Dawn Tongish: Can you tell us about The Joseph Groh Foundation?

Joe Groh: The Joseph Groh foundation was started for the primary reason of providing financial assistance to individuals who had some kind of connection to the construction trades (HVAC, roofing, electrical, plumbing etc.) and who are living with a life altering disability.  When you have a life altering disability, you discover two things very quickly.  The first is that your disability typically triggers other medical conditions that you might never have envisioned, some of which can be life-threatening.  The second is that these issues require a variety of medical, rehabilitative and assistive technology items which are not covered by insurance.  Additionally, if you are a major income producer for yourself or your family, you can suddenly face a major financial crisis that does not allow you the luxury of being able to purchase needed technology items.  That is where our foundation seeks to be of assistance, to date we have supplied individuals with everything from wheelchair vans and home and bath remodels to shower chairs, special mattresses, standing frames (exercise equipment for paraplegics) elevator lifts and more.  Prior to my accident I worked in the HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) industry for 35 years as did my grandfather, uncle, dad and as do my brother, sister and both of my sons.  The construction trades have provided opportunities and careers to many in our family and I started the foundation as a means to give back. 

The secondary reason for starting the foundation was to provide information, particularly to those who have incurred a spinal cord injury.  Following such an injury you have many questions and answers are hard to come by.  You are also faced with a variety of decisions that often have to be made with little time and insufficient knowledge.  That is why we made the links section on our website so robust, at present it contains about 130 links to a wide variety of websites in 11 different categories.  We continue to search for additional relevant links, and we're now finding users of our site recommending links as well.

DT: What do you remember about the accident?

JG: A number of different things stand out in my mind about the accident itself.  First, as I felt the front tire of my mountain bike sliding off the edge of the trail and knowing I was going to crash, I remember wondering how much it was going to hurt.  I was unconscious for a short period of time, but when I came to I remember how strange my arms and legs felt.  It felt like they were both lifted off the ground, similar to that of an animal on its back with their paws in the air.  I was later told this was my brain, remembering the last position of my body on the bicycle.  It was when I looked at my left arm and saw it laying on the ground that I gained my first clue as to the severity of the accident.  I lay on the ground for about 45 min. in 100° heat before I was discovered by a jogger and his eight-year-old daughter.  I was getting extremely thirsty at that point and the jogger offered me a drink of his daughter’s grape Gatorade.  It remains in my mind as one of the all-time best drinks I have ever had.  The jogger called 911 for me and I knew the nearest firehouse was only about a mile away.  Shortly after his call I heard the approaching sirens, and it felt disconcerting, knowing they were coming for you.  After the ambulance arrived the EMTs had a brief discussion with me and then retreated a short distance away to talk, but they were still within range of my hearing.  I heard them debating the merits of calling care flight, and that provided the second clue of the severity of my accident.  The thought of dying never entered my mind, but I did not know how critically I was injured.  That was a good thing, because it did not cause me to think about how this would affect my wife and children.

DT: After your accident, you showed tremendous strength and faith to overcome. To what do you attribute your ability to overcome your tragedy and carve out a new life?

JG: Alas, this is the subject of my recently published book, From Two Wheels to Four.  In short, I believe overcoming major adversity is a function of your upbringing, your support network and your faith.  It requires a shift in focus from yourself, looking outward toward others, remembering that there is always someone worse off than you.  I invite you to check out my book for more on this subject. 

DT: You continue to be a role model and mentor to others.  How important is it that others have this kind of positive example?

JG: First of all, I don't consider myself to be a role model, but if someone can benefit from anything I do then that is a good thing.  Positive examples and perhaps more importantly, positive attitudes are critical for anyone trying to overcome a major adversity in their life.  Attitude is something you have a choice over, and a positive attitude can make the difference between driving friends and family away or bonding more closely with them.  It can make the difference between personal misery and happiness, it can even make the difference as to whether you live or die.  When I lay on the trail waiting for someone to find me and knowing that life had unalterably changed, I told myself that no matter what happened, I would never look back, never give up and remain positive.  While difficult to do 100% of the time, that pledge has sustained me through some of the worst trials of my experience.  Not just words, I challenge myself to live up to that pledge, every day, one day at a time. 

