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Kihei Charter Highschool

Organizing a Jeans Drive Benefiting Women Helping Women

Erin Smith

Junior Seminar

Ms. Lindsey/Ms. Wilson

18 October 2019
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Preface

Throughout the majority of my life, I’ve always had a passion for helping others, even if

it is by doing something very small. Getting assigned a junior project has given me the

opportunity to use my passions and turn them into something even bigger. With my passions in

mind, I decided to conduct thorough research to help better my understanding of issues that are

being faced in the Maui community. The information that stood out to me the most was the fact

that domestic violence is frequently occurring on Maui. Women Helping Women is a

well-known organization that advocates for this. Along with many other services, they have

something similar to a thrift store called the Revive Boutique. Here, domestic violence survivors

can pick through any items they need. The rest of the items are sold to help support the programs

that Women Helping Women provides.

I have decided to organize a jeans drive in support of domestic violence survivors, where

the items I collect will be donated to the Revive Boutique. I have chosen to specifically collect

jeans because they are such a staple in someone's closet and unfortunately are oftentimes too

expensive. Quite frankly, almost everyone feels good in a pair of jeans! I will place donation bins

in the Kihei Charter School cafeteria as well as the Wailea Realty office in The Shops at Wailea.

These bins will be presented in a way that will grab people's attention and not be mistaken for

anything else. Because not everyone will have the means of transportation to go to the donation

bin locations, I will also be willing to pick up donations and allow drop-offs at my house.

Along with organizing the jean’s drive, I plan on volunteering my time at the Revive

Boutique to get a better understanding of the organization and the issue of domestic violence.

After I am in a steady groove with my project, I also plan on having Pili Kaninau, deputy
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director of Women Helping Women, come into our school and give a presentation on healthy

relationships. This will help educate people about the ongoing issue of domestic violence and

hopefully inspire more people to help make a change.

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Driving Question

“How can I support Women Helping Women’s programming by organizing a jeans drive?”

Project Goal

I believe my project is valuable because it addresses multiple needs within the Maui

community, all while educating others. Unfortunately, domestic violence occurs frequently on

Maui and survivors are always looking for help. Oftentimes, these victims have no choice but to

leave with nothing but the clothes they have on their backs. The jeans I collect will go to the

Revive Boutique of Women Helping Women, where domestic violence survivors can pick

through the items they want. The items that are not chosen by these women will be passed

through the boutique and sold, generating money for the other services that Women Helping

Women provides. I will educate people by organizing a presentation at our school and by

spreading information through social media and flyers. Not only am I helping out this

organization by donating, but I am also doing my part to educate others about domestic violence.

Although I hope to accomplish many things throughout my project, my three main goals

are to educate and inspire my peers to be advocates for other issues on Maui, to grow as a

person, and to collect at least 100 pairs of jeans. I believe there is no better way to inspire others

than to try to make a difference myself. As much as I would love to collect as many jeans as I

possibly can, I believe this project is bigger than that. To do this project, I have to go way out of

my comfort zone and do things that I have never done before. Some of these things include

reaching out to strangers in the Maui community and advertising something that I have organized
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all by myself. As uncomfortable as doing these things can be, I ultimately know that it is

preparing me for the future and benefiting the Maui community.

Key Content Knowledge

Throughout the entirety of this project, there are many things I will have to research and

learn along the way in order to be successful. First of all, I have never organized a clothing drive

of any sort. This means that I will have to research the most effective ways to do so and the

different steps to take in order to get donations. It is also very important that I research various

ways to advertise in order to identify which methods work best for different audiences. Not only

will this increase the number of donations, but it will also expand my knowledge on marketing.

The organization that I am supporting by doing this project is Women Helping Women,

and like I’ve said previously, they are advocates for domestic violence. By supporting them and

their cause, I will learn a lot more about the issue of domestic violence. I will also have to spend

plenty of time conducting thorough research on this issue in order to develop an overall

understanding and educate others. In the near future, I will be volunteering my time at the Revive

Boutique, and wherever else help is needed. Doing this will give me opportunities to learn about

the skills that go into running and maintaining a store like this.

