Nice piece @Stephanie along with the resource center article! Thank you @Samuel604 for your service here as a HAB member, your world outreach and volunteerism in Batswana and your lifetime dedication to helping make Philadelphia, the US and far away lands better and safer homes for all.
My personal commitment to influence directions our nation, state and locality is moving has always been and is solely based on the Golden Rules and the oath I took in 1984 (and many times after) to protect and defend the constitution of our nation. Not just as good reading in the library but a document that should and must empower us to be and achieve all we can be regardless of demography and restrict none that are citizens of this great nation. That means living a life that attempts to promote Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness to all others that seek to do the same face to face on a daily basis.
Its very hard to change or even trust the rest of the world from Rural tiny-town Munnsville NY but my wife Melodie and I do our best to try with each and every interaction we have with friends, neighbors, coworkers, visitors and guests from near and far. "All politics is local" someone once said, (one could easily replace the word politics with activism). I believe both and to take them a step further, I truly feel if we all tried extra hard to fix the screwed up things we saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears that were unacceptable around us- our neighborhoods, cities and nation would be much better places for all. It sound simplistic and not nearly as visible nationally, no catchy slogans or $10,000 a plate dinners with a "special guest" photo op but it works every day in my life and it's the best I can give and be sure its not doing more damage than good.
Stay well Sir and keep up your great works (and soup Sundays!!!), JR