DT: It can be difficult for any nonprofit to pay the bills.  How do you stay afloat?

JG: Our foundation has no paid members and no fixed overhead.  Beyond that, we simply do what everyone must, we live within our means.  We don't incur any expense that is not directly tied to raising funds.  For example, when we host a golf tournament fundraiser we incur expenses, but we keep those costs as reasonable as we can in order to maximize the amount of money we can spend on our grant recipients.  We typically have more requests for grants than we are able to fulfill, but we are continuing to expand our fundraising efforts throughout the industry to meet these demands.  We are extremely fortunate to have a loyal group of supporters who believe in what we are doing and show that through their continued funding.  A nonprofit organization is all about two things, the people and companies who make the funding possible and the people who benefit from their generosity.  Without the former there would be no latter and we are simply the conduit putting the two together. 

DT: How can the people of North Texas and beyond meet your needs for 2014?  What are your biggest needs?

JG: The obvious need is for money, because without it we cannot extend grants.  Beyond that however, we need to continue to expand awareness of our foundation and what we are doing, in order to attract new sponsors and new potential grant recipients.  After our first golf tournament fundraiser in 2010, it took us seven months to create enough awareness of who we were before the first request for a grant came in.  We want to continue to spread the word of who we are and what we are trying to do so that those in need will contact us, and those who identify with our work will fund us.  On the "How Can I Help" tab of the foundation website,(http://www.josephgrohfoundation.org/) there is a prewritten letter entitled Spreading the Word.  Interested individuals can download this document and e-mail it to potentially interested parties, be they sponsors or grant recipients.  Awareness of the fact that we exist is a critical first step in everything that happens.

DT: What is the most memorable moment in your experience at the Joe Groh foundation?

JG: Without question it involves a request we received from the Chicago area in 2011.  We were contacted about a home and bath remodel by Denise, the sister of Deb Clapperton.  In 2000 Deb had a brain aneurysm, leaving her physically and mentally disabled.  Her husband, an HVAC service technician cared for her and their two daughters.  Her husband, Jim, was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 but found to be in remission in 2003.  Then, the unthinkable happened.  Just before Christmas of 2005, he had a fatal heart attack.  Deborah's sister Denise, also runs an HVAC contracting business.  She took over Deb's care with funding provided by Jim's life insurance.  The money ran out however in 2011 and Jim and Deborah's house was foreclosed on.  At that point, Denise moved Deb into her mother's house, which was ill equipped for Deb's needs.  At that point Denise discovered the foundation online and requested assistance with the home.  Her request came at a time when the foundation was extremely low on money, so we turned to our other resources.  One of the foundation board members is part of a national organization of contractors, and he helped the foundation find a Chicago area plumbing contractor willing to act as the general contractor on the project.  The plumbing contractor also recruited 100% volunteer labor for everything required in the project, which ranged from building an outdoor ramp to widening doorways to completely renovating a bathroom for handicapped access.  The foundation paid for the materials involved, some of which the plumbing contractor managed to be supplied at cost.  The retail value of this effort was about $35,000 and the final outcome completely transformed Deb's life. 

One of the volunteers in that project was a tile contractor who had a seven-year-old daughter who is living with the effects of multicystic hydrocephalus, which is a condition resulting from malformation in the brain during fetal development.  That resulted in her having cerebral palsy and cortical blindness.  The contractor lives in a typical bungalow style house which features a number of stairs to both the front and back doors.  For years this contractor had been carrying his daughter in her wheelchair up and down the stairs every time she went out, but it was getting to the point where this was more and more difficult, particularly in the harsh northern winters.  He requested from the foundation a wheelchair lift to remedy this situation, and by that point the foundation had sufficient funds to meet his needs.  I believe this story is a classic example of people coming together in time of need, and of the silent generosity exhibited by so many in this industry and in this country.

