportunities.

 

Criterion 1: Community Impact  

            Of course, volunteering is fundamentally about helping others. Volunteers choose to donate their time to help others. Because our time is more limited than our needs, the opportunities that do the most good should be prioritized.

Unfortunately, this criterion is difficult to use. It is very difficult to determine which opportunities do the most good. There are so many different needs to address, and so many different communities to serve. Choosing a cause requires judging relative need, and effectiveness of programs addressing that need. I am still struggling to include this criterion into my calculations, but I generally try to favor those opportunities that most effectively address the most basic need in the long term.

 

Criterion 2: Personal Development

            Personal development is always a priority for me. I believe it is very important to choose activities that build my capacity for future good. Therefore, I try to favor opportunities that provide valuable skills, knowledge, and connections. This is especially important now as I search for work.
           I recently joined the James F. Farr Academy Golf Committee for this purpose. This committee will meet over the next year to plan a golf tournament to benefit the James F. Farr Academy. I joined to gain more experience as an event planner, and also increase my value as a job candidate.

 

Criterion 3: Personal Experience

            Volunteering is also a way to experience things I otherwise could not afford. I have noticed that many very interesting events have entrance fees. Since graduation I have become painfully aware that expenses add up, especially when you are searching for work. If I feel that an entrance fee is prohibitive, I will offer to volunteer at the event. As a volunteer, I get free entrance as well as a chance to enjoy the event whenever I am not busy.
            I volunteered at A Taste of Allston, hosted by the Allston Village Main Streets, for this reason. A Taste of Allston is an annual event that allows community members to try food from a variety of Allston eateries. It is also a good event, but tickets cost $20. Although this is far less expensive than similar events in other neighborhoods, I still prefer to avoid the cost. Thankfully, I was allowed to volunteer at the event in 2011 and 2012.

 

          While I am not completely satisfied with these criteria, I think they are a start. I would love to hear what others think about my criteria. If you volunteer, how do you choose where to volunteer? Do you think the criteria I suggested are helpful?

Boston Caribbean Carnival 2012

Why should you care about a carnival? There are plenty of things to do on a Saturday. Why would you want to attend the Boston Caribbean Carnival 2012?

 

 Yes you!

 

Do you like politics?

            Do you care about your community? Of course you do. Do you like politics? Well, maybe not. The problem with politics today is that it’s so negative. You can never just support something; you always have to oppose something else just as much. Campaigns funnel billions into negative ads, and the media fans the flames. It is so bad that it seems expressing any political opinion automatically provokes some sort of backlash.

None of that holds true at a parade. Marching in a parade is a totally positive way to participate in politics, which is altogether too rare in our modern elections. Parades let you demonstrate your energetic support for something without fear of opposition. Even when opponents meet at parades, it always remains positive. I think that is worth a 1.5 mile, 45 minute march on a Saturday.

            I marched with City Councilor Tito Jackson, who happened to be the Grand Marshall of the parade. I met Tito Jackson in 2009 while serving in student government, and we have stayed in contact since. I support Councilor Jackson as a community leader and a public servant. He is totally focused on helping his constitutes solve the problems facing their community. I respect that motivation, and so do his constituents: every time I march with him, people make a point to tell me the ways Councilor Jackson helped them. I absolutely support that kind of work.

           

Tito Jackson and me, before he got his fabulous sash.

 

Do you like music and dance?

            If you enjoy music and dance, then the carnival is obviously for you. It was the heart and soul of the carnival. You absolutely could not miss it.

 

There was not a silent foot along the entire route the whole time.

 

            You have to admire how passionate Caribbeans are about their music and their dance. At the carnival, the masqueraders completely lost themselves in the performance. They had no shame.

 

I do mean no shame.

            The masqueraders were having so much fun, they could not care about anything else. That feeling was contagious.

 

It may not look like it, but that cop was tearing it up.

 

            As if their passion along was not enough, the masqueraders wore amazing costumes. They ranged from simple, to stunningly beautiful, to downright strange.

 

Seriously, what is that?

Do you like shopping and cultural exploration?

            Then you could visit the bazaar at the end of the parade route. In front of the Franklin Park Zoo, vendors gathered to sell Caribbean and Caribbean-American food, clothes, and jewelry.

 

Boston is not known for bazaars.

 

            It was also a chance to learn a little more about Caribbean culture. I for one tried the Jamaican fruit guinep for the first time. It was exciting. I really like fruit, so it is rare for me to find a type of fruit I have not already tried.

 

Guinep lady, I will love you forever.

If you cannot tell, I had a ball at the Boston Caribbean Carnival 2012. It was way more fun than I expected. I highly recommend you try it next time. You could march with a politician in the front. You could contact the Caribbean American Carnival Association of Boston to be a masquerader or vender.

You could just jump in.

 Everyone else did.

 

۞۞۞

 

You can check the links below for other accounts of the parade. I will add links as I find them.

 

BPD Post about the Carnival

 

Video from the Boston Globe