Raising Viewers’ Voices : Tyler Oakley’s Newest Philanthropic Effort

Well hello everyone!
YouTube superstar Tyler Oakley’s newest video – geared towards his audience of over six million subscribers – has yet again mentioned an organization long discussed on youtube.com/tyleroakley : The Trevor Project.

Not sure about what The Trevor Project does? Never heard of the name “Tyler Oakley” before ? Were you even aware that YouTube  had so-called superstars that have independently gained millions of subscribers in the first place?

If you’ve answered “no” to all of these questions, then I’m  a bit confused as to how you ended up with this article displayed on your laptop (or desktop, or, tablet, or what-have-you). Truth be told, an entire blog can be dedicated to each of these questions individually, and getting into detail as to how this social media-savvy “YouTuber” has gotten to where he is today will most likely distract you, kind reader, from the topic at hand. Not to worry, however, for most of Oakley’s major accomplishments – from his interview with First Lady Michelle Obama to his other 99 accomplishments made in 2014 , can easily be found within his channel.

Now, onto today’s main topic. Ladies and gentlemen, Tyler Oakley’s “HUGE NEWS” :

Amazing, huh? Half a million dollars were surprisingly donated last year by Oakley’s ever-growing fan base (and more) towards The Trevor Project. Having been well surpassed last year, the goal this year, I believe, is sure to be surpassed yet again thanks to Oakley’s consistent drive and attention towards this good cause. Such a cause has actually rewarded Oakley before for his online humanitarian efforts; A video of Tyler receiving the Trevor Youth Innovator Award can be found here.

Through the gaining of a loyal fan base, Tyler Oakley has managed to grant each of his viewers a voice towards the protection of suicidal LGBT youth. Such a voice, though amplified via monetary donations, is powerful enough to be heard by those who couldn’t care less about what the Trevor Project aims to do; the actions of millions of internet-savvy youth are, after all, quite difficult to ignore.

Mr. Oakley, you have proven that the efforts of a humanitarian – an individual whose goal is “to save lives, relieve suffering, and maintain human dignity”  – can most certainly be amplified in today’s day and age via YouTube. I stand up and applaud you for providing your subscribers with not only fun, comedic entertainment, but also with an opportunity to make a difference with a team over six million strong.

Despite Hell and (Very) High Water, A Community Rebuilds

Yes,  high water indeed – 6 feet high , actually:

The  CBS New York report above – published in late October of this year –  shines light into what is arguably the smallest community along the south shore of Long Island-the town of Island Park. As you have already learned from said report, Island Park residents continue to partake in the process of rebuilding their once water-damaged homes.

Having partaken in said process for a little over two years now,  residents have since found another way to define the term ‘rebuild’ .Allow me to explain:

The first meaning of ‘rebuild’ is entirely physical – It’s tangible, it’s labor-intensive, and it focuses on the actual reconstruction of thousands of homes damaged on the night of October 28, 2012.

Clearly, the amount of physical rebuilding for the town of Island Park has yet to die down. This is clearly a struggle that residents of the low-lying town continue to face.

Residents do not find themselves struggling while partaking in what would be the second definition of ‘rebuild’. But before I go into further detail, I believe it is necessary to have you learn more about the kind of impact Superstorm Sandy had left on Island Park and its larger, more populated neighbors. (More information on Sandy arriving on Long Island as a superstorm, and not a hurricane, can be found within this document by the National Hurricane Center.)

To do so, I have included in this post an interview with Professor JoAnn Thissen, a Geology professor at Nassau Community College. Though not a professor of meteorology, having an interview with her  was beneficial when taking into account (1) her knowledge of coastal oceanography and (2) her previous experience as a resident of Island Park. The following  recording contains snippets from our interview together :

Professor Thissen’s comments on community participation post-Sandy thus requires a new meaning to the term ‘rebuild’ , a meaning that residents such as myself learned of only after the superstorm’s emotional impact. This new meaning is strictly resident-oriented. It focuses not on the community of water-damaged, half-built houses, but of the people who used to reside within them. Indeed it was after Sandy when the community of Island Park residents inevitably rebuilt itself.