DT: What part does a good mental attitude play in overcoming any setback in life?

JG: I believe it is everything, and I can't even imagine overcoming a major adversity without it.  There aren't many people paralyzed to the extent that I am, technically I was paralyzed at the C3/4 vertebrae so the only thing I can move is my head.  I am fortunate not to be on a ventilator.  About one year after my accident, Baylor Rehabilitation (where I had done my rehab) called me and asked if I could visit another individual who had been injured in a motorcycle accident and was paralyzed like me.  He had asked to talk to someone who was in his condition because he felt that no one understood his situation.  He was very depressed and his goal in life was to convince the Texas Legislature to legalize euthanasia for people such as himself.  I went down to visit him and his wife with my wife and sister, and we had a long visit, lasting all afternoon.  I fully understood where he was coming from but my goal was to try and have them understand that there is life and hope beyond this injury.  We stayed in touch by e-mail over the next six months, and I remember one Friday when he e-mailed me to tell me he had recently been approved for a fentanyl type patch.  These are typically prescribed for cancer patients experiencing moderate to severe pain.  His spinal cord injury was classified as incomplete, meaning he could feel sensation below the point of injury, while mine is complete and I can't.  He felt that would improve his quality of life.  Sadly, I was contacted by his wife three days later that he had passed away in his sleep over the weekend.  Perhaps he had received his wish, but it reaffirmed in me the need to be positive, because your attitude affects everything and everyone around you..0

DT: Why did you decide to write a book detailing your ordeal?

JG: I have always loved writing, and in the business world I wrote many position papers, strategic planning documents and even speeches, either for myself or for superiors.  In February of 2013 I was asked by an industry group to be a keynote speaker at their international convention in Fort Worth, where the theme was overcoming adversity.  As I prepared my speech, the thought occurred to me that I had the elements for a book.  At about the same time, the pastor of our local church conducted a sermon series on overcoming adversity, and he attributed those to your background, your support network and your faith.  That strongly resonated with me, and those two incidents were the inspiration for writing my book.  In my book I credited our pastor for the elements of his sermon series, but I added a fourth factor – a sense of humor!  Humor can be a HUGE factor in helping to overcome obstacles and bring people together in a way that nothing else can.  Hopefully, you see some of that in my book.

If you'd like to nominate a local resident for a BubbleLife community profile, contact Dawn Tongish at dtongish@yahoo.com or find her on Twitter at @DawnTongish.

If you'd like to nominate a local resident for a BubbleLife community profile, contact Dawn Tongish at dtongish@yahoo.com or find her on Twitter at @DawnTongish.

Meet Charlie Welch, executive director of Texas-based Melody of Hope, which partners with other groups to inspire people through the power of music. Welch founded the organization three years ago as a grad student while on a mission trip overseas to Africa. She says it was then when she realized that music truly is the universal language that speaks to all cultures. Welch hopes to create a non-profit organization using music that will address other societal problems.

Welch overseas the daily duties of Melody of Hope while working in the music industry. We wanted to know more about Welch and Melody of Hope and she was kind enough to answer a few questions: 

Dawn Tongish: Please begin by telling us about Melody of Hope.

Charlie Welch: Melody of Hope is a non-profit located in the DFW area.  We exist simply because we believe that music can bring hope to the world. Melody of Hope seeks to partner with various non-profit organizations located throughout our community. The goal of these partnerships is to raise funds while also becoming a voice and advocate for each charities cause.  Our priorities and project funding is based on the needs of the community that provide; support to low income families, educational opportunities, spiritual and mental counseling, economic development, health care, job training, support for wounded warriors, and resources to help end sex trafficking. We accomplish this through the power of music.  The primary ways we will raise awareness is by putting on benefit concerts, music showcases, producing compilation CD’s, and in the future hosting a yearly music festival that will benefit dozens of non-profits in our community that are making a difference. We want to give our community the opportunity to support multiple causes.  In my research, I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people say, “we already give to this charity, and we can't do another.” Of course we would never want them to stop donating to that charity, but we want to create a place where people can donate to multiple causes at one time.  So each event you attend helps multiple non-profits. Melody of Hope aspires to bring people together through the power of music.  We want to help provide the funding and support that is not so easily accessible to non-profits.  Together we realize that we can target multiple issues that plague our local communities, contribute to the sustainable growth of our country, and further serve tomorrow’s generation.

