my blog~Nicole Leal

Our service learning project was to go to the First
Methodist Church and make food for the homless and then
distribute it. The service learning project was known as
the H-5 project. At first i wasnt sure what I was up
against but after learning about the extreme amount of
homless people living in Hawaii, i was ready for anything.
When we go to the Church, we made 120 taco's and a few of us
packed into a van and went around the surrounding area and
handed them out along with some dessert (cupcakes!). Just
knowing that we were able to help those in need in the short
time we were here made me feel like what one person or even
18 people do can make a difference.
Some people think of homeless as non workers and who stay at
a shelter and recieve free food; this is not the case in
Hawaii. Most homeless people in Hawaii are hard working
citizens but are unable to afford a house or an apartment
due to high rent. Rent for Hawaii for an average apartment
is at least $950 to $1000 a month (and we thought our rent
was high!). The cost of rent is so high because materials
that are needed to make living space have to be imported to
the islands. After understanding the curcumstances, i have
gained a greater respect for the less fortunate and know
that we can all make a difference no matter how little the
gesture is or how many people participate.