Online School, Pandemic teen—Part 2: GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY…
Little Things Matter Most
an essay by Connor Lankow
Freshman at Sierra Nevada Academy for ARTS
Home School
Grandie Connor helps out local homeless community with help from The Resiliency Village.
Give Today to help their DREAMS!
Pictured with Co-Founders Mark Dyken & Shelley Muniz
This winter I decided to do a service project for our local homeless people for Christmas. The homeless population has been greatly affected by Covid-19 in many ways. It has made even just surviving an especially difficult task. I hoped my efforts would bring some comfort because it's truly the little things that matter most.
I decided that since it was the holidays, I'd put together about 30 gift bags. I went online and ordered items that seemed useful. Each bag contained two pair of warm socks, hand sanitizer, three masks, a biodegradable toothbrush, three small tubes of toothpaste, nail clippers, and some snacks. Organizing the bags turned out to be both easy and fun. Now the question was: How do I get them to the homeless, especially during COVID?
Since the Resiliency Village Project is working to build a small, safe community of tiny homes for homeless citizens, I asked if they could help me. Project founders Shelley Muniz and Mark Dyken agreed. With some help from my mom and my grandmother, we got the bags ready, loaded in the car, and we were off! We met in the outdoors near The Junction, being sure to meet every safety precaution when it came to social distancing. Especially since these bags were for the homeless, I was concerned about doing my part to make sure no one would get sick. The experience was great, and I got to know a bit more about the people I was handing the bags off to.
Christmas Cheer for People in Need. Connor with Shelley Muniz, Founding Member of the Resiliency Village
I was sort of acquainted with Shelley and Mark because my older brother had volunteered with them on a different project. However, this was my first time meeting them, and I was glad to learn more about their work. They talked about how both of them had grown up doing lots of service for people in need. Wanting to help others is a strong part of their values. Mark said, “Helping other people can really take your mind off of your own problems.” Most of the homeless around Tuolumne County struggle with mental health issues, which usually is the root cause of their condition. Being homeless means not having safe shelter or help when you're sick. Being homeless often means being lonely, too.
The Resiliency Village Project's goal is not only to help the homeless seek shelter and food, but also to help them rehabilitate. Along with helping people find a safe place to live, The Resiliency Village looks to provide mental health outlets to all those struggling and unable to get help on their own. Plus, they want to help the homeless people connect with other community services.
If you're interested in helping, there are many ways to get involved. First you can go to their website www.resiliencyvillage.org. Then you click on “how to help” this will provide you with links to donations along with the many other ways that you can provide assistance. Just one simple act can help so many people. A couple minutes for you can put a smile on someone else’s face. So, why not do it? It’s all worth it, I promise.
UPDATE FOR READERS! THE RESILIENCY VILLAGE PROJECT IS WORKING RIGHT NOW TO SECURE AN ADDITIONAL $25,000 TO HELP WITH EFFORTS TO BUY LAND IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY WHERE THEIR DREAMS CAN GROW.
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE DONATE TO THEM AT THEIR WEBSITE!