DT: How have you seen music make a difference in lives?

CW: Oh goodness music can enrich the lives of others in so many ways.  Music stimulates the mind, nurtures the soul, brings people together, and fuels creativity.  Creative minds change the world. My favorite thing about music though is that it really is the universal language.  It transcends all boundaries of communication to every race and every culture. Helping people should do the same, help should have no boundaries and that is what Melody of Hope is all about.

DT: How did you become involved with Melody of Hope, and why are you so passionate about the work being done with the organization?

CW: It’s a long story so I will try and sum up the last 5 years in a paragraph haha. Well I have always been passionate about three things throughout my life; Jesus, people, and music. So while I was in graduate school I decided to work on a project that allowed me to incorporate all three of those passions. At the time I was also simultaneously working for a record label; G4 Muzik.  While I loved my job, I just felt like somehow all the money, fame, and resources could be utilized to help make a difference in the community.  I began working on a business plan that centered on a music festival that traveled all across the world.  Well life literally took me across the world to Ethiopia.  Before Melody of Hope could come to life, I had already made a commitment to move to Africa for 10 months to do mission work.  It turned out to be a blessing because I got to see upfront what it was like to live in immense poverty and what it looked like to be without hope.  When I returned to the states I relentlessly started to take steps to bring Melody of Hope to life. I am so passionate about my work because I truly believe that change starts with a single melody of hope.

DT: Why do you work in the non-profit sector?   

CW: I work in the non-profit sector because I want to use my skillset to really make a difference.  The joy that comes from giving rather than receiving is indescribable and I know that I have been blessed in life to allow me to bless others. Being in the field and seeing how your efforts positively affect people in need is good for your heart!

DT: It can be difficult for any non-profit to pay the bills. How do you stay afloat?

CW: We have just been extremely blessed with financial contributions from numerous people in the community.  Skills based volunteers have helped tremendously as well.  For instance our lawyer, CPA, website designer, band liaison, event coordinator, etc. have all graciously volunteered their time and skillset to help melody of hope get up and running.  It also helps that everyone has full time and part time jobs!

DT: How can the people of North Texas and beyond help meet your needs for 2014? What are your biggest needs? 

CW: I think the best way that the people of North Texas can help meet our needs is by helping us spread awareness and supporting our upcoming music shows. We will be posting our event schedule on our website www.melodyofhope.org and our Facebook page www.facebook/melodyofhope very soon! I would love for our local community to start helping “our local community”.  Sometimes people don’t realize that help starts where you are.  You don’t need to travel halfway across the world to help somebody, its as easy as purchasing a concert ticket. We would hope that on a larger scale, bands all across the country would get on board with what we are doing.  We want Melody of Hope to become a household name. We want to create this attractive platform for artists and fans to know that if they perform or attend a Melody of Hope show, they are using music to help make a difference.

DT: What is the most memorable moment in your experiences at Melody of Hope?   

CW: Honestly I would have to say the most memorable moment so far has just been launching Melody of Hope.  When I approached my family and friends with this crazy idea of wanting to start a music non-profit because I wanted to help people, I had no idea the amount of support I would have gotten.  This endeavor has truly allowed me to see the pure goodness in people.  Every time I turn around I am being blessed with another person who is willing to selflessly donate their time and resources to a greater cause.  It blows my mind. I love the fact that the people and the community actually “own” a non-profit. Together we can do so much more to change our world.

DT: What is the first thing you do when you walk into work each day? 

