When you see a heaping shopping cart loaded with personal possessions, it is hard to imagine that there isn’t some soap or toothpaste in there somewhere.
It would seem that asking the shelter directors what they need would be the best plan. But try not to take up too much of their time as it detracts from the mission they are already doing.
Try volunteer match and use google if you want real volunteer opportunities rather than reinventing the wheel.
Because most colleges want ECs that you participate in for some time, not just one Sumer just before college application. They are not naive. But I think it counts as community service so it will be helpful but not as much as you think it will.
For the people who say I should start a club, I already have started two. I created the school newspaper club and the environmental club. I just am not sure how I’d relate either of those clubs to this drive. I was thinking that I could incorporate the enviro club better. I really haven’t cemented this idea yet; instead, I was just brainstorming and thought that this might be really neat. I will contact the shelters ASAP and ask for a wish list of sorts.
@Alfonsia what is volunteer match? And I didn’t necessarily think that doing a hygiene drive is “reinventing the wheel,” since nothing like it has been done before in my community, but it may be an unnecessary drive. I’ll have to contact the shelters first.
If you feel you could easily round up a lot of personal care donations from merchants and boxes locally, consider this organization. If it doesn’t already exist in your community, and you could organize say 50 boxes of items and ship them, maybe that would be something (and then I would still consider trying to found a school sponsored club for volunteers or something, or even promoting a higher level of involvement in your NHS).
https://www.occ-usa.org/donate/donate-goods/
Still go talk to the homeless shelter(s) and see if they are interested in your original idea or have some suggestion that really resonates with you. A passion for a summer project could be a selling point, not just hours of community service.
If you can rally up a lot of volunteers and make a difference in your community, you will substitute standing around for some really active and good life experiences AND have something to write up in those dread essays that isn’t the same old same old.
Our nation relies on volunteers way more than you think, the entire boy scout and girl scout movement is 90% volunteers, most local organizations are volunteers. We do need to encourage students to get involved early and deeply and if the incentive is to go to a better college or go to med school, do we really care ? If a graduate of a good college or med school has been doing volunteer work for 8 or more years … well, maybe they will do pro-bono work or work for one of the many charities that need volunteers and then have their kids work … and so on and so on.
Or maybe working 100s of hours or contributing to an organization will make you less dismissive of someone’s desire to help someone.
To those who mentioned the efficiency of having hygiene facilities as oppose to just handing out bags of hygiene, it would be very expensive to install such buildings. My friend and I were discussing how this could also be a way to relief those in financial need. Since the people can have access to hygiene products, they can spend their money on other essentials.
Oh, I’m the friend meaa7130 mentioned earlier.
Well, there is always the stunning success of funding and constructing a mobile hygiene facility complete with e-mail, wardrobe, work stations and volunteer job counselors, but that’s reserved for the very few.
That would be a completely different story!
In this case, it sounds like the project being contemplated is what admissions officers dismissively call a “dining room table charity”-raising money or items from family and friends, giving it away with fanfare and then writing an essay about it. With a whole summer ahead, there are better ways to make an impact, both on issues the applicant cares about and on the applicant’s chances of admission.
This is a fine idea, but I strongly advise you to consult with the local shelters and soup kitchens, not only to assess their needs, but to obtain insights you might otherwise lack. Many homeless people are mentally ill or addicted, and so there are some products you shouldn’t supply. An astonishing number of personal care products contain some form of alcohol, for instance, and desperate alcoholics have been known to consume them. People who have been living on the street often have persistent dental or dermatological problems, and so you need to be careful about topical or oral-hygiene items.If you initiate communications with local organizations, and learn about the needs and challenges among poor people in the community, it could be an invaluable experience.
@woogzmama That never came to our attention, so thank you for mentioning it. We will keep that in mind.
UPDATE: We contacted the local shelter, and they were thrilled that we are helping out and were happy to accept any hygiene items. They gave us a short list of the type of items they’d like, and we have started contacting local businesses for donations. So far, one business has donated money, but since we just e-mailed them today we hope for the best. 