Another monthly group writing project by the PF Bloggers! This time we’re joining blogging members from around the world to blog about Poverty at BlogActionDay!  Bloggers from around the world are addressing this important issue today.

Poverty is defined by the World Bank as hunger, lack of shelter, lack of access to a doctor, school, and living one day at a time.  I cannot imagine even living like that.  I have been born privileged to have access to food, shelter, medical care, and an education without a second thought. I have been able to live a life in pursuit of happiness and freedom.

But what can we do?  What should we do?  I wonder if perhaps we as a society should start spending a year between college and high school doing national service?  What I mean by that is, before entering high school what if it became more socially acceptable by colleges and universities to have students spend a year doing community service in the US or abroad.

This could include working in your community with underprivileged members, building homes with habitat for humanity, working at food bank, free clinic, etc.  I think that this would open the eyes and enlighten many people about the privilege life they lead when compared to many others who have so much less.

Why do it after high school?  Well I think that we rush through our earlier years doing what our parents want for us.  Thus why so many students take more than 4 years to select a career.  They often find out that what they thought they thought their career would be doesn’t fit.  I mean honestly, choosing your career at 18 is hard.

So perhaps a year in national service, helping people can help mature our society. It make us more compassionate towards others. It will give us an opportunity to perhaps learn more about our career paths if we get jobs or volunteer in organizations doing work we might consider pursuing.

I also think that if young adults were given the opportunity to spend a year working without jeopardizing their future college admissions, and perhaps making their applications even stronger, they would do it happily.  Thus I think we need a paradigm shift away from jumping directly into college at 18, to spending a year doing community service to help those less fortunate than us both nationally or internationally.