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

The Impact of Community 

Visualize your home, your neighbor’s home, and your entire town on fire.  Smoke is burning your lungs as clouds of black ash fall all around you.  You abandon everything you own and run for your life as flames devour all that you have ever owned.  This tragic event just happened to the people of Lahaina, Maui.  Many lost loved ones, pets, homes, and so much more.  Why should we care?  Because global warming was one of the causes for the fires.  It is affecting all of our lives, and your town could have been the one that was devastated.  I would like to share how I have supported the ravaged town of Lahaina. I would also like to explain the importance of coming together as a community to help overcome this tragedy. Lastly, I will describe what you can do to help Lahaina rebuild as it heals.

I would like to share how I have supported Lahaina, Maui after the devastating fires in hopes of inspiring you to help your own community. When I found out about this local catastrophe, I knew I had to do something to help. A few days after the fires occurred, my soccer team organized a bottle and can drive to raise money for the disaster relief. We spread the word, so many people in my community came to bring their empty plastic bottles to aid Lahaina. My team and I were out early on a Saturday morning to collect, organize, and bag an assortment of recyclables. After hours of work, we raised over $80 for Lahaina! If we keep up fundraisers like this, we can make a big impact for the community and the people of Maui.

Next, I will explain the importance of coming together as a community to overcome this tragedy. But first I will clarify what community really means so we can understand why it is so vital. Community is a group of people who work together to support one another. Every person in a community has a role to play to ensure the well-being of all its members. Community is more than just people. They are memories, trust, love, compassion, and a whole network of boosting each other up to be the best people we can be. Now that we know what community is, we have to put our own community into action to assist everyone affected by the fires. Help your friend who lost an uncle. Help your cousins who lost their home. Help so all of us can prevail over despair so that we can, more than ever, come together as a community once again.

Lastly, some ways you can make an impact on the lives of those who lost everything are through bake sales, donating used clothes, car washes, or even raising awareness for the cause. These might seem like small things in the face of the devastation, but they do make a big difference, especially if many people do them. These examples restore hope to those who feel lost and they help the victims recover after the trauma they have faced. We are one community and need to make sure that the people of Lahaina feel seen and not forgotten or overlooked. We need to let them know that we feel their pain and we will stand by them as they recover and rebuild. No matter how small, what’s important is that what you do matters to those in need. Join hands with family, friends, neighbors, and your community to make a difference. That small act of kindness is your part to help build a supportive and thriving community.

Clarence T.C. Ching grew up in a poor family on the North Shore of Kauai. Despite this, Mr. Ching became a very successful businessman and developed many areas we know of today including Moanalua Valley, Fort Shafter, and Salt Lake. He also created the Kukui Gardens which became a place of affordable housing where families could dwell.  All proceeds from the Kukui Gardens development were donated to charity. Mr. Ching’s dedication to his community inspires me every day to be a more kind and community- minded person. The fires in Lahaina highlight how important community is and how when we work together, we can conquer adversity. What happens to some of us impacts us all. It is truly incredible to see the effect of everyone joining together to help the people of Maui. You have read what I have done to support Lahaina and why I was inspired to make a difference, the great importance of coming together as a community to overcome this tragedy, and a few ways that you too can make an impact on the lives of those who lost everything. Now it is your turn. With your community beside you, lead the way, forge a path, and make the change you want to see.