ESSAY DIVISION: 7TH GRADE - SECOND PLACE
TEACHER: GAYLE PAI, DAMIEN MEMORIAL SCHOOL

Helping Hands 

Have you ever met a person who is so enthusiastic about making a positive impact on our community?  For instance, I have my Uncle Luke who is my dad’s best friend.  His acts of kindness motivate others and me to be optimistic about the future generations.  His acts of kindness are important because they’re making a genuine difference in the world.  He does a lot of helpful things to benefit our environment and the people of our community.  He is a very active man who thinks of others before himself.  He does this because he thinks about his daughter and her future.  I would like to explain his contribution to our environment and the people in his community.  He volunteers with an organization called Red Cross and FEMA on Maui, he paddles in the Ala Wai Canal to pick up any trash, and he helps the housekeeper of the Kahuku Bird Sanctuary.  Let’s see how his acts of kindness matter to others.

Uncle Luke volunteered and worked really hard with an organization called Red Cross and FEMA in his community of Maui.  He did a lot of adventurous things and went through a long trek to help the victims of Lahaina’s wildfires.  The War Memorial Center was the central point where Uncle Luke and all the volunteers met, organized, and planned everything.  On the first day Uncle organized all the donations onto pallets.  He coordinated and directed the traffic for the five ambulances going to pick up and treat those who were injured by the wildfires.  On the second day a military police convoy escorted Uncle to Lahaina in order for him to drop off all the donations for the residents in the different ravaged, burnt communities.  The third day found him delivering donations to hotel resorts who were housing their employees. On his last day he trekked to Kula helping residents in need and to especially one person whose house burned down.  He also helped the other residents clear debris from their neighborhood.  Uncle Luke’s single act of kindness impacted many people in different ways.

Uncle Luke paddles in the Ala Wai Canal for various lengths of time picking up any trash.  Uncle goes on his paddle board with a garbage bag and starts at the Ala Wai Canal Boat Harbor, then he makes his way toward the Ala Wai Golf Course to pick up any trash and debris he finds on his journey.  Along the way, Uncle was aghast when he saw the type of nature surrounding him. There were ducks, birds, and fishes. Uncle then felt content knowing that he was contributing to nature’s well being by cleaning up the Ala Wai Canal.

Uncle Luke’s act of kindness then affected the housekeeper of the Kahuku Bird Sanctuary.  Uncle Luke decided to help clean the area because when he paddle boarded around the island, he stopped to take a break at the Kahuku Bird Sanctuary and saw that there was a lot of litter along the shoreline and around the sanctuary.  One week later he called the housekeeper there and asked if he could help clean the shoreline surrounding the sanctuary.  The housekeeper was filled with gratitude and was so thankful for the help that Uncle was going to provide.  As he was cleaning up the area, he met a few other people who were also doing the same so he made friends with them.  Uncle and his new friends all worked together to clean up the Kahuku Bird Sanctuary.  Not only were they performing an awesome act of kindness for that community, but they also formed new friendships. 

Spreading kindness to a community or to a person can really impact them by or even change their lives.  That’s what Mr. Clarence T.C. Ching did.  His kindness and donations really made an impact on local society.  He had inspired others including me to be more generous and to spread more acts of kindness to better the community.  When my Uncle volunteered with an organization called Red Cross and FEMA, he helped all the people affected by the wildfires on Maui. When he paddled in the Ala Wai Canal, he saw all the wildlife and nature surrounding him while picking up any trash and debris. He knew he was making a difference for them. Uncle helped the housekeeper at the Kahuku Bird Sanctuary by cleaning up the sanctuary which made the housekeeper ecstatic. His added bonus is when he also made new friends during his toil there. Overall, I learned that no matter how big or small the act of kindness is, it can still make a difference and show kindness to the world. The most important thing is to do whatever you can to better the community you live in.