Irvine kids find ways to give back to community, starting with pillows

An effort on the part of some Irvine parents to teach their children entrepreneurship led to a more charitable endeavor that on Sunday came to fruition as their kids delivered pillows they had created themselves to a homeless community in Newport Beach.

Sean Young, one of the adults who shepherded the group, said the plan for an informal summer program arose out of the parents’ desire to teach their offspring how to contribute to society.

The idea came together after a conversation with another parent, Yama Akbari, during a children’s birthday party, Young said. At one point the discussion turned to Akbari’s father having operated an ice cream truck when he came to America.

“I was lucky. I ... grew up in [Corona del Mar], and my parents did what they could to have us appreciate living here, but it was difficult because it’s so beautiful and we had what we need here,” Young said. “But the conversation with [Akbari] started with ‘What do you think? What can we do so that the kids appreciate what they have and understand? How can ... kids living in Orange County and having so much of what they need, learn practical skills and business but also learn how to help the community?’”

The kids show off their hand-sewn pillows and pillowcases.

(Courtesy of Sean Young)

The first week of meetings, which started in early June, focused on developing entrepreneurship and business skills. The second focused on how the kids could use those skills.

Young’s daughter, Melody, 8, said the kids, accompanied by their parents, visited homeless individuals living at the Fashion Island bus stop near Avocado Avenue on June 12.

“It was kind of strange. When we got there, we weren’t sure what would happen, but there was only a couple of people. There used to be a whole lot there,” said Melody. “We learned [in the first week of meeting] that there needs to be a need. For homeless people, it’s pretty easy for them to have a need. You can pretty much give them anything that would be helpful, so we learned the needs and problems and solutions.”

Melody’s 5-year-old brother, Maverick, said they wanted to help the homeless because of their difficult situation.

“They didn’t have lots of things. They only had a blanket and a tent, so if they didn’t have any food or water, they would die, so we gave them food and pillows,” he said. “So, we made pillows for them because they were sleeping on the floor.”

Arianna Akbari, 10, said that they’d already known the homeless would need food and water, but on the children’s first visit to the area they learned they could also use items that provide comfort.

So, the children learned from family members how to sew, then worked with each other. Frances Akbari, the mother of Arianna and Lina Akbari, said they wanted the project to be something the kids could make and take ownership of.

“It’s a lot more meaningful than just handing them things they obviously already need, but having the [handmade] pillows was a little bit more of a personal touch,” Frances Akbari said.

A homeless woman receives a grilled cheese sandwich from Melody Young on Sunday.

(Courtesy of Sean Young)

Her daughter, Arianna, added, “If you don’t have a pillow to sleep on, they won’t sleep good. It’s for comfort.” She said when she handed one of the homeless men a pillow, he started to cry and said that he’d beat up anyone that tried to steal it.

Melody said they brought another woman, Linda, a grilled cheese sandwich she had requested during their first visit earlier this month, and that she fell into tears when she saw it. Linda told Melody that people often give her food and water but that she’d been craving a grilled cheese and was thankful they remembered when they returned to the site on Sunday.

“They seemed to really like getting any sort of thing most of the time. They were really grateful for all the people that help them because I heard there’s a lot of people who help the people in this area. One of them found a Minecraft sheep toy, and they had it inside of their tent,” said Hanna Saeidi, 12.

The group next hopes to make toys for local animal shelters, including the facility that recently opened in Newport Beach.

“I think a lot of [the impetus for the group] is this: We live in this community. Irvine is the safest midsized city in America. Super safe, super big bubble in a bubble. All of these kids live in University Hills ... and there’s a lack of perspective in what they see every day,” said Melody and Maverick’s mother, Renee Young, who is a child therapist and social worker.

“It’s an effort that the parents have to put out to show their children that not every human, animal, creature has all this privilege. I’m sure all the parents here, either through our own upbringing or through our own personal experiences has educated ourselves or lived through the experience of not having everything ... but I think it’s been a great opportunity ... because they don’t really see it and if they don’t see it, they don’t know,” Young said. “I can tell them stories because I’ve been a social worker in a lot of places ... and tell them all about it, but they don’t really understand unless they see the experience of somebody else.”

The group of children, along with parents, speak to a homeless man near the Fashion Island bus stop on Sunday.

(Courtesy of Sean Young)