You Might Be a Community Organizer, If...*

If you've seen a wrong and worked with others to make it right...

You might be a community organizer.

If you've ever volunteered at a soup kitchen, spent time working at a food distribution center, worked with the homeless, or delivered meals to the elderly or shut-in...

You might be a community organizer.

If you've participated in Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Campfire Girls, 4-H, Future Business Leaders of America, or any number of organizations geared toward empowering youth and preparing them to be responsible adults...

You might be a community organizer.

If you've adopted a highway, a street, a neighborhood, a block, or a corner and helped in efforts to beautify it or keep it litter-free, drug-free, or crime-free...

You might be a community organizer.

If you've walked to support research for breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, any cancer, or AIDS...

You might be a community organizer.


If you've joined the PTA, coached a youth sports team, volunteered in your kids' classroom, or participated in educating young people...

You might be a community organizer.

If you've spent time in Peace Corps or AmeriCorps, organized or participated in Habitat for Humanity or Rebuilding Together, or volunteered to assist with clean-up efforts in the wake of natural disasters...

You might be a community organizer.

If you've mentored an at-risk youth, tutored in an after-school program, or provided guidance and counseling to young people and adults who want to improve their standing in life...

You might be a community organizer.


If you've participated in programs that ensure the safety, health, and welfare of GLBTIQ, worked to ensure the rights of immigrants, or volunteered to register voters...

You might be a community organizer.


If you've advocated for the rights of children to be safe from those who would harm them, fostered a child, worked with the developmentally disabled, or provided moments or months of care to a child in need...

You might be a community organizer.

If you've ever organized a protest, participated in a peaceful demonstration, or advocated for environmental responsibility and sustainability...

You might be a community organizer.

If you're a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, brother, or sister and you participate actively in the lives of your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or siblings...

You might be a community organizer.


If you've worked for a non-profit or fought to end hunger, war, disease, poverty, and destruction...

You might be a community organizer.

Pentagon 9/11 Memorial:
The result of a community of families in mourning coming together and creating a lasting remembrance of their loved ones.

If you've made the recognition of admirable leaders, or the remembrance of those lost in wars and acts of terrorism a focus in your life...

You might be a community organizer.

*****

Maybe I've oversimplified or overdone what it means to be a community organizer, but I believe, if you've done any good in the world today, you've contributed to making our homes, neighborhoods, communities, cities, states, nations, and the world a better place. Government can't, and shouldn't, solve everything, but to belittle those of us who contribute our time, talents, skills, knowledge, and resources is to discount the good done by millions of people, in little and big ways, seen and unseen, sung and unsung every day. The fact is, for those who choose to work in government and run for office, we make your jobs easier.


* Written in the spirit of Jeff Foxworthy, who humanized rednecks everywhere. Now there's a community organizer I can appreciate!

Photo copyrights: Google Images; Pentagon 9/11 Memorial: Bill O'leary, The Washington Post