21st Century Skills

I believe that my project will enable me to enhance my communication skills, thinking

and problem-solving skills, and my self-directional skills. Throughout my project, I will

constantly be communicating with different people. Whether it is my advisor, friends and family,
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organizations, or faculty at KCS, communicating with a wide variety of people will allow my

communication skills to enhance. Although I am being guided through this project by my

wonderful advisors, every task is totally up to me to complete. It is up to me to schedule

meetings, collect donations, advertise, write a persuasive essay, and much more. In other words,

one of the only ways to take on these tasks is by using my self-directional skills, allowing them

to naturally enhance as this project goes by. I am positive that I will face problems throughout

this project, and one of the only ways I can get past them is by using my thinking and

problem-solving skills. Using these skills will allow me to assess each situation and take on these

challenges, one step at a time.

Limitations

One of the main setbacks I may encounter is not being able to get the word out about my

project. I believe the best way to overcome this problem is by reaching out to many different

types of people. Not everyone takes the time to read a flyer or a social media post, but if I talked

to more people in person, I think this could make a big difference. Also, getting in touch with

people who are already involved in the community could really help, as they already know

different types of people and could help spread the word. The other setback I could possibly run

into would be people mistreating my donation bins. This could range from people stealing the

donations inside, to throwing trash in them. To avoid this issue, it is necessary that I put large

signs both near and on my bins so that they aren’t mistaken for anything else.

Methodology
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For evaluation, I will be creating a video documenting the entirety of my project. This

video will show the whole process it took to get to my end goal. I will be able to film clips with

my phone and edit them using iMovie on my computer. Some of the things I will include in this

video are, showing the process of collecting donations, interviewing people, advertising,

dropping off donations, and much more. I will also make sure to include different setbacks and

how I overcame them as a way of showing growth and perseverance.

Annotated Bibliography

Dvorak, Petula. “For Homeless Kids, School Uniforms Are Just One More Problem to

Overcome.” ​The Washington Post,​ WP Company, 1 Sept. 2016,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/for-homeless-kids-school-uniforms-are-just-one-

more-problem-to-overcome/2016/09/01/70d75758-705f-11e6-9705-23e51a2f424d_story.

html.

This article focuses on the struggles of kids who simply can’t afford basic clothing items

throughout the school system. Clothing in dress code is often very expensive and isn’t a

main focus for families who are struggling to barely make it by or are living in homeless

shelters. These families instead, are worried about putting a roof over their kid’s heads.

Kids without even a week’s supply of uniforms are left with no choice but to either wear

something else or to come to school wearing a dirty uniform. The writer explains that

these kids under unfortunate circumstances are getting bullied, getting detention, and

even getting threats of suspension.

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This source is very useful for anyone interested in getting involved with this cause,

including me. Written by Petula Dvorak of The Washington Post, the entirety of this

article is factual. This article describes yet another unfortunate effect of poverty and not

having access to clothing, which is exactly why I can use this source. I plan to organize a

jeans drive in order to help people under the same or similar circumstances as those

talked about in the article. The stories talked about in this article are yet another part of

why I am motivated to organize this jeans drive.

Hegarty, Stephanie. “How Jeans Conquered the World.” ​BBC News,​ BBC, 28 Feb. 2012,

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17101768.

This article dives into the history behind jeans and why they are so loved around the

world. In the late 19th century, a pair of jeans were constructed using rivets and denim.

Using rivets allowed for a very sturdy pair of jeans and became especially useful for

those performing manual labor. This simple addition is one of the reasons jeans began to

start selling like wildfire. Outside of the workforce, people soon began to realize that

jeans were comfortable, durable and could be easily dressed down or up. As time goes

on, jeans shrink and age, which just adds more character and style. People simply love

how they fit and how unique they are to the person that wears them.

Written by Stephanie Hegarty of BBC News, this article consists of solely factual

information. The article also includes interviews from experts on this subject which adds

a new layer of reliability. The target audience of this article is anyone with an interest in

the history of jeans or who simply want to learn more about why they are so loved. I can
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use the information from this article in a couple of different ways. This article talks about

the importance of jeans and how they can impact someone's life. For my project, I am

specifically collecting jeans, and the information in this article helps explain why I am

doing so.

Kaninau, Pili. Personal Interview. 20 September 2019.

On Thursday, September 20th, I had my expert interview with Pili Kaninau, deputy

director at Women Helping Women. After explaining my project and the things I want to

accomplish, she was very impressed and assured me that my project would be a success.

Because she oversees the services that Women Helping Women provides, she was able to

give me a lot of information regarding the Revive Boutique. Some of this information

included the drop-off locations, drop-off times, and a description of the items they accept.