It is here where the term takes on a more emotional meaning; Imaginary walls separating once-estranged neighbors were torn down overnight, and as a result, new relationships were  based a singular experience and reinforced by the humanitarian acts of kindness occurring within the small town.

Such was the case for Joanna Dickinson, currently a sophomore at the University of the Arts. Time not spent focusing on the art of photography within the Philadelphia campus is spent in Island Park, where her and her family have resided for decades.

Reuniting with her after several years, I had a chance to speak with Joanna about her experience when Sandy hit Island Park, as well as her thoughts on it having produced a more close-knit community.

A talented photographer, Joanna went on to discuss how an event as negative as Superstorm Sandy produced such positive results. This positivity not only includes closer bonds with fellow Island Park residents: According to Joanna,  it has also brought about inspiration for her artwork.

As the art of photography is essentially a form of memory-keeping, photographs oftentimes carry heavy sentimental value with them. When Joanna and her family found the hundreds of  photographs damaged by Sandy’s saltwater, therefore, she quickly turned her sorrow into inspiration for future projects. Such projects have actually included the re-using (and even re-creating) of these damaged mementos. These mementos, she says, “are too difficult to just throw away.”

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Volunteering Via YouTube: How It’s Possible

If I were to explain to you how it is indeed possible to take part in humanitarian work by first visiting the website YouTube.com, then I would do so with the following video:

As you may very well guess by now – assuming that you actually watched the video placed above this text -, I created this video based on my experience thus far as an NYC Kitchenette. Since my start in late September I, along with fellow Have-A-Hart volunteers-turned-friends, have found it quite difficult explaining who we are to those still unaware of how powerful the YouTube community has grown to become (A more detailed description on that can be found on this past REBUILD post). I figured, therefore, that the best way to explain how such a volunteering opportunity is possible was to speak of it in a thorough series of steps I had unexpectedly followed throughout the past six months.

Though not expected in the slightest sense – never would I have thought that such opportunities could start just by stumbling upon a YouTube video on the channel MyHarto one day – , my experience thus far is remembered without regret. In fact, I look back on these past couple months with confidence that the Kitchenettes, along with other Have-A-Hart groups worldwide, are ready to grow and popularize by the start of next year.

Understanding that everyone’s experience as a Have-A-Hart volunteer (or any kind of volunteer for that matter) will inevitably differ, my main intention in uploading this video was not to gloat about past successful accomplishments, but instead to inform others that such a volunteer opportunity – one that I believe is unprecedented in its kind – is both possible and available.

UPDATE (November 18th) :

Here is a map showing where all us Kitchenettes have/will volunteer(ed) throughout 2014.

In Keeping Faith, Doing Good Is Inspired

It was the great Nelson Mandela who reminded all of us that “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head [,but] [i]f you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”

Having said that, it is now an opportune time to say that the podcast linked here will lead you to a recorded interview spoken in Spanish. Not to worry, however; For those of you who do not speak the language fluently, I have provided a written dialogue for you to follow along. Keep in mind that the interview will explain what has been captured within these photographs taken this past Sunday:

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The following interview was with a member of the Peruvian community here on Long Island, having attended this religious event in Long Beach since its start in 1990. For the purpose of the interview, she will be referred to as Ivonne:

REBUILD: Here in these photographs we see what appears to be a religious event. Can you explain to us what this event actually is and what it means to you?

Ivonne:  This event is about a religious tradition, and about the faith we have towards the image of el Señor de los Milagos (translated as “Man of the Miracles”) . The Peruvian community comes out every year during the month of October to venerate Him. He is the patron of Peru.

Not only is His following found within Peru itself, but it has expanded to different countries in which Peruvians who keep their faith reside. It’s something very significant for us.

We venerate him every year, because He is who maintains our families both healthy and united – that is what we want el Señor to always help us with.  [Though] we honor him year-round, it is within the month of October in which our veneration towards him is strongest. It is when we take his image out to the streets and honor him.

In Peru, it is not only one day, but four: the 17^th , 18^th, 28^th, and 29^th of October.  In other countries such as in the United States, specifically in Long Beach where we live, it is only one. In other “towns” such as Islip, and in [the state of] New Jersey, he is also honored in one day.