CW: Oh my goodness well aside from thanking the good Lord for another day, it seriously changes every day.  As director, I wear a variety of different hats.  My day could look like anything from meeting with bands to discuss upcoming shows, collaborating with local non profits to discuss how we can help them raise funds and awareness, working on the financials for the government paperwork, coordinating a volunteer meeting for people interested in getting involved, networking and meeting with potential donors in the area, addressing envelopes for newsletters, the list goes on.  I never really leave work haha but I absolutely wouldn’t trade my job for anything! “Let the Music Bring Hope”

If you'd like to nominate a local resident for a BubbleLife community profile, contact Dawn Tongish at dtongish@yahoo.com or find her on Twitter at @DawnTongish.

Meet Colleen Townsley Brinkmann, philanthropy officer at the North Texas Food Bank where she is responsible for a wide range of projects to build good will, public image and donor services for the non profit with a need that is skyrocketing. The NTFB operates through a network of more than 1,000 feeding programs in 13 counties, working to make sure children, the elderly and families don't go hungry. Brinkmann serves on numerous community boards, including Feeding America's Hunger Action Month Committee.

Non profit work is second nature to Brinkmann. Prior to assuming her role at the NTFB more than a decade ago, she was Director of Communications for Leadership Network and also served with the Greater Dallas Community of Churches in a communications role. While at GDCC, she helped produce the award-winning PBS series "America: The Second Century", that aired nationally for over a decade and won the Bronze award at the 1980 International Film Festival. 

Brinkmann lives in Dallas with her husband, Barney and is the mother of their three grown children. Her personal philosophy about life is "live life in neon" and spills over into her creative passion for writing. We wanted to know more about Brinkmann and the NTFB and she was kind enough to answer a few questions: 

Dawn Tongish: Please begin by telling us about the North Texas Food Bank. 

Colleen Townsley Brinkmann: The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a nonprofit organization that distributes donated, purchased, and prepared foods through a network of more than 1,000 feeding programs and 260 Partner Agencies in 13 counties.  Everyday NTFB provides access to 175,000 meals destined for the people who need them most including hungry children, seniors and families in our community.  Our mission is to passionately pursue hunger in North Texas. NTFB is also a member of Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in the nation.

DT: Do you think most people understand the scope of the hunger crisis in urban and even suburban areas?

CTB: It seems the issue of hunger has become more visible over the past few years in North Texas but we're continuing to work to educate people that this is in fact a problem that exists in our community. NTFB and our partners see the face of hunger day in and day out. It is the child who saves part of their school lunch to hold them over until tomorrow's breakfast, the senior who must choose between paying for medications or purchasing food,  and it's  the single mother who recently lost her job- she  skips meals to ensure her kids have a little more food in their bellies. These people live near you, they are your neighbor and they are a part of your faith community. We have a variety of programs available to help bridge this hunger gap. One of these programs is Food 4 Kids which provides backpacks to chronically hungry elementary aged children. The kids receive backpacks filled with food every Friday and these non-perishable items help fulfill 60% of the kids nutritional needs for the weekend. NTFB actually just partnered with the Mayor of Plano to expand this program in his city.  The city of Plano doesn’t usually come to mind when you think about poverty or hunger, but there are citizens who are struggling with hunger right now. In fact about 1 out of every 3 elementary school kids in Plano ISD is food insecure.   

DT: How did you become involved with North Texas Food Bank, and why are you so passionate about the work being done at the NTFB? 

CTB: By the time I turned 33, I had lost both of my parents to cancer. I relocated to the United States from my native India and I had graduated from college and started working in the advertising field.  I felt that I was called to do something more meaningful with my life. This set me on a journey to find really impactful not for profit, altruistic work.  I have held three positions in the non-profit sector and have worked in this field for 25 years, serving 13 of those years at the North Texas Food Bank. I never looked at any of these opportunities as a job. This is what I need to do with my life. I firmly believe that you don’t have to go to another country to find a mission field. It's right here. I am very passionate about the food bank because we operate an efficient and innovative business that has an altruistic skin. This 'skin' is opaque, you can look through it to see the passion from the employees and see the effectiveness and efficiency from the business model and you see that the entire organization, from top to bottom, is committed to the mission.

