Project Give H.O.P.E inspires good deeds
Members of Project HOPE count and organize donations.
March 26, 2018
Junior, Angel Bui, reflected on her high school career, contemplating her impact on those less fortunate. In order to fulfill her need to give back, Bui established her own organization, Project Give H.O.P.E (Help Others Prosper Everyday), that inspired not only herself but fellow classmates to advocate community service.
Though she prepared this event on her own merits, Bui sought after a more substantial force within the Raleigh community to help her fortify her project even more.
[We are] uniting groups of people from different types of backgrounds, that come from different areas of Raleigh, Bui said. “So, we are helping collect donations for Raleigh Rescue Mission.”
The Raleigh Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in downtown Raleigh, offers guidance to those within the Triangle area. They provide not only hot meals and emergency overnight shelter but also warm, protective clothing for the winter and medical care for residents. Their main initiative is to rehabilitate and restore the lives of those less fortunate and give them the means for a better life. This entails recovery services for individuals who suffer from drug abuse and addiction, adult education, and housing locator assistance.
This presumption of her importance to society cultivated something inside Bui and ultimately initiated a project that banded together various Wakefield clubs. These clubs included Beta, Science Honor Society, National Achievers Society, and several others. Faculty aided Bui with this immense task of collecting numerous items ranging from toiletries to notebooks.
Bui emphasized that this project is mainly for women and children, but students were welcome to donate anything that’s male-specific.
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This project was a common good that spread throughout the entire school which encouraged students and teachers alike to help out. President of Beta Club, senior Macy Bonnett, knows all about the intensity of planning drives and commends Bui for her hard work.
“I think it is really cool that she put this all together by herself,” Bonnett said. “ I think she has a strong head on her shoulders.”
Beta collected hygiene products, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc, and Bonnett remained hopeful that student participation will be sufficient as previous Beta drives have accumulated well over the initial goal.
“I think it will be a huge turnout because all the drives we have done for Beta in the past, like the toy drive, [where] we collected 500 toys,” Bonnett said. “ I think she will definitely collect a lot.”
Science Honor Society’s Credit Coordinator, Olivia Tseng, believed that this project is beneficial in more ways than one.
“First it’s good for the members because they can get their credit a different way other than with [volunteering] time, so they can go out and purchase items to donate,” Tseng said. “It’s also a win for the organizations that are receiving these items because I know they are in need.”
As a senior, Tseng finds this project motivating her to do more besides waiting for graduation and emphasizes that this is something she really enjoys.
Being able to incorporate students proved vital to the success of Project Give H.O.P.E, but the addition of faculty, specifically Melissa Schug, offered resources that Bui did not have before.
“I am providing workspace for the kids and helping them set up the boxes after school,” Shug said.
Some of the items that people have donated to Project HOPE include: books, clothes, and canned food.
Known for lending a hand in any way possible, Schug accentuates the power of unification and commends Bui, and the project, for fulfilling community needs.
“I think it’s neat that students are able to organize themselves, get approval, and reach out to find community needs, and then work and fulfill those needs,” Schug said. “I think it is a big project to undertake and I commend her for taking it on.”
Project Give H.O.P.E collected the week of March 12-16 and collected over 1,000 items to Raleigh Rescue Mission. According to Bui’s Instagram, 826 hygiene products, and summer necessities, 240 items of clothing, 295 educational supplies, 216 non-perishables, and 28 gallons of water.
Bui appreciates the help from those involved and remains humbled by the experience altogether.
“I just feel proud because Wakefield is really coming [together],” Bui said.
