Energy Matters
That’s all Karla Avalos-Soto, Mayor Rothschild’s Health and Human Services Advisor had to say to me in an email I got last Tuesday. By Friday I had a number of projects in motion.
This all started in late March when Karla and I met in their conference room to discuss:
1. Tell city employees about the possibility of participating in a One Can A Week virtual food drive featured on the Community Food Bank website. This makes it easier than toting food donations to the office.
2. Starting a One Can A Week program in the Sam Hughes Neighborhood after talking to John O'Dowd, the president of the neighborhood association.
3. Having the mayor recommend some business leaders who might want to become sponsors of One Can A Week.
4. Find out who I should talk to in Karla’s neighborhood to begin a One Can A Week program there.
In the follow up email to her succinct note the day before Karla wrote:
“1) I will ask mayor to check in with the dept. heads to let them know about the program and your meeting request. After that I can get back with you so you can proceed.
2) I think mayor was going to talk to Mr. Dowd but I will clarify.
3) I will ask mayor about sponsorship ideas and a meeting.”
I know John O’Dowd because he’s the one who told me how to soundproof the Miles School Gym last year. I called him first thing Wednesday morning and left a message. Right after lunch he called back and we talked for some time. That conversation produced a meeting with the Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association Executive Committee on May 21st and information that a new fraternity in the neighborhood, Theta Chi was looking to engage in more neighborhood community service.
That evening my friend Davis Bauer at Sigma Alpha Mu sent me names and numbers so I could call the president of Theta Chi. Friday I spoke to and then emailed Tony Garvey the chapter president. He replied Sunday night.
“Peter, I forwarded your email to my community service chair. As the semester comes to a close, it is hard to start planning anything else this semester. School is over this week and guys won't be in town anymore. My community service chair did say that he would be contacting you for more information for next semester community service. Thank you for your time.”
One of my goals is to encourage more folks in the Sam Hughes Neighborhood to get as involved in One Can A Week as the Abbott Family at the Rincon Market. If this past week is any indication, we going to achieve that important milestone in the fall.
A couple of months back, Gary Hardy, a participant at the Academy Village, called to say some folks from the Empire High School in Vail would be contacting me soon. They were interested in starting a One Can A Week program. That call never came until today. Matt Donaldson, Empire’s principal wanted to apologize for something or other and I assured him when things go slow or never happen, I know how the story ends. I sell ideas all of the time and no reaction means no. So I press on.
At the close of our conversation Matt told me he had over 200 cans of food the students collected and wondered if I could pick them up. That’s happening today around noon.
Nobody calls than somebody calls and I get to take nearly 200 lbs. of food to the Food Bank. I’m happy and I know Gary will be, too. Sometimes nothing is something.
We collected a total of 184 lbs. of food. The money we donated amounted to $26.00, a $25.00 check and $1.00 in cash.
See you Sunday,
Peter
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