I am Jaden Hackett, a senior at Bishop Kelly High School and a member of One Stone’s Project Good. I have been involved in Project Good for about a year now and have become an invested member of groups such as Sweet Zola’s, Families Living in Inspired Places (FLIP), and Empow[HER]. Doing good is helping the people that haven’t been given the same opportunities as you and giving them the respect they deserve by constructing inventive solutions to large communal issues. My artifact, the knowledge of person-first language, is reflective of doing good in that it provides a form of respect that all humans deserve. The issue of homelessness in our area is often overlooked but many families are in need of our help, and describing them as “people” before describing their situation implements an unspoken respect and instantly opens up more opportunities to help. This simple act starts a chain reaction that spreads to others and ultimately grows a lasting feeling of connection. Homelessness is too large for one person to conquer and must begin with empathy and encouragement. After seeing the desperation in the faces of those experiencing it and then the gratitude in their smiles after lending a helping hand, I have realized the necessity of our help and support. The struggle that is attached to homelessness is one that I have grown a passion for helping solve, and it has taught me so much about who I am as a person and my capability to love and to lift up others. I now am a better leader in that I encourage others to make a change in their communities, and I can more effectively make one in mine.
