The winner of last month's e-newsletter contest answered the question "What Does Community Mean to You?" and was randomly chosen to receive a free copy of A Community Organizer's Tale by Mike Miller. Congratulations, Stephanie!
Here is what community means to her:
"I am reminded of the dictum 'think globally; act locally.' Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the world's problems, paralyzed by the prospect of doing anything about them, we can make inroads by taking small steps every day. Send a note to an ailing friend. Listen more than you talk. Greet a neighbor. Welcome a newcomer. Write a letter to the editor. Attend a meeting. Speak up. Smile more. Learn something new. Teach something you know to someone else. Read to a child. Notice and act when someone is missing. This kind of action builds community. Change will follow."
Stephanie supports the volunteer program at the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, in which hundreds of local residents of all ages volunteer thousands of hours annually to restore and maintain the city's parks and playgrounds. Many volunteers "adopt" their nearby park or playground and work there on a regular basis.
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