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NWP Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists - Vita Living Group Home, Houston, Texas, USA

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Vita Living Group Home, Houston, Texas, USA
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sidika18



Registered: December 2012
City/Town/Province: RICHMOND
Posts: 1
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Hands of the future
My name is Sidika’t, and I am a 17 year old that enjoys making a difference in my community. I am a high school senior, who is always looking for a way to stay active in the community. I have always had a passion for helping others and serving for a greater cause. I choose the Apprentice Ecologist scholarship to make a difference not just for myself, but others. Currently I am taking Ap Environmental Science, which has laid down a foundation of information for my future goals in life. When I begin college in the fall, I wish to study ecology or environmental studies. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to be apart of something life changing for the world. The Apprentice Ecology scholarship caught my eye, and gave me the drive to construct a project representing my vision.
There was a moment in time, were I thought about the project consecutively . The project that I would develop had to be a life changing matter, that touch the heart of all. The idea that I came up with was to educate and start a recycling program for Vita Living’s group homes. I am currently a member of Vita Livings volunteer crew. Vita living is a company that help support, and take care of individuals with disabilities. They are a beautiful company led by beautiful individuals. I started working with vita livings company. An amazing woman by the name of Mrs. Jillian Webb Day has made a huge impact on my lie and others. She has given me motivation and drive to achieve my goals. She is the leading volunteer manager at Vita Living inc. I have watched her make a difference in others lives, and I wanted to do the same. I knew that I had to propose my project idea to her. Because I wanted to give back to individuals who have harder times than others. My mother was a supervisor over charter schools, and one day she was injured while she was pregnant. A student at the school pushed my mother down, on her back causing damage to her entire back. My mother from then on was considered disabled. She was in a sense labelled this title. I felt that I should give back to other in the same condition’s, since I know what it’s like. There are many ways to categorize these individuals. There is mild, and high conditions. My mother has a disability due to her back. The individuals at Vita Living may have mental disabilities, and or physical disabilities. My goal was to ensure that all individuals are treated equal, and have the same opportunities as others. Vita Living is a outstanding company that envisions the same message as me. I believe that they represent the equal opportunities that each of us are entitled to. I had previously stared a little recycling program in my home and families. I wanted to do something greater than that, that would have an impact on people and the earth.
The recycling program that I developed, would educate individuals with disabilities on how to recycle. It would also help keep the location clean and organized. Vita Living has many group homes, in which they have there clients live in. There group homes gives individuals a opportunity to live in a normal house setting just like you or I would live in. I constructed the recycling program at the group homes. Homes accumulate a lot of trash and recyclable materials. My goal was to help reduce the trash count by sorting out all of the recyclable materials. This way there would be less trash, and it would keep the environment looking nice and clean. I look at this program as a double goal. Not only am I helping reduce the trash count in these group home areas, but I am also educating individuals with disabilities on the benefits it has on our earth. I feel that we all are entitled to equal rights. Just because one is disabled does not mean they should not be apart of a life changing movement. This really hit home for me, because I saw the change with my own eyes that I made in these individuals lives.
The program would consist of educational tools and resources on how to recycle, and the out come of recycling for the earth as a whole. I had boxes set up into three categories of metal, plastic, and paper material. Each time there was trash in there group home they would place recyclable materials in there correct bin, while trash went into trash bags. We continued to leave all of the recyclable materials accumulated over time we had many recyclable materials. Once we accumulated all of these materials, we had a recycling party. During the recycling party we played educational games on the benefits of recycling. We also sorted out all of the materials that we have accumulated over a course of 2 months. We played games like “water bottle relay” to educated the Vita Living clients on how dun recycling is. Just because a person has a disability, does not mean they do not understand anything. I am currently president of a organization called T.A.F.E (future teachers of America) at my school. We have been taught to give service, and educate those in need. I believe that I am fulfilling these duties. Theses individuals may just need it to be explained to them in different ways. That is why I came up with the idea of educating them with games. The games were a big hit, we sorted all of the materials into large piles. Once we finished educating and sorting we took it to a local school for recycling.
In the future we are working on achieving the goal recycling pick up at the group homes. Due to some of the locations of the houses, they do not receive recycling pick up. The area in which I live receives recyclable pick up. I feel that all neighborhoods should have recyclable pick up. This way there will be a dramatic increase in our resources, and a decrease in our waste and pollution. I will continue to reach out the city department about bringing recycling pick up to all locations. The recycling program will continue to go on, but I will still fight for the pick up days. I want this program to develop into a world wide matter. There are many disabled individuals all around the world, if we were to educate them on the benefits of recycling it would have a beautiful outcome. The group homes at vita living represents our day to day homes. It is important to recycle and keep trash build up from homes because it has a huge impact on our environment. Are youth learn is influenced by everything that is in the household. If we train our youth now, and explain to them that recycling is good and beneficial to our environment they will continue the legacy. Everything starts at home, with their child and parents. It is important to keep areas like the group homes, our day to day homes organized, because everyone is influenced by a home. Individuals first lesson starts at home. If recycling becomes a number one priority, it could have many positive effects on our earth in years to come.
This project has been a learning experience for me and others. I have always wanted to make a difference in the world. This project was a heart felt moment that has motivated me to do more in my community. For me to partner up this project with my other volunteer routine was just beautiful. I enjoyed educating the vita living clients on the benefits of recycling. Many individuals with disabilities are looked at by the outside world as not normal. I believe that we are all normal, no matter what condition we are in. Volunteering at Vita Living has made ma a stronger person inside and out. To have such a beautiful project in play, was the cherry on top. I would consider expanding this recycling program, which helps educate on recycling materials. With the knowledge of recycling, how can one truly understand the true meaning of recycling. Recycling is a huge matter that we are all intertwined with. The earth is experiencing fatal problem caused by the carelessness of us. We need to get together to help conserve the earth and all of its resources to come. In the end we are all one big community striving to make a difference in the world.
Date: December 28, 2012 Views: 6068 File size: 23.1kb, 3450.9kb : 3464 x 4618
Hours Volunteered: 60
Volunteers: 8
Authors Age & Age Range of Volunteers: 17 & 25 to 38
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