ASME Members Start a Grassroots Effort to Put-A-Smile on Chi...

ASME Members Start a Grassroots Effort to Put-A-Smile on Chi... ASME Members Start a Grassroots Effort to Put-A-Smile on Chi... ASME Members Start a Grassroots Effort to Put-A-Smile on Children Affected by DisastersNov. 3, 2017 (Left to right) Koorosh Khanjani, vice chair of the Orange County Section, Selina Eich, president of the ASME University of California, Irvine Student Section, and Simon Pun, treasurer of the Orange County Section, were among the ASME members who volunteered to help assemble the Put-A-Smile packages at Brian James house in Costa Mesa, Calif. ASME sections are being sought to take part in a new grassroots initiative, the Put-A-Smile project, which aims to bring some much-needed cheer to children affected by the recent storms that devastated Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.The project began in September when several ASME leaders and members from the Orange County, Santa Clara Valley and Los Angeles Sections, motivated by media coverage of the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston, decided to work together to show beistand for storm victims in the Houston area. Realizing that they didnt have the resources to send essential items, the sections decided instead to send packages of treats that would lift the spirits of some of the children left in the storms wake. Brian James, chair of the Orange County Section, hosted the Put-A-Smile packaging fete at his house. The team of volunteers prepared 500 of the packages during the four-hour gathering.With financial support provided by the three sections, the Put-A-Smile project was launched. Brian James, chair of the Orange County Section, volunteered to oversee the effort. After purchasing the trail mix, chocolate lollipops and fidget spinners that would fill each package, James hosted a packaging party at his house, where several ASME members and student members from the local community met in mid-September to prepare 500 Put-A-Smile bags.In addition to James, volunteers taking part in the packing party included Koorosh Khanjani, vice chair of the Orange County Section Simon Pun, treasurer of the Orange County Section Selina Eich, president of the ASME University of California, Irvine Student Section and ASME member Tuesday Do. Local art designer Barbara Hamagami created decorative kalendertags for the bags, featuring the ASME logo, which included encouraging messages such as You are in our thoughts, Dont forget to share, Forget yesterday, enjoy today, and Help each other. Each of the packages contained a Sees chocolate lollipop, a bag of trail mix, and a fidget spinner.Once assembled, the packages were then shipped to Jared Oehring, a member of the Technical Events and Content Council from Houston, who agreed to distribute the packages to a school in the area. Oehring and his wife, Melissa, worked with the local school district to identify a school where the packages could be distributed. They decided on Lobit Elementary School in Dickinson, Texas, a particular ly hard-hit community where approximately 90 percent of the houses were flooded during Hurricane Harvey. The Put-A-Smile packages were a big success with the students, according to the schools principal, Stephanie Williams, who distributed the gift bags to the children. Williams later relayed her thanks to Melissa Oehring in a text message, adding They were very excited We appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity so muchIn an effort to build on the success of that first Put-A-Smile effort, Michael Roy, the ASME Sections representative for the Societys newly formed Group Engagement Committee, is attempting to expand the project to other ASME sections. Roy, who had previously served as leader of ASMEs former District A, is currently seeking section leaders from ASME sections to help coordinate a Put-A-Smile package program for children affected by Hurricane Irma in Florida. A bright ribbon and a decorative tag with an uplifting message (and the ASME logo) were the finishing touc hes on the 500 Put-A-Smile packages.Roy hopes to have several sections lined up within the next few weeks to raise funds, purchase items, and assemble the packages so they can be sent to Florida by mid-November. Roys employer, the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co., has agreed to underwrite shipping costs for the first shipment to Florida. As the project expands, Roy hopes to get other corporate sponsors involved in the program.The Put-A-Smile project is a good way to start engaging section leaders and give them opportunities to engage with other section leaders, Roy said. I think it also allows them to engage with the community and with the student section leaders in the local universities. And its good for ASME because if we get these Put-A-Smile packages in front of the younger grade school students, it makes them remember that maybe during a tough time in their life, ASME did something nice for them. If that makes them interested in ASME or encourages them to wan t to learn more about engineering, thats good for society and ASME. It may also make people more aware of who ASME members are and all the good things that they do. I think a lot of good that can come out of this. Several students from Lobit Elementary School with their Put-A-Smile gift bags.In addition to Roys effort to expand the program, two of this years Early Career Leadership Intern Program to Serve Engineering (ECLIPSE) interns, Jonathan Jennings and Kushi Sellahennedige, also have plans to send their own Put-A-Smile packages to children in Puerto Rico. Jennings plans to purchase the items for the gift bags and host the packing and shipping party at his home in Arizona once sufficient funds have been raised by Sellahennedige, who is in charge of donations.For more information on the Group Engagement Committees Put-A-Smile effort, contact Michael Roy by e-mail at roym2asme.org. To learn more about the ECLIPSE initiative, or to make a donation, contact Kushi Sellahennedige by e-mail at AustkaHotmail.com.