Siranipour

My Blog Posts

• Hope for the Homeless Site Visit
  07/05/2008 03:01:50 AM EST
  On Monday, I visited the Weingart Center Association, a non-profit organization located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles’ “Skid Row” intended to help the homeless in the area “break the cycle of homelessness and poverty”.   I met with Kevin Martin, the Program Director for Hope for the Homeless, an Americorps program, who provided insight on how Americorps members are making significant strides to improve the lives of those living on the streets of the Skid Row area.
• The Benefits of Serving for AmeriCorps
  06/19/2008 09:52:57 PM EST
  A common answer when asking someone why they choose to volunteer their time and serve their local communities and country is that they want to make a difference and impact people’s lives.  Yet signing up to serve in AmeriCorps, volunteers are doing more than giving their time, commitment, energy and love to serving the community.  Due to the reciprocal nature of giving, they get back that in which they put into the program if not more.  Like the saying goes, “the more you give the more you get”.  The selfless and good-natured intentions of volunteering bestows upon members the openness to absorb the valuable lessons which working for AmeriCorps offers.  
• Moving National Service Forward
  06/19/2008 12:23:36 AM EST
          It is through various National Service programs that the strength and unity of the U.S. is exhibited, which is why it remains of the upmost importance to have a President in office that will work to expand the capacities of such programs.  While in office, President George W. Bush set forth a budget for organizations like Americorps that would allow it to maintain its current level of members.  According to Senator and Presidential hopeful John McCain this demonstrates that “national service today has truly bipartisan support”.  Yet when you consider the tens of thousands of applicants that are turned down each year from serving in Americorps due to limited funds, it seems that this partial support is simply not enough.  What the country truly needs is a President who is committed to strengthening National Service Programs and will do so through expanding the federal budget for such programs.  By raising the budget, which has been reduced for the past five consecutive years, the President would allow the youth, seniors and all else that wish to volunteer their time the opportunity to make a difference in their communities.  
      What also needs to remain high on the President’s agenda in terms of National Service is getting the word out about what National Service really is and the ways people can come together to serve their country.  Often many people want to lend a helping hand yet are unaware of the different opportunities which they are able to take part in.  An innovative and interesting proposal of creating a national online network, modeled on craigslist, which Barack Obama plans to implement if elected President would help fix the problem of awareness for National Service.  The online network would inform volunteers of the different National Service programs.  The centralized online system would provide accessibility to the numerous organizations allowing individuals to find a program which suits their needs and objectives.  Building awareness to the ways each individual can serve their country would help keep people accountable of the responsibilities of being a citizen, encouraging them to do their part.  A program that would also go hand in hand with the national online network in creating awareness behind National Service would be to engage middle and high-school, as well as college students in community service activities.  Children from an early age should recognize the value of such service, just as they are taught the value of academic studies such as mathematics and history.  The curriculum in the school setting should be adjusted in a way that would make room for such service.  Instilling these values of service and commitment to better our nation would indeed benefit the future of the nation as well as the future of the children taking part in such service.