One person can make a difference. YOU can make a difference. Have you had an idea or thought that you’re pretty sure would have made a difference in your school, neighborhood, city or even country; but then had another immediate thought that told you that it wasn’t possible because you were just “one person”? Well, start ignoring those second thoughts and try running with the first ones. Below are two examples of people right in our communities that had an idea and moved on it, and as a result have made an impact on the lives of many others. These people’s ideas and decisions will continue to make a difference for generations to come.
Robby Anthony took his idea and used it to give back to his elementary school. When this 16 year old young man was faced with choosing his Eagle Scout badge project, he chose an undertaking that many adults wouldn’t even consider. For more than three weeks, he gave up pretty much everything except school and perhaps the occasional break to eat and sleep as he spent more than 300 hours working to turn the nature preserve at Antelope’s Dudley Elementary back into usable space.
Robby began by contacting one of his former teachers, Nancy Dzida, who had been trying to get the area usable again on her own. After speaking with Ms. Dzida, Robby drew up his plans and got the necessary approvals to begin the work. He got all of the donations of material and labor by contacting every major hardware store in the Sacramento area. His major sponsors were Lowes on Zinfandel, HD Supply, Kohl’s in Antelope and the Antelope HomeDepot. Over $3,000 in hardware and labor were donated by these companies.
Robby led a team of 50 people during the course of his project. The Eagle Scout project is a big test of leadership abilities. It’s what separates the regular Scouts from the Eagle Scouts. Robby is the third generation in his family to earn the Eagle Scout title. His dad, Robert, stated, “I am very proud of Robby, and am happy he gave back to his school. It takes my breath away that he chose to add a handicap accessible planter box. That alone would have been enough of a project to earn Eagle Scout.”
Robby did go above and beyond what was required of him in that he built six planter boxes in total at Dudley Elementary, one of which is built higher and has space to roll a wheelchair or other assistance device up to so that every child has the opportunity to participate in whatever projects the school chooses to use the new nature preserve for. Now each grade level at Dudley will be responsible for a single planter box throughout the school year.
While earning his Eagle Scout badge was his motivator, as Robby’s parents and former principal at Dudley, Lisa Coronado, pointed out: "He could have chosen a project that would have been much easier on him – not as physically challenging or time consuming; but he chose to make a difference. He chose to soar a little higher."
Robert Pierce also chose to make a difference in his neighborhood. When he moved into his house on Jackson Street in North Highlands, he wasn’t aware that the street was as highly used as it has turned out to be. Nor did he realize that a lot of people that use it drive as fast as they do – many not even stopping for school buses when children are present. In talking to his neighbors – the few that at first were ever outside long enough for him to catch – he realized the speeding cars had been an issue for quite some time. Several people told Robert that they had tried to have something done about it, but nothing had worked so far. Robert says that he thought that perhaps they were right and that nothing could/would be done about the problem, but he decided that he wouldn’t rest until he had done everything in his power to find out if there was a solution to the problem.
Robert did his research, calling the county to find out if there was anything that could be done and what the cost would be to do it. He decided to do whatever it took to stop drivers from speeding down his street, endangering not only his life but potentially the lives of the children that live all around him. What he found was that his street was listed as a “problem area” with the county, and that there were already funds available to put speed tables in on his street.
Robert was undaunted in his decision to see this project through, though. It is a two year process to get the speed tables in his neighborhood. Robert first had to draw up a petition and then more than 50% of the neighborhood had to vote in favor of having speed bumps/tables added. Everyone in the neighborhood was sent a letter by the county, but the initial contact brought very few votes in. Many people didn’t think they could vote because they weren’t the home owners. Robert’s research found that renters are qualified to vote. Several others hadn’t voted because of a language barrier. Robert actually carried his personal cell phone with him as he knocked on his neighbors’ doors, taking time to explain the situation and then allowing them to vote using his phone. It’s getting close to two years since Robert took on this project, but it has been worth it all. There is only one final hearing left before the process will be complete, and then three speed tables will be added to Jackson Street.
Robert said that it has been worth it for several reasons, but a few are that he’s gotten to know his neighbors and they have become a community once again. People are starting to come outside more and talk to each other now. They are instituting a Neighborhood Watch, and all are looking forward to being able to spend time in their front yards again without the fear of being hit by speeding cars.
Each of these “Roberts” simply had an idea and decided to act on it. What are you thinking about?