Another reason to be optimistic about the future in Kansas: news of the creation of a Kansas Corps of college students who can be dispatched to help communities. “With a single phone call, this group could be mobilized to serve any area of the state,†Allie Crouse, a Wichita State University student, recently told the Kansas Board of Regents. She is among about 80 others who’ve spent 16 months planning the corps. At a recent trial run in Melvern, Kan., 50 students from six colleges built a hiking and biking trail on the site of a trash dump. No word from the regents as to whether they can oblige the group’s request to help with funding, starting in fiscal year 2010. But the Kansas Corps is an outstanding idea. Many student service groups already do great work around the state, but this one could be coordinated and deployed as needed. As Curt Brungardt, a professor at Fort Hays State University who is also involved, told the regents: “Think of the power of it.â€
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13 Comments
I’m a little dubious of volunteer initiatives. A distinction should be made. Its great when volunteers come together to help themselves for example in a downtrodden neighborhood or to help cleanup a disaster situation like Greensburg.
On the other hand, volunteers are sometimes assembled to do a job for which employees should be paid … in other words to avoid paying salaries.
In the situation mentioned above, building hiking paths to a county landfill, I wonder why the county government isn’t paying its young people to do these summer jobs so they have school money this fall?
The thought of kids doing voluteer work is that they should get paid for it?
Seems like you’re missing the whole point..afterall, isn’t it the kid’s choice to donate their time? If they want to get paid, then they should get a job.
The problem is that today, too many people scoff at the idea of doing something for someone or for their community and not getting reimbursed for it. We need to encourage the concept of giving, not discourage it. Voluteering has many rewards other than monetary. It helps us to become better people. Young people need to learn this valuble lesson, too.
I thought that volunteering work was tied to getting credits?
Barack Obama has proposed a volunteer program that would reward volunteers with a the opportunity for a college education in exchange for a year or two of their public service.
Realistically, we can’t expect those kids to live on the street and stop eating during their years of volunteering. So, yeah, there’d be a stipend involved and that might cost something.
Ah, but John Sidney McCain the Third is even against rewarding people who’ve volunteered for military service (i.e., getting shot at) with educational opportunities.
Which side are you on?
Allie Crouse is a former student of mine.
Way to go Allie!
Well sure we want to teach volunteerism that is not compensated. But we have to be realistic as well.
These are tough times. I see nothing wrong with incentivising community service with some kind of compensation.
I think any child should be able to go to college, even if they are dirt poor, but they should earn their way through, with programs like this! I applaud them, I want to give them some money myself! I can’t give much though, the government takes so much of it to support the worthless welfare cows. What I can give, I will though, how do we donate?
“I can’t give much though, the government takes so much of it to support the worthless welfare cows.”
To whom do you refer? The physically disabled or the mentally ill?
In case you haven’t noticed…women don’t get welfare just because they give birth. I find your comment sexist and demeaning. Jerk.
Mary, I AM SEXIST AND DEMEANING! Look it up in the dictionary, you will see my picture there.
However, a good portion of the people collecting “benefits” of certain sorts are merely worthless. I don’t care of your a full blown (insert the PC word for retard here). My mother trained those folks to work at jobs. It was her professional trade for many years. Anyone can work, at something! I do not care if it costs MORE to train them to do something in order to earn a living than what it costs to simply give them the money, THEY SHOULD WORK! Not for me, not for you, BUT FOR THEM!
We have created a pretty large segment of our population that is truely worthless! Hopeless! That’s not good for anybody!
It’s certainly not good for them, and if it’s “them” that matter, you should agree with me!
I’ve seen instances where volunteer groups have made a real difference. I had a neighbor, an engineer who was on a Mennonite disaster relief team, and his boss had to make do without him in the event of a tornado, earthquake or flood almost anywhere in the world. He would be there, figuring out how to lift collapsed buildings off of victims or wading waist-deep in flood water to grab a kid, etc. They were well funded, equipped, in communication, organized and experienced in getting in, doing their job and not getting in the way of other rescue efforts.
I’ve also seen volunteer organizations whose only visible purpose was to pat each other on the back. We really have enough of those.
“Semperfiguy” is another nic for “Regular”
blue jay, I’m not “regular” but I’m sure he is brilliant.
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[...] Corps of college students who can be dispatched to help communities. ???With a single phone call,http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2008/05/creating-an-army-of-young-volunteers/KU can rent out space and not pay property tax Lawrence Journal-WorldKansas University will be able [...]