This project helped me to start seeing what being a global citizen is like. It showed me that a good global citizen won’t only talk, but take action as well. Ryan, one of my teammates, helped illustrate this when he said, “Out of the millions of dogs with a bark, which ones will actually bite?” One pattern I saw in my work was that the people I gave stuff to were usually friendly, so I didn’t have to worry that much. I learned about the perspective of a giver. Most of the time, I take things but never fully give back.
One prediction we had was that the homeless we would work with might be crazy – around 40% of all homeless in Hawaiʻi have a mental condition. However, in the actual work, we were lucky in the sense that we got the 60% who donʻt have mental conditions, which was nice. An effective long term plan is very important. If you have a good plan for a long time, you will most likely have good results; if you have a junk plan for a long time, you will most likely have junk results. You get out what you put in. Getting the supplies together worked out okay. The “issues” were from within the group, but they were from things we canʻt really control. All the members in our group live all over the island: Makakilo, North Shore, Moanalua, Makiki, etc. This made it harder for us to meet up at one place. The organization we were working with is all the way on the North Shore, so for some people, getting there was tricky. Also, sometimes a group member was absent, so we couldnʻt really communicate with them effectively. All in all, this project was pretty cool. It was a learning experience in all sorts of ways. I got to see all the planning and behind the scenes work that goes into a service project. I learned how to work with complete strangers. And best of all, I started making my foundation for being a global citizen, and hopefully more service work will make that foundation solid so other service is easy.
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I was able to successfully contact my uncle, and he said that we could talk more about the project some time this week. This is good because it will help cut down on costs, and then we can put the money saved into other things needed for the bags. I also thought about a few more things regarding things being given to the homeless. It would be cool to give them a few wet-naps (wet napkins) in the bags, so they can clean their hands if they don't have access to a sink, hand sanitizer, etc. I also thought, "What about applesauce?" Applesauce would be a good food to give to the homeless because it isn't "heavy", and it doesn't need teeth to be eaten. The only issue is that applesauce is relatively expensive.
I'm still having issues contacting my uncle for soaps. However, I will keep trying to get through to him. I'm still on the look out for things that could help with dental hygiene, like toothbrushes or toothpaste. Also, I'm still watching for foods that could be given to the homeless. One food I saw was Vienna Sausages, and I thought it was an awesome idea; they're relatively cheap, they're soft so teeth issues don't matter as much, and they don't need a can opener because it has a pull-tab. But, I went and did some reading, and found out that that may not be the best idea. The homeless wouldn't have anywhere to cook the sausages, which could lead to botulism (a really bad disease). Botulism, if left untreated, can kill people; and homeless people can't afford the treatment. I'd feel really bad if a homeless person died because of something I gave them. Now I need to keep my eyes peeled for other foods, like soft granola bars or even fruit snacks, possibly. Over Spring Break, I was able to get some supplies for our project. I was able to pick up some soaps and more socks. I still need to find more toothpaste and toothbrushes. Also, I didn't think about this but we need more Ziplock bags for all the supplies. I'm still asking family members for donations. On the bright side, I was able to find a store (more of a warehouse, actually.) that carries hotel supplies like soap and stuff. So, if I'm in a pinch and I need more supplies, I know where to go!!
We also still need to grab soft foods for the homeless, but I think it would be smarter to get the foods closer to the day we hand the bags out, that way the food is "fresher", I guess. Then the homeless don't have to worry as much about the food going bad, if they don't eat it right away. This past week, I was only able to work on this project a little bit. I was stuck running around trying to get papers processed, trying to meet with teachers, etc. It was a busy week. I'm still looking out for ads and sales in the newspaper. Like I said a while back, the hard part is trying to find time to do this. But, I was able to think of more things to throw into the bags for the homeless. They could use food, but one thing to consider is some of the homeless don't have good teeth, so certain things like crackers, trail mix, etc. might not be the best idea to give them. I was thinking maybe soft granola bars, apple sauce, or maybe even fruit snacks?
This past week we were able to think of more things to buy for the homeless. I tried to call my uncle again, but he was busy. In the past few days, I've been looking through the newspaper for sales from Longs or other stores, so that I can tell my teammates as well as go and pick some stuff up myself. The only part about this that's a little tricky is finding time to go out and buy stuff, especially this week (The week of January 16th to January 20th) because there's a lot of stuff going on at home with practices and parent meetings. But, I am looking forward to finding or making some time to go and do some shopping, that way I have less things to worry about. Over the Winter Break, I went out and got some soap which we could put in the bags for the homeless. I also started talking to my uncle, who works at a hotel. I'm trying to see if I can get a bunch of those small hotel soaps, cause those would be the perfect size for the bags. The only issue is he's busy, so there isn't a lot of time to talk to him.
I also need to look for other things which the homeless need. Toothbrushes and toothpaste would be good because then the homeless could avoid diseases and don't get stuck looking for treatment they cant afford. Water bottles would be awesome too, because dehydration can cause weakness, dizziness, or even fainting. I just need to find time to go out and grab those things. |
Logan KauinaI was raised in Makiki. I enjoy working out, Jiu Jitsu, and playing guitar. I'm also a sophomore at Kamehameha Schools. Archives
May 2017
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