DT: Why do you work in the nonprofit sector?  

CTB: Working in the non-profit sector is incredibly rewarding- our goal here is to feed the hungry and there is always more work to be done. When I came to the food bank 13 years ago, I worked in the organization's communications group which expanded into NTFB's marketing efforts. These days I oversee our philanthropy department. When I stop to think about the food bank then and now, I am astonished by the growth of our efforts and the immense need in our community. This growth wouldn’t be possible without our impactful and effective leadership team and our hard working board of directors. Innovation is encouraged here and we certainly need out of the box thinking as we combat hunger in our community. 

DT: It can be difficult for any nonprofit to pay the bills. How do you stay afloat?

CTB: The NTFB is fortunate to be located in a dense urban area that has a strong economy. The community in North Texas has been very responsive of our efforts. We are thankful for the support of the individuals, corporations, foundations and organizations that have worked alongside us over the years. We strive to be transparent, clear and compelling in our communication to our supporters and we work daily to engage the community. NTFB and our board work hard to achieve these goals and the community responds with their support, they are the reason that we can convert $1 into 3 meals.  In fact, in just 10 years our database of supporters has grown from 6000 supporters to over 265,000 supporters.

DT: How can the people of North Texas and beyond help meet your needs for 2014? What are your biggest needs?  

CTB: I believe that we do the most good with $1 and we are grateful to the donors and volunteers that help us further our mission. As we embark on a new fiscal year, we have four requests for our supporters:

• Donate Food: We always need the support of corporate donors who can provide large donations of healthy foods. These include items like fruits and vegetables, whole wheat pasta and shelf stable milk. We also welcome the support of individuals who want to host a canned food drive to benefit NTFB. We love receiving low sodium items that we can share with our neighbors in need. 
• Donate Funds: We are thankful to have donor support and want donors to know that every dollar counts!  Donors can visit ntfb.org to donate- and now through August 31st donations have twice the impact thanks to the Crowley-Perot Challenge Match. The David M. Crowley Foundation has donated $150,000 for this challenge match and each of the five Perot siblings has donated $200,000 for a cumulative $1.15 million challenge match- these funds will do so much for hungry North Texans. 
• Volunteer: We need your time!  Come to volunteer at NTFB- it really is the best volunteer experience in town!  We especially need your assistance on weekdays.
• Advocate:  We are asking for advocates to be our voice. Tell people that hunger is unacceptable and join us in our mission to end hunger in North Texas. Share NTFB information via social media and amplify our reach.  We appreciate your help in spreading the word about hunger in our community!

DT: What is the most memorable moment in your experiences at the NTFB?   

CTB: I participated in a food distribution program called Food For Families. This program gathers clients and volunteers in a parking lot and the volunteers place boxes of food in the trunk of the client's car.  These clients were so thankful, seeing their gratitude was incredibly moving. The experience made me realize that hunger can really happen to anyone.

DT: What is the first thing you do when you walk into work each day?

I think the first thing I do is exhale because the day is so jam packed! After that I grab my water and get my computer going. After I check my schedule I make a list of the things I absolutely have to accomplish and then take a moment to say good morning to the incredibly talented people that I work with.

If you'd like to nominate a local resident for a BubbleLife community profile, contact Dawn Tongish at dtongish@yahoo.com or find her on Twitter at @DawnTongish.

Meet Lissa Smith, Mayor Pro Tem of Plano, who has been elected twice to the city council. As a longtime civic leader, Smith has served on more than 30 boards and organizations and is deeply involved in efforts to improve economic development, regional transportation, and public safety. 

Smith has lived in Plano since 1990 and is passionate about helping the city reach it's full potential. She is also dedicated to serving the most vulnerable in the community as CEO of Collin County Meals on Wheels and Senior Services. To recognize her ongoing commitment to the community, Smith was recently named one of the "21 Leaders of the 21st Centrury" by Inside Collin County Business. Smith is married with two children.

