The Importance of Service

As human beings, we are part of the interdependent web of existence. What each of us does affects other living things and our planet as a whole. I am so grateful for people who dedicate their lives to addressing important issues, such as poverty, hunger, domestic violence, homelessness, illnesses of all sorts, human rights, animal rights, religious tolerance, peace and so on. Individually and together, we can make a difference. And we must do so.

Over the years, I've dedicated time to a variety of issues outside of work and my profession. When our son was young, I put a lot of energy into supporting his various activities, such as keeping score at his baseball games or helping create sets for his children's performing groups. I have contributed time and money to many organizations that support causes near and dear to my heart, such as the Riley House Museum and The Shelter in Tallahassee; the March of Dimes, Planned Parenthood, the Alzheimer's Association and Florida PIRG; and various projects through the Unitarian Universalist Church. We support a child in Bangladesh through the Save the Children organization.

But lately I've chosen to put most of my energy into addressing global climate change, which touches all aspects of our existence even though it may not seem as immediate as where to find your next meal or how to survive your next chemotherapy treatment. In 2006, I helped found the FAMU Green Coalition. As a result of that work, I've been privileged to meet and interact with dozens of wonderful people in the government arena, including the City of Tallahassee recyling and energy services departments, Leon County recycling and Leon County Schools; the sustainability program at Florida State University, the IFAS Extension Service, and the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences program (MANRRS) at FAMU and nationally; local businesses such as Marpan Supply and Rogers Developments; and community and environmental organizations such as Sustainable Tallahassee, the Southern Energy Network, 1Sky, the Campus Ecology project of the National Wildlife Federation, and the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative (EJCC).

Here is information about some of the community service projects I've been working on in Tallahassee.

Tallahassee.350

Park-and-Ride Community (PARC)