Middle schooler helps prepare SOEST students with Give-and-Go emergency supplies
Oceanography graduate student
Tyra Arends received a Give-and-Go box from Watson Culley.
When recent severe storms knocked out power and caused destructive flooding across the state, many community members were underprepared. Enter Watson Culley, an O‘ahu middle school student who spends most of his free time playing basketball. Inspired by a recent service-learning class that emphasized the power of being community-minded, Watson wanted to turn the classroom ideas into concrete action.
The spark fully ignited after he volunteered at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) to help distribute FEMA emergency food rations to students. Interacting with the students, he noticed how many people lacked the most basic supplies to be prepared for a crisis.
“In my service-learning class, we learned about the benefits of these kinds of projects,” Watson shared. “We learned that if everyone helps just a little, it can make a big difference.”
Watson drafted a list of essential supplies, calculated expenses, and developed a plan to make it happen. Included in the compact, waterproof kits would be a Mylar blanket, water purification tablets, matches, a whistle, granola bars, a basic first aid kit, an emergency contacts card, batteries, and a headlamp.
“The name Give-and-Go Emergency Box was inspired by my love for basketball,” Watson said, referring to a classic basketball play wherein two teammates work together to make an open shot or layup.
With the help of his family and monetary donations from his neighbors, Watson launched the “Give-and-Go” Emergency Box project. Thirty SOEST undergraduate and graduate students recently received the first round of Give-and-Go boxes at no cost. The impact was immediate for Watson and the student recipients.
For Watson, the project gave him experience in planning and executing his vision. It also helped him build community with the people in his neighborhood and at UH Mānoa. And, he shared, “it felt good to spread aloha.”
In a follow-up survey, 100 percent of student recipients rated the boxes as a 5 out of 5 for usefulness, noting that the kits made them feel significantly more prepared. Furthermore, 97.5% of respondents noted that the boxes would help safeguard others in their households.
For cash-strapped students, the kits filled critical gaps. One student shared that they didn’t have spare batteries or blankets before receiving the box. While another noted, “All of our appliances in our apartment are electric, and so when we first went through a series of blackouts we had no battery lights or candles. So the headlights that were included were so, so helpful!” Other recipients praised the inclusion of the emergency contact sheet, noting that the kit felt organized and intentional.
With students already asking for masks, sanitizing wipes, and notepad additions for future iterations, Watson’s game plan is far from over. If demand continues to exceed supply, additional rounds of distribution will be organized, with his ultimate goal to expand the Give-and-Go safety net to different locations across the islands.
Watson and his family hope this effort reflects the kind of community care that helps everyone weather difficult times.