MLK Day HELP Project

Our mid-winter service project couldn't have been better timed, falling just prior to Martin Luther King Jr. day. That man is famous for seeing problems and taking action, for persistence in the face of challenges, for involving old and young in peaceful ways to create positive change. 

These girls identified a problem (homelessness), thought of a solution (assembling basic needs bags), overcame challenges (time and cost constraints) and completed their goal (assembling 215 basic needs bags). In the process, they had many rich discussions about poverty and its causes; the stigma of being homeless and others' judgements of those in that circumstance; ways to mitigate homelessness; what basic needs are and which needs humans must prioritize; being present; understanding what a safety net is; and how important the basic need of love is for people to thrive.

After a great frenzy of activity in the office gathering and spreading out our many collected and purchased items, we gathered and discussed the girls to tell us about Martin Luther King Jr. We read and discussed several quotes from him, including "Life's most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'" 

With that, we set to work creating a system for assembling our basic needs bags, creating an assembly line of items down the long hallway. Some girls made thoughtful notes to go in the bags, while others filled, sorted and counted the bags. It was a hive of busy helping! 

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During lunch we discussed our spring Choose Your Own Adventure outing, with all voices heard as we collaborated and compromised our way to a decision: to go on a "bike hike" trek from Fairhaven, ending at Aimee's house on Chuckanut for a hot tub (and maybe warm cookies or something like that!). Along the way, we'll have cycling challenges, greet streams and waterfalls, explore side trails, visit some donkeys, test our be prepared skills, and expect the unexpected. 

After finishing assembling the many basic needs bags (filled with socks, gloves, hand warmers, granola bar, bandaids, cough drops, bus passes, dental care, vitamin C packets, ponchos, and a note of encouragement), each girl took as many bags as she feels she can realistically hand out. We saved the remaining bags to refill our supplies in March or to distribute at the meal for the homeless we're serving at in April or to deliver to the cold weather shelter if/when temperatures drop below freezing again this year. 

Several girls realized we were quite close that day to a park where homeless men and women tend to congregate and suggested we deliver some bags right then. After a mentor mental safety check we set off down the street with vigilant eyes and caring hearts, and found just a few grateful people who received our bags. Being out in the cold rain was a direct reminder to us that wet rain inspires shelter seeking for everyone and anyone, and even a doorway with a slight overhang is more hospitable than the open sky. The girls were impacted by the act of direct service and were able to perceive the basic shared humanity in people of every age and color, some unkempt, others without teeth. We discussed that though we didn't know why these folks came to be living on the street, we understood they all had their story, most likely involving a fair amount of personal pain in past and present. We shared our bags with empathy and without judgement, and understood that it's not us and them - it's just us. 

H.E.L.P. Project Accomplishments:
• Saw a need, thought of a way to meet it by assembling basic needs' bags for homeless persons

• Fundraised, and through the generosity of friends and family received over $1000 to purchase items for bags

* Asked for and received donations from businesses totaling over $250

* Made complex, collaborative decisions about what should go in the bags and why, how distribution should occur, and personal time management

* Engaged in many enriching discussions about poverty and its root causes, judgement, value, privilege, generosity, the two-way reciprocity of giving, empathy, and more. 

* Distributed bags to those in need 

Our Words of the Day: Helping Everyone Live and Prosper!