It’s an important holiday for us. We aim to pass on this important tradition to our children, and we try our best to keep our families united on this day. We [also] hope it can stay as it is now – [still] maintaining unity, tradition, and love towards el Señor de los Milagros.

 It is within the keeping of such honorable religious faith, particularly within the Catholic religion, in which the act of doing good deeds for others is inspired. The Catholic Peruvian community of Long Beach, NY can thus serve as a prime example, for it is within this religion in which such an act is very much enforced.

Having no specific meaning, the act of doing good deeds can take on multiple roles. Such roles may include the helping of others through the granting of basic human necessities – food, water, and shelter, for example. In dealing with these needs, along with other desires us as humans want – from healthcare to education – there are ways in which we gain strength to help al prójimo (literal meaning “the neighbor”).

For some, such strength to help those less fortunate can grow from past personal experiences. Perhaps people who fall into this particular category may not associate themselves with a particular religion at all. But for members of the Peruvian community like Ivonne, tremendous strength has been – and continues to be – found within the keeping of their Catholic faith.

So She’s a YouTuber, NY Times Bestselling Author, AND a Humanitarian?

Absolutely. Well, not exactly in that particular order, but Hannah Hart does fit all three characteristics. Let’s start with the first.

Hannah Hart, the YouTuber:

If you read and/or skimmed through my last post here on REBUILD then you’d recall the name Hannah Hart. Mentioned very briefly within the last post was the name of her YouTube show, My Drunk Kitchen.  Prone to stir up some questions from those unfamiliar about the online show, My Drunk Kitchen actually lacks in being a program favoring careless alcohol consumption.

Instead, the show’s massive audience (which as of October 5^th, 2014, has reached over 1.5 million,) constantly returns to Hannah’s channel MyHarto, thanks to her charming manner of uniquely creating dishes that only the non-sober may find most appetizing.

Although a majority of the dishes made in Kitchen were not cut out to make it into Hannah’s book (which will be mentioned later on), fans of the culinary cyber-celeb are fond of the now three-year-old show due to Hannah’s consistent use of witty puns, random facts, and a sense of humor that’s (for lack of a better word) addicting.

Here is one of my personal favorites:

The filming of Kitchen began in 2011 (in case you were wondering), when Hannah’s older sister Naomi asked her to cat-sit in her apartment in Washington, D.C.. Bored and with nothing else to do, Hannah recorded the first episode of Kitchen with the intention of sending the video to a friend. Since then, Hannah’s homemade content has been entertaining an ever-growing audience completely unexpected just three years ago. (Such information can be found on this episode of Kitchen, staring Naomi herself.)

Hannah Hart, the Humanitarian:

My last post spoke of a recent accomplishment made by the NYC Kitchenettes, a group of Hannah Hart fans inspired to partake in volunteer work within areas of New York. Like the Kitchenettes are multiple other groups around the world also having been inspired by Hannah’s “Hello, Harto!” tour, a trip across the United States that blended traditional meet-and-greets with volunteer work at food banks.

Since last week, Hannah has actually recognized and thanked groups like the Kitchenettes in her Tumblr blog and on the following vlog from her second channel yourharto :

Humanitarians, in taking part in good deeds, are recognized for helping those less fortunate in any one of the three basic needs for human beings in any part of the world: food, water, and shelter. By inspiring today’s social media-savvy generation to take part in volunteer activities, Hannah Hart can be categorized within a new definition of humanitarianism, where the motive is not only to provide, but to inspire.

Hannah Hart, the NY Times Bestselling Author:

With a loyal following 1.5 million strong, Hannah Hart has exceeded expectations never having been expected upon the first upload of Kitchen in her sister’s basement apartment. Serving as an inspiration for millions of YouTube users, Hannah has since re-awoken her long-held dream in writing a book. Combining such a wish with her YouTube career has since led to the creation of My Drunk Kitchen: A Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Going with Your Gut.

