Helping the unhoused in Gastonia
When a Highland School of Technology senior started noticing more people around Gastonia without stable housing she wanted to help. She created a "giving box" containing canned goods, toiletries and clothes, which gives people a chance to help others, and allows those needing help to get it. She put the giving box in front of the Kintegra Health on East Franklin Boulevard.
Trischan Kaye Dionson-Dillenbeck said growing up her family did not always have a roof over their heads. A first-generation immigrant family, moving to the U.S. was a struggle.
"For the first couple of years, we were transient and due to the fact I was so young, I felt helpless," she said. "As a result, I have empathized with those who may not have a warm, safe place to sleep.
"Also, I am a firm believer that you can never know what someone has going through or is currently going through," she said. "If you are fortunate enough, then we should help each other."
Dionson-Dillenbeck, who goes by TK, plans to study biology on the pre-med track next year at either the University of Georgia or University of Central Florida.
Her time at Highland Tech has been a busy. She had played soccer four years, hold the president's position in HOSA Future Health Professionals, vice president of Beta Club, and senior vice president on Student Council. She also serves as an officer on the International Cultures Club.
The Gazette asked Dionson-Dillenbeck some questions about her project. Her answers have been lightly edited.
Why are you motivated to help the unhoused? There was a point in time when my family struggled and I never want another individual to feel that way. I have seen firsthand how this unfortunate situation will affect anindividual physically and mentally. After seeing the homeless camps along the side of the road, it became evident that this was a problem that someone should focus on.
Do you have any help in your project? How long will you continue it? Highland School of Technology’s Manufacturing and Engineering Pathway allowed me to use their tools in the lab to construct the box and Michael Jones and Nikolai Kellogg were the biggest help in guiding me through the building process. I hadnever built anything in my life, let alone a 2 by 4 box, so the boys were more than kind to help me. I plan on passing this project down to Menaal Shaikh, a sophomore, who will continue to support the box and maintain it. I don’t want the box to be temporary. Even when I go to college out of state, I still want to be involved and ensure this is a consistent and stable resource for individuals
Why is this important to you? My biggest motivation is helping others. I feel like our society would thrive better if everyone would support each other. With this box, I want individuals to be able to have access to their basic needs so they can focus their attention on getting a job or housing. Being homeless or in poverty is a level of stress that many of us are fortunate enough to never have to deal with and the Giving Box is accessible to control at least one factor of this situation.
What are your future plans? My plan is to become a forensic pathologist. I want to be involved in how families may get closure during an unforeseen death. I feel like this field is often overlooked and how bodies are treated after death is never thought about. I want to change how aftercare is done as well as accurately find the cause of death.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Helping the unhoused in Gastonia
