Civic Responsibility

Michael Field
Class of 2018, VP Communications

10/9/2016

                At our 11^th Grade Boy’s October meeting we defined civic responsibility as the responsibility that one holds as a citizen of the community and nation.  Muhammad Ali said that “service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth”.  In regard to Ali’s idea about civic responsibility, I believe that YMSL has always accentuated civic responsibility through its philanthropic involvement in our community.  With that being said, there is always room for improvement, and we can always look to expand our organization’s philanthropic efforts.  To do this, we must gain perspective.  Having the ability to understand the plight of specific groups and put ourselves in their shoes puts us in a position to best serve them.  The activity that we did at the meeting involved going to Sprouts to learn about the diet of a low income family of four.  The activity showed us the selectivity that the mother or father of that family would have to exercise while shopping to fit their budget.  This new perspective that we gained on the issue of feeding low income families better equipped us as philanthropists to approach our service with organizations like the Food Bank and Catholic Charities, and therefore improve our practice of civic responsibility.  Overall, the meeting showed me that the basis for civic responsibility is action; i.e., helping other people; but that empathy must precede any action in order to serve in the most effective way.