No one knew who was part of the drug gangs and, as a result, no one could talk to anyone else without fear of retribution. But social isolation results from many causes other than intimidation. They need contact with the world, both by having people visit them and by receiving assistance in getting out. At times we all feel isolated. We can overcome this isolation, not by waiting for someone to reach out to us, but by helping someone else.
Organizations can extend their work through the efforts of volunteers.
Human service organizations, churches, institutions of higher education, environmental organizations and other kinds of agencies rely on volunteers for a variety of jobs. Independent Sector, a national organization that collects data about American volunteering, reports that annually Americans volunteer more than a billion hours. This is the equivalent of more than nine million full time workers. American society would be seriously impoverished, as would all Americans, if people stopped volunteering or if young people like you didn t develop what Robert Ballah refers to as Habits of the Heart, also the name of one of his books. Community service has many good outcomes both for you and for the community, whether it is the URI community or the geographical community around the University.