Week 8: What role has service had in your growth throughout your experience? How would that have been different if you hadn’t chosen to serve this summer?
Sharing the harvest receives volunteers from many different organizations around the Southcoast MA region. When I first started working with STH this summer I only thought about my service to the farm and the extra help I was giving by working with them this summer. I did not think about the many different ways that the farm does and recieves service of its own.
STH receives volunteers from different youth groups and from programs for adults with developmental disabilities. These groups are an integral part of the farms mission and also bring such joy and energy to the farm work. I was lucky to be able to work on a weekly basis with several different groups. After finishing work and reflecting on my time at the farm and especially with my interactions something that really shifted my perspective on service at Sharing the Harvest was that there was no one beneficiary of our work together with different organizations. STH benefitted not only because we had more hands working on the farm but also because the groups were consistent and showed up on a regular basis. The visiting organizations benefitted in that they could come spend time in a beautiful setting and learn more about farming and gardening. I benefitted in both having extra help with my tasks on the farm and having engaging and warm conversations. And the greater community benefits because together we were producing delicious and fresh produce to give to those who need it.
This perhaps circle-ish shape of mutual benefit and dependence to me is how I hope to continue to engage and create spaces of service in the future. The farm is both a recipient of service and a giver in many different ways; it creates a community of service that I am incredibly happy to have been a part of.
1 Comment
WOW, it sounds like you had an incredibly rewarding experience. I also had my expectations surpassed when I entered the community I worked in, and I wish others can have that experience too. I’m curious to know how you think we can motivate others who have not had service experiences to engage in volunteer/service work. It’s so fulfilling but many can perceive it as free labor with no benefit to themselves, so I’d love to learn more about how STH got so much support.