Conversations, education can empower citizens
Last December, I took a mission trip to Guatemala and earlier this year I visited Cuba. In both cases, I witnessed extreme poverty. The trips were life changing. Not just because of what I saw — homelessness, hunger, abuse and abandonment — but because of how it left me feeling. I have this overwhelming desire to inspire change in my own community.
It is hard to believe that right here in Brevard County we have hungry children, homeless teens, veterans and seniors. We have children aging out of foster care with no place to go, we have domestic violence shelters and families living in cars and tents so that they don’t get split up. How is that even possible?
We must start the conversation, ask the right questions and educate ourselves.
When citizens are fully educated on the issues facing their local communities, those citizens show up to support and make a difference. It takes donating your time, your talents or your treasures — or any combination thereof — to make a collective impact for the betterment of everyone.
In this magazine, former Judge Larry Johnston shares insights from his experience behind the bench as a juvenile justice judge. Once retired, Larry went “back to school,” attending each grade level, one per day. He started with the first grade and finished with senior high, sitting among the students, to learn and understand what children go through as they age. His goal was to be able to provide parents with tips and awareness to hopefully keep kids out of the juvenile justice system.
Other topics of discussion include the cycle of poverty, food sustainability, the pace of change and harnessing the power of solar.
Fall is my favorite time of year. I can already taste pumpkin!
Our fall events calendar is filling up. Here are just a few that I am looking forward to: Civility Leadership Training, Bras for a Cause, Zonta’s Stop the Violence Sock Hop, the Taste of the Coast, Space Coast Symposium, Boo at the Zoo, Women on the Rise, the Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce Advertising and Media Auction and the 5th Annual Lip Sync Battle to benefit Brevard Family Partnership.
When looking for EverythingBrevard magazine, be sure to visit our Community Partners:
- Palm Shores Bistro, 5060 N. Highway US1, Palm Shores 32940
- Global Tours and Travel, 4100 N. Wickham Road, #138, Melbourne 32935
- Sue Ann’s Bakery, 817 E New Haven Ave., Melbourne 32901
- ClayZArts, 634 Barnes Blvd., Rockledge, FL 32955
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