Not only did I get permission to donate the jeans I collect to the Revive Boutique and

eventually volunteer my time, I also got permission to use the Women Helping Women

trademark on my flyers. After talking about the jeans drive, we moved on to the topic of

domestic violence on Maui and her first-hand experience. She explained to me some of

the horrific circumstances that women experiencing domestic violence are in and the

different services Women Helping Women provides for these victims. We ended the

interview talking about the importance of educating others on the issue of domestic

violence, and I got Pili onboard to eventually give a presentation at our school.

Like I said before, Pili Kaninau is the deputy director at Women Helping Women. This

means that she oversees and is involved in the services they provide. Being a domestic
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violence survivor herself, she knows exactly what these victims go through, which makes

her very passionate about the work she does. She’s also very experienced in giving

presentations throughout the schools on Maui and knows exactly what needs to be said.

She frequently spends her time in the Women Helping Women shelter, helping out with

the women’s needs and keeping the shelter up to par.

“Report: More than Half in County Don't Make Enough Income.” ​Report: More than Half

County Don't Make Enough Income | News, Sports, Jobs - Maui News,​ 11 Jan. 2018,

https://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2018/01/report-more-than-half-in-county-d

ont-make-enough-income/.

This news article covers how high living expenses affect Maui residents and describes the

sacrifices people must make to barely make it by. The article describes some of these

sacrifices as healthy food choices, proper housing, and quality childcare. It also does a

good job of depicting the amount of residents living below the level of poverty and

provides other similar statistics.

I found this article useful because much of the content provided will help me set up and

stress the main point of my project. The facts are laid out clearly, which will allow people

to understand the point of my project and why I intend to help. It does an excellent job at

describing a problem that the Maui community is facing while staying unbiased and

sticking to the facts. The Maui News wrote this article based off of a report written by

Aloha United Way, an organization with the sole purpose of educating and helping
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others. Now that I have learned more about this issue, I am even more motivated to make

a positive contribution.

“8 Tips on How to Organize a Successful Clothes Drive.” ​Goodnet,​ 27 Jan. 2017,

https://www.goodnet.org/articles/8-tips-on-how-to-organize-successful-clothes-drive.

Although fairly simple, this list provides very useful tips and tricks on setting up a

clothing drive. One of the key points it emphasizes is that planning is very important. In

order to even receive donations, you have to advertise so that people will become aware

of your project. Before you start receiving donations, you have to contact different

organizations and find one that will accept the donations you are collecting. The list also

focuses on the importance of setting goals and making a clear time frame. This makes the

whole process a lot smoother and allows you to see exactly when things should be

worked on.

Reading over this list has definitely given me a better understanding of what it takes to be

successful when organizing a clothing drive. Writer and editor David Ruhm has

experience in this field and others that are very similar. Ruhm made this list very straight

to the point but still manages to provide very helpful information. This list is targeted

mostly towards people who are interested in organizing a clothing drive and need some

guidance. I have never participated in any sort of clothing drive, which is why having this

simple list will be helpful when I begin the next portion of my project.

Resources
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In order to successfully reach the goals in my project, I believe I need support from the

Maui community and Women Helping Women. In order to even donate to Women Helping

Women, I need donations. Having access to a printer and paper will allow me to print flyers for

advertising which will help to get the word out about my project and allow for more donations. I

will also need two bins to collect these donations. These bins will be decorated so that my

purpose is clear and people know exactly what to donate and where their donations will go.

Before distributing these bins, I will need to get permission from the Wailea Realty office and

our highschool, making sure each place knows the purpose of my project. To document my

project for my methodology, I will need a camera and editing software, both of which I already

have.

Having the help of as many friends and classmates as possible will also be very helpful.

The more people know about my project, the easier it will be to advertise and collect donations. I

believe having as much contact as possible with Women Helping Women will be an enormous

help, as they have some great skills when it comes to collecting clothing and educating people.

