Everyday People Achieving Extraordinary Things - [website] Published: 17th of Feb 2011 by: (c) Staff Training Reporter
Staff Training is currently running a series of interviews with people who've done extraordinary things in ordinary circumstances.
Kevin is a 24-year-old who, after seeing a news report of homeless people in the freezing cold, took matters into his own hands and managed to organise thousands of blankets for those living on the streets in the winter months.
This turned out to be no mean feat for the then 17-year-old (grade 11 pupil), who found out that being charitable sometimes requires a strong determination and a lot of perseverance.
We caught up with Kevin to hear what he had to say.
To begin with, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself: What are you like? What do you like doing? What’s important to you in life?
Well, I love to have fun and I’m a very outgoing person. I can’t ever just sit doing nothing, I’m quite proactive and I need mental stimulation to avoid getting bored. Being comfortable is one of the most important things in my life.
What’s your favourite day of the week and why?
Friday, work finishes for the week…
When you were still in school you managed to collect a number of blankets for the people living on the streets. What are you most proud of about this achievement?
That I was able to keep people warm who otherwise would have spent the night absolutely freezing, that’s a great feeling. I’m also proud of the sheer number of blankets we managed to collect – 5,000 in total.
What struggles did you have to overcome and what was the hardest thing you had to do to achieve this particular goal?
I wasn’t taken seriously because of my age. I had to talk to companies over and over and over again to arrange donations, and I had to find a way of delivering the blankets.
I found it very hard to get people to listen to me. It also seemed as though the relatively small scale of the initiative meant that the companies wouldn’t really get much recognition for it, so they didn’t want much to do with it. I had to contact many different companies and really convince them before anyone would help me.
What was the easiest?
Handing out the blankets. And it was definitely worth it; we actually even ended up making television news with our efforts.
What personality trait do you think contributed most to your success?
I think my compassion. I felt terribly for those people; there I was sitting in my warm house while they were freezing, and I realised that there was a way I could help them after all.
What motivated you to make the changes you made to get where you are?
Finding the motivation to do this was easy. Staying motivated, on the other hand, was fairly more difficult, but I was determined to succeed in the end.
What still lies ahead for you?
That experience showed me how great it can feel to help those less fortunate than you. For this reason I’d like to begin helping in a drug rehabilitation centre for teens or something similar.
What is the most exciting thing you’ve ever done in your life?
Skydiving.
What made it so exciting?
I was so scared being up in that plane strapped to an instructor with the ground whizzing by thousands of feet below me. They literally had to peel my fingers away from the doorframe to get me out, but once we were falling it was the most amazing experience ever. I’d definitely do it again.
What is one everyday item you could not live without?
Cigarettes (Eish Kevin-lol!)
What message have you got for someone who might also be facing struggles at the moment in trying to achieve what they would like to achieve?
Ask for help. So many people end up struggling by themselves instead of asking for help. Simply asking for help can make so much more possible.
Who would you say has been the most influential person in your life?
Step-mom
In our lifetimes we never stop learning new things, but what do you think is the most important thing that you’ve learnt so far?
