by Boudica
The Pagan community seems to be a culture that focuses on causes. Check out any Pagan’s Facebook page and you will see memes ranging from animal protection to reproductive rights, gay rights, environmental issues and political causes. We sign petitions till we are blind, lobbying through internet-centric collection points. The web has made it easier for our voices to be heard on any topic we may want to discuss.
But being “for a cause” is not just about signing petitions—it’s about face time. We seem to forget that while it is good to be out there to make sure that the proper parties are well informed as to what we think, it is not enough to sign petitions on the web. We need to put a face to the signature.
Informing such and such organizations that we do not want our local animal shelter closed down because of funding cuts is good, we also need to realize that it is necessary to find solutions to make sure this threat does not occur again. Offering our opinion and demanding resolution can get the cause the attention it needs. But follow-through is necessary to make sure the problem is resolved.
I recently moved to a new location. I hit the local library and started looking for volunteer opportunities. I don’t mind volunteering my time. My passion is reading, and many libraries have adult reading tutoring. However, the face of that has changed. The library offers “online” reading courses for those who need tutorials. My chosen volunteer service has been replaced by online courses. While it is a good idea, it lacks the human element. So much for my thoughts on volunteering. I will examine other avenues of volunteer work. My husband is looking at the local animal shelter.
The local animal shelter needs volunteers. They require donations more than anything else right now. Along with animal foods (which they always need), dollars for medical supplies and spaying services are their primary needs. Hubby and I are talking about making monthly donations once we are able to work that into our budget. Their volunteer needs are for greeters, community outreach, animal care and foster parenting. Our house is at max capacity with animals, so we will be looking at community outreach or animal care once we have settled in.
Many Pagans do volunteer their time in their local communities or make donations to their chosen causes. Some are very proactive when it comes to walking the walk. And my hat goes off to them for their tireless efforts.
But what about those who want to do more than sign petitions on the web? As we have found out, many people cannot do everything they’d like. What else can we do to take our concerns to the action level? What can we do that will not break our budgets yet help further our causes?
Personal contact is important. Whether it is the sound of our voices on the phone to voice our opinion further with our local politicians or just a voice at the other end of an outreach service, human interaction has more impact than a petition with thousands of signatures. Mind you, politicians do take notice of reams of paper with signatures attached. However, there is nothing like an answering machine filled with people saying the same thing over and over. It seems to make clear that the signatures are backed by live people who really do give a damn. We are watching, and we are following. We know what you are doing. And we are not afraid to call you up and tell you that. The voice is a powerful tool.
Mind you, there is a proper way to do this, and there is a way to make sure we are taken seriously. If you are going to call up and rant and rave and call the person foul names, please find another avenue to pursue.
Most causes, when they put out a “call for action,” it involves phone time and they will provide a script. Look at that script. Read it into the answering machine or speak it to the person who answers the phone. Or do a brief rewrite, adding your own take to personalize the message. This will only cost you, at most, a phone call. And as you get into the phone-calling habit, you will learn to deal with these people on their terms. It is a life lesson I highly recommend. Calling a representative and suggesting that maybe his or her constituents do not all agree with their “personal opinion” (we did not vote you into office to represent your personal opinion, etc.) can be a learning experience in and of itself. If you feel strongly enough about your cause, this can be a very helpful tool to help further it.
There is also the actual face time. Putting a face to a name is the one thing that will give your cause some impact. It’s nice to send dollars to your local shelter, but there is nothing like showing up with five twenty-pound bags of dog chow. Or how about dog walking or cleaning cages? Humanpower is clearly in short supply, with local county governments shorting what they consider nonessential services in favor of funding for more human-centered services. You cannot argue there is a need in the human sector for more funding, so when they cut your local shelter budget in favor of children’s services, volunteer rather than complain.
If you are allergic to animals, there are alternatives. What about showing up for cleanup day at your local park? I have noticed that some of our local parks are suffering from budget cuts, and cleanup days are becoming a monthly event. From roadside cleanup to playground sprucing up, people are needed to fill in the funding gaps. Funds for these types of services are drying up, no thanks to current political thinking, and while we are petitioning the governments to reinstate funding for these necessary services, we can also make our own personal impact by showing up to pick up the slack.
Face time can also be put into the private sector. From volunteering to help feed the elderly and the homeless to working craft projects for children in hospitals, we can provide necessary services that can make the human condition just a bit more comfortable for those in need.
There are many of you out there who will say, yeah, we are just as “in need” as the rest of the population. Well, yes, you may be. But are you going to be the victim that everyone is going to stare at or are you going to be an example of a survivor? How can you use your position to better the human condition?
Volunteers do not need to be well-to-do and comfortable in order to do their work. Rather, volunteers who are in the same or maybe just a bit better place as the people they help can serve as a mile marker for those being served. Take a look at the example of Alcoholics Anonymous—where those who were helped now turn around and become sponsors for those who come to be helped. They are examples of how you can survive such a devastating disease and move on with their lives.
Same is true for those who volunteer. You are saying, yes, I was where you are now. Your example says, I may be just a little bit better off than you are, but you are going to get where I am by taking the same baby steps I am taking. You offer hope for their future. As for your own situation, success is measured by each day you move forward and not backwards. How much better can you feel than by knowing you helped raise one more person out of a bad situation today?
We all have our causes. If you are not keen on the human condition because you can’t deal with it, which is fine, there are so many other places to put your time into.
What about charity events? Some of these require minimal time once a year for some of their biggest events. What about being a water provider at a charity run? Or setting up for a gala event once a year? There are plenty of nondenominational events held that need volunteers. And remember, face time does not require donations. So, yes, you can set up tables, assist at the food stalls, or do cleanup after a large event and all you are giving is your time.
Let’s move on to what we get out of this. Yes, there is a return on being proactive in your community. One of the biggest returns is the improvement of your community. Every time another person is added to the list of people helping their personal cause or aiding their community, the community improves and the cause expands and becomes more successful. Every time we do something to further our cause, the cause has that much more of a chance to succeed. Imagine, if you will, an animal shelter that never has to refuse incoming animals because we succeed in finding homes for all the animals housed there. Imagine watching one more animal leave the shelter and going to their “furever” home. But think about it. How about not having to keep expanding shelters in order to house the ever-expanding amount of homeless animals? Or making the shelters self-sufficient, with outgoing fees paying for the needs of those animals coming in? Imagine free drop off—and never having to turn away another animal, or never having to kill another animal to make room for more.
We can step that up to the human level as well. Imagine saying goodbye to a homeless person because they have gotten a place to live or a job to support themselves, rather than saying goodbye as they are moved to a hospital or another homeless facility. Imagine children having enough food that you helped serve, or maybe a knit sweater you made to keep warm this winter. Even donations of your old clothes that go directly to shelters will help one more child be warmer this winter.
How about one less cleanup day a month because your local government has restored funding so they can hire sanitation one more day a month? Or maybe fences can be repaired, or picnic tables and facilities can be repaired because your voice added to the clamor for more funding for these needs. This then provides a better park experience for the families in your community, who hold family reunions, or birthday parties, or charity events at your local parks. Parks then collect more fees to further expand their funding base. This is a spiral up—not a spiral down—in bettering life in your community. You can say you are part of the cure. How do you think this will make you feel? And what better way to do honor to your gods or the universe than by bettering the human experience, starting with our environment and working our way up through all the small parts that comprise the world we live in.
Online petitions are good. They are but the first steps in being proactive. Use the web to find out where you can add your voice and your face to take your cause to the next level. Make what you do really count. Be a proactive Pagan, no matter what you can contribute to your cause.