Impact of Culture, Values, and Underlying Beliefs on Human Services
The mission and the services offered by human services organizations are usually influenced, either positively or negatively, by the values and beliefs of the organization (Grusenmeyer, 2012). The success of the organization will therefore highly depend on how good its values are. This essay will discuss how beliefs and values have impacted the services offered by the Michigan Organizing Project (MOP) and the girl’s scouts of America.
MOP as an organization was started in the early 1970s by John Musick and his wife. Though it started in the cities of Muskegon and Grand Rapids, it later centered its human services in Kalamazoo in western Michigan. This organization takes care of the less fortunate and also fights against the injustices and discrimination directed to this group (MOP, 2009). The organization is based on strong Christian values and beliefs. According to the Holy Scriptures and the Christian faith, all people are equal before the eyes of God and should therefore be subjected to the same treatment. The mission of MOP has been to ensure equal opportunities for African Americans, Hispanics, and other less fortunate groups. For example, MOP has been advocating for the provision of houses to the homeless. In response, the county board of directors in Kalamazoo has established a trust fund that will ensure the creation of houses for the homeless. In addition, MOP has been fighting for the establishment of a dental clinic for the uninsured and low-income earners to ease dental problems. It is also fighting for the rights of workers and easy access to employment for disadvantaged workers.
The Girl Scout of the United States of America (GSUSA) is an organization that was started by Juliet Gordon in the early 19th century. The mission of the organization is to nurture girls who can make the world a better place to live in now and in the future. This is made possible by the values that are taught to the girls which include courage, honesty, confidence, and character. These values and beliefs are the determinants of the human services offered by GSUSA. They ensure that the girls’ development is holistic and all-round by also training them on being financially self-reliant, for example, the scouts sell cookies (proquest.com, 2011). To inculcate these values, the scouts are involved in a number of activities, among them, learning about first aid, camping, and also offering services to the community. Evidently, the values and beliefs in an organization significantly impact its mission.
References
Girl scouts of north east Ohio now selling cookies with Go Payment app. (2011). Professional Services Close – Up, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/853904043?accountid=1611
Grusenmeyer, D. (2012). Mission, Vision, Values & Goals. Retrieved from
https://www.msu.edu/~steind/estate%20Goals%20Mission%20Values%20Overview_ProDairy%2017pg.pdf
Michigan Organizing Project. (2009). MOP has made changes that make a real difference in the community. Retrieved from http://michorgproject.appspot.com