More than A band-aid and long policy battle
Starting my engagement with Houselessness in Los Angeles, via Waterdrop LA, I’ve seen that there are different engagement methods to display within service learning. One agrees that there is various needs between charity base, project base, and social change services that will provide a complete support instead of having a bandaid on social issues or not acknowledging the fact that many are heavily impacted by the lack of direct help, by viewing the reality of service engagement and navigating with my own differences in identities/experiences as a USC student.
The three engagement methods each have their own purpose in helping the community. Keith Morton, in his writing, The Irony of Service: Charity, Project, and Social Change Service-Learning, illustrates a great definition for each of the three approaches. Charity based engagement is typically seen with those who help others through providing resources directly (8). Charity understands that there is a lack or need of something; thus, works to directly provide the community with the resources needed.
On the approach of project base engagement, they’re seen as an equal collaborative effort with a problem and goal in mind. Project service is usually among those with an expertise and understanding of tools utilized to address the issue at hand (9). The approach is used to help those within the community through assessing the problem and creating a plan with an understanding of experts.
Lastly, the social change approach is done through strengthening their relationship within stakeholders who share common values/goals and understanding the root causes within injustices. Their efforts are also to strive in empowering those who feel less in power — redistributing power (10). In the case of the form of social change, it helps the community by exploring the root cause and base building with empowerment.
There are organizations and individuals that just strive in doing one of the three forms of approach; however there are faults to each one making it insustainable on its own. Charity service’s quality of direct aid faults as there is little support in combating the creation of the problem. As materials continue to be asked for within the community, the organization and individual will continue to provide. This becomes extremely insustainable as materials or resources come with a price — financially or laborious. Project service’s quality of being equal within collaborativity from experts falters when experts are unable to convey experienced level tools to the community and have a different understanding of the communities reality. Social Change service’s quality of being able to base build with others of similar values while dismantling the root cause falters when people are being impacted by the systemic policies waiting to be changed.
We must address the direct harm that is going on within under-resourced communities. As charities address typically the life changing aspect of community engagement, it’s also important to strive to create understanding of the rooted cause within under-resource communities and most importantly to empower. In addition, it’s a collaborative process between the community and experts to help assess the problem and develop an action plan to combat systemic problems being addressed by charity and social change services.
In my time with Waterdrop LA, I’ve grown an understanding of how each service approach is displayed to envision a better support system for the unhoused community. Waterdrop LA’s most known work of providing water to those within the Houseless community of skid row is actually seen as charity. Water drop LA works on providing water to the unhoused community directly helping the unhoused folks; thus being seen as charity for the direct and short temporary impact being done. Water drop also has subsections within the group that allow others with larger capacities to partake in groups like Communications, Finance Events, Policy Advocacy and Research committee. Committees like Policy advocacy and Research committee are seen as social change services by working on bettering the systemic formatting of skid row and the unhoused community. Creating long term plans and dismantling the local policies in place impacting unhoused residents. The community organization holds a collaborative group of experts postgraduates from USC and other top universities, with the understanding of public policy and political sciences. Their contributions as experts in their respective fields with committees to assess the problem and plan helps in establishing the project base portion of Waterdrop LA. As I start my community engagement journey with Waterdrop LA, I view that charity, project, and social change community service is demonstrated through their continuous distribution of water, collaborative group of experts, and committees on policy research along with policy advocacy done to provide systemic change for unhoused folks.
When it comes to community service, I plan to view my community engagement journey with Waterdrop LA on the reality and difficulties an organization’s faces in mind. Published by Tania D. Mitchell and David M. Donahue, Ideal and Real in Service Learning, I plan to navigate my community engagement with the same reality of how community service is displayed in a non-profit organization. I plan to continue with the understanding of how underfunded, understaffed, and overworked (5). Acknowledging that the work being done takes energy from those who continue to give, many being the same group of people constantly giving. Carrying this mindset in my head will help support the team as I move forward in being part of the hard working family — Water drop LA.
Working with waterdrop LA, I’ve made my effort to practice different methods of service learning to help where possible. During my first few weeks, I made sure to be an active listener. I understood that entering in spaces where I am entering for the first time you should listen to the community. My next step was to see ways to see where folks needed my help, this is where I found the ability to join different committees and attend weekly meetings and decided to join. Despite nearly completing my required hours, I plan to continue to engage with Waterdrop LA, in a larger sense and practice different methods of service. Starting at their charity service of directly helping by distributing water, I plan to assist in providing my own experiences and expertise as a USC student studying public policy, and continuing by being an additional advocate in dissecting the systemic policies implaced harming the unhoused community.