My main human resource is Pili Kaninau, deputy director at Women Helping Women. She has

already given me so much information on the organization and domestic violence. She is also the

person that will come into our school to give a presentation because of how knowledgeable she

is.
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Budget

The main sources of advertisement for my project are social media and flyers, both of

which are free. I am also lucky enough to already have access to a multifunction printer and

plenty of paper. Because I want large signs next to my bins, I will have to invest in two 24” x

36” boards that have my flyer design on them. Getting my design printed on quality foam boards

from Office Max will cost $100.00. Each board will be placed on an easel that I will be

borrowing from the Wailea Realty office. I will also need two donation bins which I will be

buying from Target. The bin that will be placed in the Wailea Realty office will cost $40.00, and

the bin being placed at our school will cost $30.00. This small price difference is simply due to

the fact that The Shops at Wailea is a more high-end location. After adding all of these costs
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together, my budget comes out to $170.00. I am planning to fund my project by simply asking

close friends and family around me and by also using my own money. Because I am passionate

about this project and am looking forward to seeing where it goes, I don’t mind putting money

into it.

Timeline

September:

● Research more about domestic violence and why it is so important to bring awareness to.

● Have faculty interview with Mrs. Federoff.

● Conduct expert interview with Pili Kaninau, deputy director at Women Helping Women.

● Ask Pili Kaninau about volunteer opportunities and figure out how I can implement that

into my project.

● Work on putting all the pieces of the proposal together, making sure everything flows and

is in the right format.

● Work on elevator pitch.

● September 27th: Elevator pitch is due.

October:

● Start filming some clips for methodology.

● Plan if/when meetings and volunteering will occur at Women Helping Women.

● Gather money from friends, family, and myself.

● Buy materials needed for project.

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● Spend as much free time as possible decorating bins, creating social media accounts, and

designing flyers during Fall break.

● October 18th: Project proposal is due.

● Print and start posting flyers.

● Set up bins around the community.

● Learn and write about first blog.

● Learn about the persuasive essay.

● Meet with Ms. Lindsey/Ms. Wilson

November:

● Start collecting donations.

● Film the process of sorting through donations.

● Drop off donations to Women Helping Women and film.

● Create a thesis statement and three main points for persuasive essay.

● Start putting clips together on iMovie for methodology.

● Rough draft of persuasive essay is due.

● Volunteer at Women Helping Women.

● Post more flyers.

● Update social media accounts about progress.

● Meet with Ms. Lindsey/Ms. Wilson

December:
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● Gather all emails and conversations for future presentation.

● Continue sorting through donations and making frequent trips to Women Helping

Women.

● December 6th: Final draft of persuasive essay is due.

● Film clips interviewing different people at Women Helping Women for methodology.

● Post more flyers if necessary.

● Volunteer at Women Helping Women.

● Track progress and success of the project so far and identify exactly when bins will be

removed.

● Talk to Ms. Lindsey and Ms. Wilson about project process.

January:

● Make sure all blogs are up to date and done correctly.

● Get all filming done.

● Update social media accounts.

● Notify Women Helping Women when the last donations will be dropped off.

● Sort through donations.

● Meet with Ms. Lindsey/Ms. Wilson

February:
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● Collect and sort through last donations.

● Remove all bins from the community.

● Take down all leftover flyers.

● Finish editing methodology and putting finishing touches.

● February 14th: Final blog reflection is due.

● Meet with Ms. Lindsey/Ms. Wilson

March:

● Work on project presentation.

● Write thank you letters to staff at Women Helping Women.

● March 6th: Final project and presentations are due.

Faculty Interview

On Wednesday, September 18th, I met with Mrs. Federoff to discuss my project idea. She

is very involved in the community, which is why I thought she would be the perfect person to

interview. I gave a basic description of my project and what was motivating me to go in this

direction. I explained to her that I wanted to specifically collect jeans because they are such a

staple in someone's closet and are often times too expensive for people that are in unfortunate

situations. She thought this was a great idea and said that it would help eliminate unwanted

items. She also thought it was great that I was supporting Women Helping Women and domestic

violence survivors because the issue of domestic violence is occuring way too often on Maui. I

told her where I planned to put my bins and she gave me permission to put one in our school

cafeteria.
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After I finished explaining my jeans drive, Mrs. Federoff suggested I find a way to

educate the community and our school about the issue of domestic violence. I told her that I

wanted to plan a certain day, where an expert on this issue could give a presentation on healthy

relationships. Because I am still learning about this issue, we talked about having someone come

in who is already extremely knowledgeable on this subject. After having my expert interview a

day later, I was able to discuss this idea with the deputy direction of Women Helping Women

and get her onboard with eventually coming to our school to give a presentation.