Assignment: Volunteer Experience: Poverty Program

Volunteer in an organization that serves the poor. Submit a 5-7 page paper which addresses the following points with regard to your experience: (This needs to happen this semester, not from your remembrance of a previous experience.) You must address all three points listed below. This is an actual volunteer activity and cannot be done by visiting an organizations website only. I also want dates and times of contact with agency and name of agency contact to be included in the paper. You must spend a minimum of 8 hours at the organization or agency selected.

1. Clearly identify the group you are focusing on and the specific issue which you plan to address (e.g., DHHS-homelessness). Remember to describe the setting that you are using for this assignment (name of organization and who it serves) and be sure to note the demographics of the group.

2. Discuss the ways in which your observations fit with accounts noted in the readings and class discussions. Follow the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines for citations and references. Be sure to draw from at least two sources covered by the required reading, and at least two outside sources to support your discussion, for a total of 4 articles.

3. Summarize what was learned from this experience. How does it relate to your career plans?