Blog post 8 (final)

 I was inspired to pursue this project by a book that I read about structures that had been created for the homeless. They had locking doors and insulation. Several parts of my project went great. Was able to successfully pack thank you letters for 3 total states and had gotten halfway through a fourth. We were able to pack several hundred hats and pairs of gloves and nearly one hundred coats. Unfortunately there were several times where we didn’t have work to do because we’d finished what they’d offered us and they couldn’t think of more to do that day. We did however find several jobs we could do that they hadn’t thought of, such as reviewing their social medias for suggestions on better marketing strategies.

I did learn through this process the importance of properly contacting people and publicizing events. The day we attended the 2k for VA event is a good example. There was little to no online presence of the event. And so, very few people actually attended. 

While it is unlikely that Hawken could do a service day here unless it were in the dead of the winter, I have already spoken to Dr. Pucci regarding incorporating the comic books into the homelessness intensive. We both think this would be an excellent opportunity to cover the veteran portion of those who are homeless, given that it is nearly a quarter.  

One piece of advise for rising seniors on projects is thar a structured internship is not necessarily a bad thing. I think we often want to have more control than is necessary and therefore want to call what should be a structured internship mentored instead. This will only prolong your application process and won’t gain you anything. Secondly, it is a good idea to do something you are genuinely interested in so you wont be bored for the entirety of the project.

My biggest takeaway from this project is that there is a definite importance to be placed on asking organizations what they may need from you rather than offering the help that you think they need. Often what you have preconceived as their needs is something they actually don’t gain any benefit from it.

I am very appreciative that my mentor Al welcomed me into the organization and made working for them incredibly fun. It was an amazing opportunity to learn more about homelessness and about how veterans are affected by it more often.

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