On a Mission: Raul Macias, Raegan Payne And Volunteering in Los Angeles
I share President Obama’s call for community service. Government can’t by itself fix the many challenges we face, nor can the private sector. Rather, it requires contributions from all of us, working together through a variety of organizations and initiatives, to help this city and this country achieve its ideals and create, as someone once wrote, a more perfect union.
To that end, in coming weeks, we will unveil here an initiative encouraging and highlighting community service throughout Los Angeles. I’ll discuss more on that in subsequent posts. In the meantime, I plan to occasionally talk about people who already are working to make Los Angeles a better place.
One of those people is Raul Macias. Twelve years ago, the Guadalajara native founded Anahuak Youth Sports Association to give youths on the northeast side of Los Angeles access to soccer leagues.
Today, more than 2,000 boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 17 from the communities along the Los Angeles River are taking part in Anahuak’s programs, which also include education, health and environmental work. Together, they promote positive change in their own backyards.
Taking a different approach is Raegan Payne, a writer and actress in Los Angeles’ Westchester neighborhood whose website, TheGoodMuse.com, details her efforts to volunteer for 50 different non-profit projects by the end of this year.
Her Volunteer Journal details project by project her progress so far, working for groups such as the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Heal the Bay, Project Angel Food, Operation Shanti, The Miracle Project and Tree People.
“Anyone can find an activity that fits their talents and lifestyle, or they might even learn something new,” Raegan told the Culver City News recently. “I’ve learned how to correctly plant a tree, nurse a kitten back to health, teach a group of children to write, test water quality, use a power saw, and so much more. I’m pretty handy to have around now.”
You don’t have to be as ambitious as Raul or Raegan, nor do you have to write about it, to make a difference in Los Angeles. Any community service or volunteer work you can do will help the city and all who live here. And soon, we’ll make it even easier for you to pitch in, helping create a greater Los Angeles.
Note: To learn more about Raul Macias, go to a recent Los Angeles Times article at http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/17/local/me-soccerguy17 To learn more about Raegan Payne’s Mission 50 and read her Volunteer Journal postings, go to http://www.thegoodmuse.com.
