Dos

     The first experience that comes to my mind when I saw the Empowerment section in Chapter 5 is when I volunteered with my Mom's work (she works for Lucas County Children Services) at their annual holiday party. They host the party for foster parents and their adopted children to come and see Santa and get a free gift from him, while also receiving a large basket of holiday type food. There are also lots of activities for the kids to partake in, and this is where the empowerment comes in. I usually work at either the craft table or the cookie decorating table, and both of these activities give the children a chance to experience empowerment, because they are able to decorate however their little hearts desire, and I am still there to help if they need anything. Therefore, I am taking to heart what they would like and not helping them if they don't actually want help.
     This same holiday party also has a lot to do with engaging in multicultural citizenship because families of all different sizes and colors and races and ethnicities attend the party. It has helped me to see that not only certain races are willing to adopt children and take them into their home, no matter what their current financial state is. Also, because so many different people attend the party, I am able to interact with all of them and learn as much as I can from them about the differences between people in our world. If we get to talking, I can even learn about how their culture and customs differ from mine, or are very similar to mine. This is what makes multicultural citizenship important when helping out a community, because if volunteer work was restricted to only certain groups of citizens, it would not be nearly as beneficial as it is when everyone is aided, regardless of the color of their skin.
     The last way I engage in citizenship in this community is through the use of empathy. It is very important to have the ability to sit down and listen to the people who are in need of your help. Whether they want to talk about something important or trivial, by listening to them, I could make a huge difference in their lives. I also must be able to take a step out of my comfort zone and put myself in their shoes, because by "seeing the world through a different and distinct vantage point" the opportunities I have to help out that family or that person are endless. All three of these things are very important to acknowledge when engaging in community service because they enable the volunteer to help as much as humanly possible and will give both the volunteer and the person receiving the service a better experience.