Saying no is often hard, especially when I care so much about the work I do and the community I live in. But I have learned that if I don’t set an intention for my resources in advance, it’s easy to overcommit. And, when I overcommit, then I deplete my resources. It’s the law of diminishing returns.

I remember one lady specifically who lived down street. After the third or fourth weekend in a row we went around collecting cans, she started preparing for us. Each Saturday she saw us walking down the street with our wagon, she would run inside and come out with a tons and tons of cans - almost a whole wagon full!

Through the process of meeting so many of my neighbors, I honed my skills on how to approach criticism. I developed a process to listen to and respond to complaints in a positive way.

I didn’t know if my personal experience and perspective was something that anyone wanted or cared to hear. But I knew in my heart, I wanted – maybe even needed – to share my story with you.