Ibhalwe ngu: Crystal Ross O'Hara
Okwaqala eminyakeni eyi-13 edlule njengephrojekthi yekilasi sekuyinhlangano yezihlahla ephumelelayo edolobheni lase-Orange. Ngo-1994, u-Dan Slater—owathi kamuva ngalowo nyaka wakhethwa emkhandlwini wedolobha lase-Orange—wabamba iqhaza ekilasini lobuholi. Ngomsebenzi wakhe wekilasi wakhetha ukugxila ekwenzeni ngcono isimo sezihlahla zasemgwaqweni eziwohlokayo zedolobha.
“Ngaleso sikhathi, umnotho wawumubi futhi idolobha lalingenayo imali yokutshala izihlahla ezazifile futhi ezazidinga ukushintshwa,” kukhumbula uSlater. Abanye bajoyina i-Slater futhi iqembu, i-Orange for Trees, laqala ukufuna uxhaso futhi laqoqa amavolontiya.
“Sigxile emigwaqweni yezindlu ezinezihlahla ezimbalwa noma ezingenazo futhi sazama ukuthola izakhamuzi eziningi ngangokunokwenzeka ukuze zisize ukuzitshala nokuzinisela,” usho kanje.
Amavolontiya atshala izihlahla e-Orange, CA.
Izihlahla njengama-Motivators
Akuphelanga sikhathi esingakanani uSlater ethathe izintambo lapho uMkhandlu Wedolobha Lase-Orange wabhekana nenkinga eyayizogqamisa ubuhlobo obujulile obungokomzwelo abantu abanabo ezihlahleni. Itholakala cishe ngamamayela angu-30 eningizimu-mpumalanga ye-Los
I-Angeles, i-Orange ingelinye lamadolobha ambalwa eSouthern California akhiwe azungeze iplaza. Iplaza isebenza njengendawo okugxilwe kuyo yesifunda esiyingqayizivele somlando wedolobha futhi iwumthombo omkhulu wokuziqhenya komphakathi.
Ngo-1994 kwatholakala izimali zokuthuthukisa iplaza. Onjiniyela bebefuna ukususa amaphayini e-Canary Island angu-16 futhi esikhundleni sawo bafake u-Queen Palms, isithonjana sase-Southern California. “Izihlahla zikaphayini zazinempilo futhi zinhle kakhulu futhi zinde kakhulu,” kusho u-Bea Herbst, ilungu elisungule le-Orange for Trees futhi oyisekela likamongameli lamanje lenhlangano. “Enye yezinto ngale phayini ukuthi ibekezelela inhlabathi embi kakhulu. Bayizihlahla ezinzima.”
Kodwa abathuthukisi babeqinile. Babekhathazekile ngokuthi amaphayini azophazamisa izinhlelo zabo zokufaka ukudla kwangaphandle eplaza. Udaba lwagcina luphambi komkhandlu wedolobha. Njengoba uHerbst ekhumbula, “kwakunabantu abangaphezu kuka-300 emhlanganweni futhi abangaba amaphesenti angu-90 kubo babengama-pro-pine.”
USlater, osasebenza e-Orange for Trees, uthe uqale weseka umbono weQueen Palms endaweni ye-plaza, kodwa wagcina ethathelwe uHerbst nabanye. “Ngicabanga ukuthi kwaba ukuphela kwesikhathi emkhandlwini wedolobha lapho ngashintsha khona ivoti lami,” usho kanje. Amaphayini asala, futhi ekugcineni, uSlater uthi uyajabula ngokuthi washintsha umqondo wakhe. Ngaphezu kokunikeza ubuhle nomthunzi weplaza, izihlahla ziye zaba usizo lwezezimali edolobheni.
Njengoba inezakhiwo zayo zomlando nemizi, iplaza ekhangayo kanye nokuba seduze kwayo neHollywood, i-Orange isebenze njengendawo yokuqopha yemidlalo yethelevishini namamuvi amaningana, okuhlanganisa i-That Thing You Do with Tom Hanks kanye neCrimson Tide noDenzel Washington kanye noGene Hackman. "Inokunambitheka kwedolobha elincane kakhulu kuyo futhi ngenxa yamaphayini awucabangi ngempela i-Southern California," kusho uHerbst.
Impi yokusindisa izihlahla zikaphayini zasiza ukuqinisa usekelo lokulondoloza izihlahla zedolobha kanye ne-Orange for Trees, i-Herbst ne-Slater ithi. Le nhlangano, eyaba inhlangano engenzi nzuzo ngokusemthethweni ngo-Okthoba 1995, manje inamalungu angaba ngamashumi amabili kanye nebhodi enamalungu amahlanu.
Imizamo Eqhubekayo
Umgomo weOrange for Trees “ukutshala, ukuvikela nokulondoloza izihlahla zaseOrange, zomphakathi nezizimele.” Iqembu liqoqa amavolontiya ukuze atshale kusukela ngo-Okthoba kuya kuMeyi. Iba nesilinganiso sokutshala okuyisikhombisa ngesizini ngayinye, kusho uHerbst. Ulinganisela ukuthi kuwo wonke ama-Orange for Trees atshale izihlahla ezingaba ngu-1,200 eminyakeni eyi-13 edlule.
I-Orange for Trees iphinde isebenze nabanikazi bezindlu ukuze babafundise ngokubaluleka kwezihlahla kanye nendlela yokunakekelwa kwazo. UHerbst uchithe iminyaka emibili efundela ukulima ekolishi elincane futhi uzophuma aye emakhaya ukuze anikeze abahlali izeluleko zezihlahla mahhala. Iqembu liphinde linxenxe idolobha egameni labahlali ukuze kulondolozwe futhi kutshalwe izihlahla.
Intsha yendawo itshala izihlahla nge-Orange for Trees.
USlater uthi ukwesekwa yidolobha kanye nezakhamuzi zakhona kuwukhiye wempumelelo yenhlangano. “Ingxenye yempumelelo itholakala ekuthengeni kwabahlali,” usho kanje. “Asitshali izihlahla lapho abantu bengazifuni futhi bengazinakekeli.”
U-Slater uthi izinhlelo zekusasa le-Orange for Trees zihlanganisa ukuthuthukisa umsebenzi inhlangano esivele iwenza. “Ngingathanda ukusibona siba ngcono kwesikwenzayo, sikhulisa ubulungu bethu, futhi sandisa uxhaso lwethu nempumelelo yethu,” usho kanje. Futhi lokho kuzoba yizindaba ezinhle ezihlahleni zaseOrange.