I’m a Tulsa Kid: Tarell Howard
We interview 11-year-old Tarell Howard, a student at Eugene Field Elementary. Howard is working on a Global Gardens project called “Helping the Homeless.”
Q: What is your project?
A: My project is helping the homeless get food and clothes, helping them get back on their feet and back on track so they can get back into a house or something. The name of the project is “Helping the Homeless.”
Q: What made you think of doing it?
A: When my family was going to Memphis on the bus I saw a lot of homeless people. They looked sad, and I felt bad for them. They don’t have anyone to take care of them; they have to survive on their own. Mostly people just think, “Oh, well, sorry.” They are basically saying they do have money, but they don’t want to give it up [to help a less fortunate person]. Even if they just have a little [money], they could give it. My stuff isn’t enough. I’m only one person, but when everyone pitched in, it was more than I thought it was.
Q: Are any other people, friends or classmates helping you with your project?
A: Other Global Gardeners.
Editor’s Note: Global Gardens provided the following: Global Gardens is a nonprofit educational organization, dedicated to empowering low-income students and communities through the process of creating community gardens. By establishing progressive student-centered garden spaces individuals are empowered to live healthier lives and become agents of change in their communities. Tarell’s experience seeing homeless people on his trip inspired a conversation at the Global Gardens after school program, which emphasizes personal and community development in addition to gardening.
Q: How did it make you feel to do this project?
A: It makes me happy because I know that if I do something nice for them, maybe one day someone will walk up to me and say, “Hey, Tarell, thanks for getting me back up on my feet.” It makes me feel happy to know that I’m not the only one that is going to do something for the homeless. I can see I’m not the only one that cares about them.
Q: What did you learn from it?
A: I learned that I have good skills to talk to others and express my feelings about something. I learned that when I stick my mind to something I can do it.
Q: What else do you want people to know about your project?
A: I learned that some people look at us Global Gardeners who plant seeds and then harvest them and take them home and that sort of thing, but they have to come to Global Gardens to find out what we do. People should think of us as helping others and the community. People can help by coming to the Harvest Market (2232 S. Nogales Ave.) and donating food, money or clothes.
