Becoming an Active Citizen/Serving the Greater Good
The goal of this category is to "identify service opportunities or issues of personal passion and take meaningful steps toward engaging with those issues."
Volunteering at Karma Kat Cafe
On October 8th, 2020, I volunteered at Karma Kat Cafe for the active citizenship category of my PDP project.
Animals have always played a big role in my life. I have never lived without having the opportunity to love a pet, and I have grown to stop myself in whatever I’m doing to say hello to an animal. Being able to give back to the animal community, one that is very important and prominent in my life, was something I knew I wanted to get involved in for the active citizenship category of my PDP project. Karma Kat Cafe was a perfect opportunity for me to fulfill this goal of mine. The owner is constantly looking for volunteers to help with the hours of daily cleaning she must complete in order to keep her business safe for her customers. By choosing to volunteer here, I would be able to get involved in the animal community and help a local business, two things that would make my volunteering experience even more meaningful for me.
I drove to Karma Kat Cafe, located in downtown Mount Pleasant. I was greeted by Mystie Beckwith, owner of Karma Kat Cafe, who took me on a tour of the small facility she runs daily. I quickly got to work wiping down all surfaces in the lounge area. I then vacuumed everywhere and followed that up by mopping. After I was finished with the cleaning of the lounge, I joined Mystie and a couple of other volunteers in the back room where they keep cats that are new or sick, waiting to meet with the veterinarian. Each cage has to be cleaned out and restocked with fresh food and water bowls, along with the cleaning of each litter box as well. Once we finished with the cages in the back, we were all done for the day and got to spend a little time cuddling and playing with the kittens in the lounge!
I really enjoyed my time volunteering at Karma Kat Cafe. I was so glad to find a volunteer opportunity that matched up so great with my passion for animals and helping them whenever I can. It was also really nice to know I was helping a small, local business that was in dire need of daily volunteers in order to maintain their customers’ safety. I learned a lot from this experience too. I do not particularly have very much experience with cats, and learning about them was really interesting. The most interesting thing I discovered was the difference and vibrancy of each cat’s personality, and how unique they were. I also learned what the care routine is for smaller kittens all the way up to older cats, which is a lot more intense than I originally thought it to be. It was really meaningful to me to know I was giving help out where help was wanted and needed. I enjoyed this experience so much I have since signed up for multiple more days of volunteering and plan on continuing my involvement with this business.
Holiday Card Making for LGBTQ+ Prisoners of Beyond These Walls
On Thursday, November 5th, 2020, I participated in the virtual holiday card making event for LGBTQ+ prisoners through the organization Beyond These Walls as part of the active citizenship category of my PDP project.
I chose this activity for the active citizenship category of my PDP because I felt it was one of the most unique volunteering possibilities offered this semester. Not only did it pose an opportunity to get involved with the incarcerated population, but also with the LGBTQ+ community. Before this event, I had not had the chance to get involved with either of these communities. However, I feel very strongly that both of these groups need people to stand up on their behalf and advocate for good progress. By making holiday cards for LGBTQ+ prisoners, I felt that I could advocate for good progress by passing along something that everyone could use in times like these: holiday cheer, positive thoughts, and encouragement. I hope that my letters are received and put a smile on the face of the prisoners I wrote to. Knowing that I hopefully enlightened their days even a little makes me feel like I have made a small difference in trying to uplift the spirits of people that are a part of an oppressed community.
Before the WebEx meeting, I met Abby Scott in the University Center to pick up holiday card-making supplies which included paper, envelopes, and stamps. On the night of the Webex conference, Abby started off the meeting with a presentation educating all of us about the incarcerated population with various statistics. She also went over facts about the LGBTQ+ community, defining numerous terms. Abby then went on to talk about the organization Beyond These Walls, the program we would be sending the letters through. We then went over the guidelines of making these cards, as there were a lot of specific requirements needed to be met for every card. Specific supplies were not allowed to be included on the cards, and we went over what they were as well. I then received an email with the names and addresses of my assigned prisoners so I could begin to create my cards. I went through and hand-wrote personal letters to each of my assigned prisoners. I talked about myself, Central Michigan, the crazy weather we had been having, and my wish for a great holiday season for everyone. I made sure to include unique questions in each letter, as sometimes the prisoners have the opportunity to write letters back in return. Once I finished making and addressing the cards, I delivered them to the nearest mailbox and sent them on their way!
Going into this activity, I knew little about the incarcerated population, let alone the LGBTQ+ incarcerated population. By participating in this activity, I learned about the additional oppression this specific group receives while in either jail or prison. They are often more likely to be sexually assaulted than heterosexual or cisgendered identifying individuals. People of color that identity as LGBTQ+ prisoners are also more likely to be discriminated against. While incarcerated, transgender individuals are not recognized for who they identify as. When sending these letters, we were required to address them to the prisoners’ birth or “real” names, instead of their chosen identity’s name. I learned that the LGBTQ+ incarcerated population is not recognized for who they are, and often receive harassment and other forms of maltreatment because of their identity. Because of this, many prisoners chose to hide what they feel is their true identity in efforts to avoid abuse. Learning these facts regarding this certain population astounded me, as I believe it is an awful thing to have to hide your identity in efforts to protect your safety and well-being. No one should ever feel threatened because of the way they identify, and learning of the oppression and abuse LGBTQ+ prisoners receive was an eye-opening experience. I hope that my small contribution of personal holiday cards make just a small dent against the sadness and fear this group must be constantly feeling, and I hope to do more in the future to advocate for the LGBTQ+ incarcerated population.
