Forgot to blog the first week

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Week one at the Joplin Humane Society.

I was initially surprised by the appearance of the building and its facilities. The building is very old and has wooden siding and is in what appears to be an older area. However, the building is painted bright yellow w/ green trim, I think in an effort to be more visually appealing.
When I went to ask about volunteering, I talked with a very nice and cheerful woman who seemed genuinely pleased to have someone who wanted to volunteer. She told me that they could use all the help that they could get.

However, my first volunteering experience was somewhat less than chipper. I walked in the door and talked to the manager and he was very nice and told me that I could start by taking the puppies outside one at a time and playing with them for a while. I was glad to do it, and at first I thought that maybe I wasn't going to be taken very seriously. By the end of the day though after taking the puppies out I realized that I probably did the puppies a lot of good. They probably don't get much of a chance to have attention and affection poured out on them, because the people that work there were always busy cleaning cages, bringing in new animals and overseeing customers and adoptions.

I enjoyed being able to cheer up some of the animals' day, but I didn't get to have much interaction with the people that work there. The only time that I was spoken to was when I got there and when I left. It seemed like most of the workers were in bad moods and I didn't really feel all that welcome because no one besides the manager spoke to me. Maybe they were just tired from being so busy because there are a ton of animals there. There are so many animals that it is almost full and they were having a hard time trying to find room for the animals that were coming in.

So I guess to sum it all up, I was glad that I got to cheer up the puppies, but I felt like a total outsider. I also felt like the people either didn't really want me there, didn't think I was capable of being any use, or just didn't like the idea of having to tell someone how to do the everyday things that are second nature to them. I am sure that they are all good people so hopefully, my first impression of them won't stick. Oh, and another thing is that the woman who was nice when I went to ask about volunteering wasn't there that day so maybe it will be different when I get a chance to work with her.

Final analysis MIDS

My final hours are now finished. I will admit that I both enjoyed and disliked doing my service project at times. I enjoyed it because I love animals and I love to volunteer. On the other hand, I disliked it because I had to try and fit in enough hours when I already have to worry about my other classes, which are more difficult and time consuming this semester than they were last semester. Another reason I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I was going to was because of the people I worked with.
I came in many times a week for eight weeks and by the end of my time there, they still didn’t know my name and they didn’t remember that I was there to volunteer. Most of the people who work there are not very happy. It seems like most of them would rather be somewhere else doing something different. I understand that they are very busy with all the animals they have to care for and all of the people they have to deal with, but I would think that they could at least be cheerful once and a while. Now don’t get me wrong, they were always nice to the customers but it was like they were putting on a fake face. I do think that they appreciated my help although they didn’t really show it.
While I was there, I noticed quite a few other people who were volunteering as well, along with people who were putting in time there for community service. I do think that it is odd the way our society uses volunteer work as punishment for those who have gotten in trouble with the law. Volunteering should not be viewed as punishment. I am sure that the courts might say that by doing this service the person will build more character and be able to grow and mature as a person. But I think that the majority of the people doing the community service look at it as a punishment, because it was either do the community service or go to jail.

Volunteering should be something that people are willing and glad to do. In recent times people and societies have changed from what they used to be like. In the past, people would help others whenever they could and not expect any thing in return other than maybe some help when they needed it. I think now more than ever, people are too self-centered and don’t care about the rest of the world, or even the rest of their town for that matter. It is a sad state that most of the people today are in. There are still a few people who do lots of volunteering though, and today they are looked upon as oddities rather than the norm. It would be nice if that view were switched to the opposite.