community service
Court-ordered neighborhood work
Community service is unpaid work performed for the benefit of the public or a community organization.
It may be voluntary, often undertaken by students or civic-minded individuals to give back to their communities, or it may be court-ordered as an alternative to jail time or fines for minor offenses.
She completed fifty hours of community service at the food bank.
The term carries different connotations depending on context—virtuous when chosen, punitive when mandated.
Unpaid community assistance
- nonprofitOrganization serving public good
- charityVoluntary aid for others
- helpingSingle portion given
- mentorshipGuidance from experienced person
pro bono · advocacy · engagement · outreach · tutoring · food bank · soup kitchen · blood drive
Required by judicial ruling
- restitutionRestoring what was lost
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
- probationSupervised trial period
- mandatoryRequired by rule
unpaid labor · diversion · rehabilitation · offender · supervision · parole · judicial · reparation
Status as state member
- civic dutyObligation owed to community
- town hallLocal government headquarters
- public spaceArea open to everyone
- civic engagementActive citizenship in community
neighborhood · local government · public meeting · civic pride · voter registration · city council · public forum · grassroots
Voluntary charitable gift
- benefactorOne who gives aid
- philanthropistDonor to charitable causes
- endowmentPermanent donated fund
- grantBestow or award money
nonprofit · NGO · patronage · pledge · sponsorship · stewardship · underwriting · bequest
State of perceiving reality
- empowermentGaining authority or confidence
- partnershipShared business arrangement
- collaborationJoint intellectual work
- educationSystematic development of mind
inclusion · accessibility · participation · dialogue · coalition · facilitation · health fair · screening
Gains or helpful effects
- aidSupport given freely
- subsidiesFinancial aid from government
- safety netProtection against failure
- social securityPublic financial protection programs
public housing · poverty relief · disability · food assistance · low-income · social worker · WIC · SNAP
volunteerism
Unpaid community assistance
mentorship · pro bono · advocacy · engagement · outreach · tutoring · food bank · soup kitchen · blood drive · cleanup
court-ordered
Required by judicial ruling
- restitutionRestoring what was lost
- sentenceComplete thought, grammatically
- probationSupervised trial period
mandatory · unpaid labor · diversion · rehabilitation · offender · supervision · parole · judicial · reparation · alternative sentencing
citizenship
Status as state member
- civic dutyObligation owed to community
- town hallLocal government headquarters
- public spaceArea open to everyone
civic engagement · neighborhood · local government · public meeting · civic pride · voter registration · city council · public forum · grassroots · municipal
donation
Voluntary charitable gift
- benefactorOne who gives aid
- philanthropistDonor to charitable causes
- endowmentPermanent donated fund
grant · nonprofit · NGO · patronage · pledge · sponsorship · stewardship · underwriting · bequest · foundation
awareness
State of perceiving reality
- empowermentGaining authority or confidence
- partnershipShared business arrangement
- collaborationJoint intellectual work
education · inclusion · accessibility · participation · dialogue · coalition · facilitation · health fair · screening · workshop
benefits
Gains or helpful effects
- aidSupport given freely
- subsidiesFinancial aid from government
- safety netProtection against failure
social security · public housing · poverty relief · disability · food assistance · low-income · social worker · WIC · SNAP · housing assistance
- community servicefood pantry, Peace Corps, soup kitchen, AmeriCorps, homeless shelter
- voluntary participationvolunteering, donating, charity work, opt-in, consent
- Criminal Penaltiesprison, jail, incarceration, death penalty, life sentence
- social contributionsdonations, charity, volunteering, philanthropy, tithe
- outreach activitiesvolunteering, canvassing, fundraising, mentoring, recruiting
- free servicespro bono, volunteer work, charity, free clinics, legal aid
community serviceimprisonment
Legal detention in jail
incarceration · jail time · prison sentence · hard time · detention
community servicepersonal enrichment
Voluntary growth beyond career
self-interest · profiteering · exploitation · self-promotion
community serviceantisocial behavior
Conduct harming community welfare
vandalism · social withdrawal · criminal activity · public nuisance · crime
service, community, communicate, communication, services, servitude, communications, servile, servicing