Service Trip Response: The iceberg of service and social change

How can service and movements for social change support and inform one another? Are there ways that service and activism are fundamentally different or opposed? (Editor's note: Hannah took part in the "food justice" service trip to Sacramento.) 

There are a lot of issues in this world and there are two ways to address them: through social movements and service. They are both different and also both very important. Social movements can be defined as acts that aim to change the way society views and addresses a global issue. Service is aiding the surface of the problem. If I were to use the iceberg model, I would say that social movement address the root of the problem and service is addresses the tip of the problem. Both are vital parts of the solution for global issues.

During our service trip I felt that I was involved in a social movement as well as service. On our first day we volunteered at an organic farm in central Sacramento called Soil Born. At Soil Born we helped maintain the acres of vegetable gardens and help with installation of fruit trees as well as taking care of cows, chickens, and sheep. Soil Born sells produce every week at their farm stand and also donates a lot of produce to food banks. On top of that they also have a youth garden to encourage and educate youth to grow their own food.

What I found interesting about this particular form of service was that they focused a lot on educating the public on the importance of locally grown food and how it is not only better for the environment, but better for people’s health, and the economy as well.  This, I think, is a good example of a social movement because they are addressing the root of the problem by educating people. Instead of giving food to people in need, they are teaching that anyone can be capable of growing their own food and by doing this; they can live an altogether healthier life. You can see this social movement taking affect by walking through the community of  Village Homes, a small community on the outskirts of Davis that combines farming and housing for a more sustainable living style. Apparently there is waiting list for people who want to move there, and as we walked through I could see why. All the open spaces are filled with abundant plants, orchards or chicken coops. One family could easily get enough to eat by just taking a few steps outside. From our first few days I started to note the rewards of partaking in a social movement.

On our third day we volunteered for Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services at their Mobile Food Distrobution. The Mobile Food Distro travels around the Sacramento area giving fresh produce to the poor and hungry. We spent our time bagging and handing out these items to almost 300 people. This organization was providing a service to the people but it was not causing a social movement. There are always going to be people who are hungry and needing food, so this food bank gives them a way to meet those needs, but it does not solve the root of the problem.

In conclusion, I believe that service and social movements are both important. Where social movements help solve the problem from the root, service helps aid the immediate issues. One cannot exist without the other. If there were no services to distribute food to the poor and hungry they might starve and die. If we didn’t try and change the issue through a social justice standpoint then we would just keep providing food for the needy for infinity. Service is more addressing the top of the problem where social movements are teaching people to think different to help the world in the long run