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The Importance Of Community Service

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The efficiency of service can be looked at form multiple angles. Does the motive behind service less than its effectiveness? I will be exploring just that in this paper by evaluating the net benefit to a community and its lasting impact on the individual performing mandatory versus voluntary service. I was drawn to this topic after listening to Tovia Smith’s podcast, ‘Selfish’ Giving: Does It Count If You Get In Return?. Smith interviews many professionals on their opinion on service done for personal gain. In the article, Community Service, published by the Center for Justice and Reconciliation, they define mandatory community Service as restorative justice for offenders. The Center for Justice and Reconciliation leads a reader to believe that offenders doing community service is no different than when a high school student does it for a college application. I believe that the Center for Justice and Reconciliation is correct that offenders and high school students both partake in mandatory community service but for different reasons. High school students use service to get into college while offenders use service to make amends with the community they have harmed. Both Smith and the Center for Justice and Reconciliation agree that service is good but differ on what makes it efficient. While I agree with Smith's main argument surrounding service, I believe that community service remains effective when you evaluate the motives, net benefit to community, and a lasting impact

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