Winter Blog - Raising Awareness About the Challenges of Homelessness

Happy February! 

PILT has decided to create a winter blog, consisting of updates from December through January, due to the winter break in between. We would like to take a moment, and appreciate all the things that we have. Some may say that homelessness isn’t as bad, when one lives in San Diego. However, while that is, first, entirely disregarding the inflation in San Diego, which is prominent, compared to other cities, the weather that our city is renowned for, doesn’t make it easy either. While we may enjoy some sunny days during the winter time, at night, the temperatures still drop, and the rain still pours. Without a heater and a roof above one’s head, that makes things extremely difficult. 

That’s why we founded PILT! We want to provide help for people experiencing homelessness, with things to keep warm, food, hygiene products, and to support organizations, such as PATH, who can establish a connection with those who are going through homelessness and can provide interim shelter for them. PILT can also gather clothing through drives, such as Josephine’s coat drive at Albert Einstein Academy Charter Elementary School, which received 50 coats in total. Please join us in our cause by emailing Minori at minori.groene@gmail.com or by participating at a service at PATH (epath.org).

This winter, we had a dinner service on the 7th with many PILTers and Community Outreach Club members. Arturo hosted another one, a week later, with Mission Bay High students. We love participating in services at PATH Connections, because of the connections that we can make as volunteers and with the clients. The gratitude is evident on PATH’s clients’ faces, and the positive impact that we are making is distinct. That’s why we have a clothing cabinet organizing service on the 2nd of February, and a dinner service on the 21st of March, combined with a sandwich outreach bags project that Community Outreach Club is hosting. Sarah at Innovations Academy is also planning a service there, as well as Anya from East Village Middle College High School, who plans to bring the Interact Club. Thank you, Sarah, who made $50 in proceeds at the Holiday craft fair and donated it to PILT through our GoFundMe. Regarding our GoFundMe, please donate to https://gofund.me/dc0002d29. 

Anya is also going to host a Krispy Kreme fundraiser, made a $600 donation from Interact Club to PATH, and she has been working hard to update our website. So learn more about us by enjoying our newly-updated information!

At San Diego High School, Community Outreach Club has begun a warm clothing drive and are beginning to plan their individual and team projects that will last the semester. The projects will encourage the members to find a creative and impactful way to help people in need. SDHS has been on the roll, with baking sale and pizza sale proceeds going towards providing toys for students experiencing homelessness at McGill School of Success. It was a fun event that consisted of going to Walmart, picking out the toys, wrapping them as a team, and eventually donating them to the school. The club has also made some holiday cards and donated  the other "What Community Means to Me" cards to PATH at the service.

Lastly, Minori had the amazing opportunity to get interviewed by ABC 10 News because she received the January Leadership Award, which Brayden nominated her for. Thank you, Brayden! It was an amazing opportunity for PILTers to receive credit for what they’re doing, for PILT to gain recognition, and to raise awareness about homelessness. We would appreciate your viewing the video: San Diego High School sophomore leads her peers to help the homeless.

Thank you so much, and we look forward to telling you more about our progress in the next month!

—Minori