Volunteer Work

[Regicidal Insomniac]

Good day, comrades.

The time is nearly upon me to be shoved into the workforce and become a slave-wage labourer for some immoral, money-grobbling, earth-destroying multinational coperation. In other words, I just turned 15 and I need a bloody job.

The problem is I don't have ANY experience working (aside from organizing protests in my school) and the only places that would ever accept me without that kind of experience are institutions like McD's or Wal-Mart, which violate just about every one of my moral values.

So I figure I should do some volunteer work first so I can eventually find myself a better job, get something to put on my resume, hopefully learn some valuable things and most importantly, do something that satifies me as a leftist.

So I was wondering, do any of you have any experience doing volunteer work? What are some things I could possibly do? Any experiences you'd like to share? I really could use some help, and all replies are greatly appreciated. By the way, I live in Ottawa, so if any Ottawatonians can give me soem specific advise that would be even greater. :)

[Ben Sir Amos]

I think it would be worth going to work for McD's or Wal-Mart, just to experience what it is really like. You should remember that it will be a bit easier for you to bear it than other workers if you know that you won't be there for the rest of your life.

And you could use some of your valuable experience of organising to get a union established - or if they are already unionised - to get the union to agree a resolution in support of Cuba (That's just happened in England).

That way you can earn a bit of money, get experience of work, get something on your cv and help the labour movement and cuba.

[ElRuso1967]

I volunteer at the local hospital, and i think thats a good place to start if you want to get into voluntary work. The sort of stuff that I do is serving drinks etc to patients.

[Sasafrás]

Personally, I see nothing wrong with working at McDonald's or Wal*Mart. Maybe McDonald's is worse, but what difference does it make? Both Wal*Mart and McDonald's do great things for the community. Wal*Mart offers numerous college scholarships for students and McDonald's sponsors the Ronald McDonald House which provides free housing to people travelling to hospitals to find treatment for their children. There's a McDonald House in my city since the best Cancer Research Hospital for children is here. There's absolutely nothing wrong with working for these places, despite the fact that they are multinational corporations. Who gives a shit? You can't escape it. You live in the US, what else can you do?? Not everything is as bad as people try to convince you it is.

But, if you must volunteer, I suggest working with hospitals or such homes that I mentioned before like McDonald House or maybe a Target House if there is one where you live. Also, you can work in elementary schools at after-school programs if it is allowed. When I was 13 and 14, I think, I volunteered during the summers at a Day Camp for children with cerebral palsy, dyslexia, autism, and other disabilities. My friend volunteers every Friday at LeBonheur, a hospital for children here in my city. Find children's hospitals or activities sponsored by United Cerebral Plasy (UCP), and similar organizations. Oh, and the Special Olympics! It's the coolest! As you can see, I absolutely love children with mental and physical disabilities. They're the sweetest kids ever.

[suffianr]

Might sound a bit 'commercial', but check it out anyway:

gapyear.com (http://www.gapyear.com)

or perhaps in two year's time:

Raleigh International (http://www.raleighinternational.org)

I went on a Raleigh expedition in '98, and participated in 3 different projects; environment, community and adventure. I'm too tired to list them now, but I can PM you later if you want...

[Invader Zim]

Well I help out at Bletchley park on quite a few of there open weekends, and I dont expect them to pay me, its enough just to help keep the place open. BTW Bletchley park is the place where they cracked the German codes in the war.

[Soul Rebel]

Ive done some volunteer work- soup kitchens, a beautification project, at a thrift store.

If you want to do some volunteer work i suggest you look into groups such as "Food, not bombs." I think the group exists all over the us. What they do is serve free hot vegetarian meals to those who cant afford to eat. Its really great- everyone gets food, nobody is denied. The people that dish the food are the ones who make the food to bring it down to the park. Many times you will see the same people working there and the same people coming to eat. Its really wonderful.

[Ctisphonics]

Go to your library, and look up books on volunteerism. Many books will teach you how to organize volunteer organizations. I also recommend asking the reference
desk what groups thay know about, people who get jobs in libraries usually are a good point of ennumeration to begin your new 'career' in social networking. You would be surprised the kind o people they know, they tand to have major contacts with various powergroups in the community.

On top of this, I recommend if you don't want to become part of Wal-mart or another big multi-chain store, look for an independant Franchise or Genesis store, they still have the big companies names and access to products, but at the same time they function independent, keeping the profits for themselves.

Oh, by the way, many Unions aren't cracked up to be what they claim to be, Stay out of Union politics at all costs! The higher ou get, the more repulsive it becomes. Mostly just failed power-mongers looking to make a quick buck on the backs of wage-workers, many times the managers will be more sympathetic to you than the union guys- as unbelievable as that may sound to you.
(P.S., You can get a job at age 15?)

[Regicidal Insomniac]

Ah hah, thanks for the advise, comrades. :)

Ben,

It does sounds intrigueing, as you said, to work for one of these huge corperations known for their supression of collectivism to gain some valuable experience in the proleteriat world. Though I'd never really want to work for any such businesses, I suppose that would be the bright side. :)

I really wish their was more variety available to young people wanting to work, it seems like we all end up working for McD's or something along those lines. And so they'll just keep making more and more money and getting bigger and bigger and crushing more and more small business until we're all forced to become slaves (figuratively or litteraly) to big business.

Sasafrás,

The reason I don't want to work for Wal-Mart is because of their use of sweatshop labour to produce their brand clothing and by working their I feel I would be supporting them and their evil deeds (I know that sounds cliche but if salvery isn't evil I don't know what is).

As for McD's, beyond corperate politics my reasons for not wanting to work there rest in personal experience by friends and family. Just about every working teen I know is employed at McD's, and have moaned endlessly about how shitty the place is. So I think it's in the best interesting of my mental and physical health to steer clear of it.

By the way, I don't live in the US. I live in Canada, hence Ottawa- the nation's capital. :P

Ctisphonics,

Thanks a bunch for the advise, man. :) I think I'll head down to the library first.

Alot of people here get their first jobs at 15, but it's almost exclusively at McD's and such. Most don't start seriously working until 16 or older, though, so the least I can do is get some experience now.

everyone else,

Thank you all very much as well. :D

[Ben Sir Amos]

You could also check out Summer Companies and start working for yourself. I don't know too much about how they operate in Canada - but I have seen some mention of $3,000 in grants for 15-24 year olds. Running your own business will look good on your CV.

Of course, the only way to make money out of your own business is to employ some mug and appropriate the surplus value.........

You will have to get in some heavies from Che-Lives to keep the unions out.

[bluerev002]

If your gonna live in America then you have to get a job. There anrent many that are better than MCds or Walmart. But Id do volunteer work. I'm having M.E.Ch.A. Do some comunity service over at shelters and such.

Ive had jobs that are not at all worth taking: picking grapes in fiels, cleaning a school for rascist pigs. Basically, jobs that my uncles ask me to help them out with, and they being immigrants those are the only jobs they can get. Honestly, I would much rather take Wall-Mart over field picking. I need a job right now, school dances arent cheap :o