Walt Whitman once said “The habit of giving only enhances the desire to give.” The value of thankfulness and appreciation was the focal point of November’s middle school Islamic Studies classes at New Horizon School in Pasadena. Discussions centered on the importance of giving, the practice of giving to others, and how the practice of giving enhances our ability to appreciate what we have.

However, actions speak louder than words. Thus, to apply the value of appreciation, New Horizon middle school students participated in the collection, packaging, and distribution of hygiene kits for the homeless. Students actively collected shampoo, conditioner, soap, razors, shaving cream, socks, toothbrushes and toothpaste, to fill the kits. The students succeeded in making a total of 136 hygiene kits, exceeding their goal of 100. 

Last week, eighth graders delivered the kits to PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) and got an exclusive tour of PATH’s 40,000-square-foot facility in Los Angeles. Sally Evans, PATH Volunteer Coordinator, also delivered an eye-opening presentation about the cycle of homelessness in Los Angeles to the students. “You should be proud of yourselves and know that your kits will be sent over to our Hollywood location, as they just ran out of kits on Tuesday,” Evans informed the group. Sure enough, by the end of the one and half hour visit, the kits had already been sent for distribution.

Through this activity, students realized how cleanliness can impact a person’s life. 

Mohamed Ibrahim, a seventh-grader, said, “Cleanliness is something important for everybody, and it’s part of living a healthy life.”

Ali Ozgur, another seventh-grader, also shared that “...being clean helps us feel more of a sense of humanity and is a possible cure that could break the cycle of poverty.”

A unique characteristic of the hygiene kit program is that the children were immediately connected to those to whom they were giving.

“This project...made me realize just how much this will mean to someone who will receive it...someone out there will receive one of these kits, and smile. To me, a smile on someone else’s face makes all of this worth it,” said Noor El-Farra, an eighth-grader who was busily packing the different supplies into gallon-size storage bags.

“The best part in giving to others is making a difference in someone else’s life,” chimed in fellow student Nadya Al-Sharif.

The concept of social consciousness and empowering the students with a broader worldview is just one of the many lessons learned this past November. Eighth-grader Omar Ozgur expressed the impact of this experience on him and perhaps all of the students as “...a wake up call.”