Want to know how such as show could possibly be transformed into writing? Hear what she has to say of her “self-help parody book via cookbook” in a segment of the YouTube show Good Mythical Morning:

Creating a YouTube show from scratch, committing to volunteer work, and writing a book are only some of the accomplishments having been surpassed by this Internet celebrity. Cheers to you, Hannah, in continuing to inspire Kitchen fans like myself to crave and create our own individual goals.

Volunteering at a Mobile Market … Because of YouTube?

Yes.

Before any further explanation, however, allow me to explain what happened yesterday:

This past Saturday, a group of twenty-something year-old volunteers met for the first time in Washington Heights, NY. The group of young New Yorkers (including an international intern from the UK) arrived to contribute with a mobile food market event established by the state’s very own City Harvest.

United with various other volunteer groups, this particular group of youngsters aided in distributing over 25,000 lbs. of food to community members in need in less than three hours.

Calling themselves the NYC Kitchenettes, members of this young group found it quite difficult trying to explain to others exactly how and why they got together at this volunteering event. A majority of responses, truthfully, were accompanied by absent-minded nods and numerous questions.

In fact, let’s see how you would react to an example of an explanation given by the Kitchenettes yesterday:

You: So, do you all typically do food-related volunteer events here in New York?

“Kitchenette” : No. In fact, today is the first day we all met. We’re all fans of an Internet celebrity named Hannah Hart, and through her YouTube channel (called MyHarto) she’s allowed for fans around the world to get together and participate in food-related volunteer activities. She did similar activities a little over a year ago when she went on a tour across the U.S. called “Hello, Harto!”, so now her fans are getting together under a team leader and continuing to volunteer in similar activities. We’re all fans of her YouTube show My Drunk Kitchen and other kinds of content on her channel, and our team leader gave us New York-based fans the group name “NYC Kitchenettes.”

… So? What do you think? Have any sense of confusion, doubt, or perhaps even disbelief?

Well, you and I both know that I can’t force you to think and/or agree with me in a certain way. I can, however, provide you with a convenient link of a YouTube video detailing the volunteer accomplishments made by Hannah and her fans throughout the “Hello, Harto!” tour:

…So now what do you think? Any interest in learning more?

REBUILD – An Introduction

The quote, “A picture is worth a thousand words” is an understatement, and a massive one at that.

Take the photograph above this text as a prime example: Visually, this photograph is simply that of an anonymous man; the face of a person is arguably their strongest form of identity, and having their face out of frame leaves you, the viewer, merely guessing who the subject is based on clues that the photograph may provide.

Armed with tools held with paint-smeared hands, he faces the camera with nothing else. It is therefore up to viewers to interpret the “who-what-where-when-why”‘s of this description-less photograph. Your interpretation may very well likely differ from that of the next person pondering through this post, whose will differ from that of the next person, and of the next person… (By now, I’m sure you understand where I’m getting at).

In short, multiple stories can be assumed when viewing a photograph. Having said that, a single story has the potential to reach not a mere thousand, but thousands, of words. Pass the photograph along to others throughout an extended period of time (i.e. a single calendar year) and, altogether, these stories can potentially make a photograph “worth” hundreds of thousands of words.

As I was once told by a professor, whatever is within a photograph can be just as important as what is not. Thus, future photographs posted onto REBUILD (be they accompanied by a written entry or not) will at least contain some form of minute description. Nevertheless, both photos and paragraphs are expected to be connected by one particular term: humanitarianism.

Though I can currently imagine what my photographs or written posts will capture/detail based on this theme  – an older man at a soup kitchen handing over a bowl of hot food, the dirt-covered hands of a woman repairing a neighbor’s home, etc. -, I am aware that only time will show what stories will appear here on this blog. No matter the circumstance, efforts made towards those less fortunate than their helpers are given another chance to re-establish, or rebuild, whatever may have once belonged to them. My goal, therefore, is to capture steps towards rebuilding through visual and written works.

In planning to form and improve both my journalistic and photojournalistic skills within this blog, I have decided to take the advice contained within multiple journalism-related textbooks advising to write entries as though my mother were to read them. Taking said advice in a literal sense, I will simultaneously be posting onto the Spanish-written version of REBUILD. A link to my complementary blog, RECONSTRUYE , will be posted onto this blog in the near future.