We wanted to know more about Smith and she was kind enough to answer a few questions:

Dawn Tongish: Plano is a growing city. What projects are on the horizon that will improve the quality of life for citizens living in the city?

Lissa Smith: There are projects being built across Plano that will be improve our already vibrant quality of life.  We are always looking for ways to enhance Plano as a great place to live, work and play.  One excellent example is Downtown Plano.  Construction is underway on a $36 million mixed-use project near the DART rail stop and we are currently in negotiations with the project’s developer, Southern Land, on another exciting Downtown project.  Great projects that will enhance our fabulous downtown area. West Plano Village construction is in full swing. Eatzi’s opened several months ago and Princi Italia, Pakpao, Mia Dia from Scratch and Kona Grill are also slated to open.  The Village will soon include an apartment complex, these great new restaurants and new retailers.  We are also experiencing an office boom in West Plano.  Several new high rise office buildings are going up and of course, we are very excited about having Toyota in Plano.  Big things are happening in Plano!

DT: In your view, what sets this community apart from the surrounding cities?

LS: It’s great to be in Texas and we live in a region that continues to grow in leaps and bounds.  Great cities are comprised of great people.  I am proud of our diversity in Plano.  Through the years, we have transformed into a true melting pot.  I’m always amazed at the large number of people who give so much of their time & talents to volunteer in our City departments and to the many outstanding non-profits in our community.  We pride ourselves on being the “City of Excellence”.  Our goal is to provide quality services to our citizens and to work with them to make Plano a place we are all proud to live in.  I chose Plano as my home because I loved the can-do spirit of the people in Plano and the willingness to give back to their community.  They love where they live so they do what they can to enhance our community.   

DT: Being an elected official is a stressful job, what do you do to reset?

LS: Actually, I don’t see it that way, being a councilmember in Plano is incredibly rewarding.  It is an honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Plano and we have so many great things happening in Plano – I look forward to every day!

DT: What can the people of Plano do to pitch in and improve their community?  

LS: Volunteer!  I view Plano as a community with a heart.  Our citizens embrace volunteerism in a big way.  We have an amazing program called Volunteers in Plano or VIP.  The number of participants is truly impressive.  Last year, 6300 volunteers served 95,000 hours.  The value to Plano of those hours: almost two million dollars.  Those who chose to volunteer are passionate about it.  By pitiching in, they help improve our community and create a true sense of pride and ownership. 

DT: You have taken over the leadership role at Meals on Wheels. What are your duties?

LS: As CEO, I am responsible for the strategic planning and operation of the Collin County Meals on Wheels and Senior Services. Meals On Wheels and Senior Services of Collin County a non-profit 501(c)(3) was founded in 1976 to serve the rapidly increasing needs of the area’s seniors, providing nutrition to improve their health by preparing and supplying meals to more than 800 homebound and isolated seniors daily.  The seniors receiving meals through the Meals on Wheels program are unable to shop and/or prepare a balanced meal for themselves.  Our staff and volunteers are often the only daily contact our seniors have. The Mission is to combat isolation and promote the heath, dignity and independence of those 60 years or older. 

DT: How did you become involved with Meals on Wheels, and why are you so passionate about the work being done there?

LS: My father-in-law has been a Meals on Wheels driver in Grayson County every day for the past 18 years.  Whenever we visited my in-laws in Sherman, my kids always looked forward to delivering meals. The Meals on Wheels program has been a part of our family for a long time.  I delivered meals in Plano last year during the March for Meals program that included elected officials and it reminded me how rewarding delivering meals and visiting with our seniors can be.

DT: What are your biggest needs at Meals at Wheels and how can the people of Colin County and beyond help to meet those needs?

LS: Volunteers. We have a variety of opportunities for volunteers but our most critical needs are volunteers that can deliver meals ( we especially need bi-lingual volunteers), volunteers to provide transportation to medical appointments and to help with repairs and maintenance of the homes of seniors. Delivery volunteers can deliver one time per month or every day, depending on their availability.  It takes about 2-3 hours to complete a route.  We also need volunteers in our office to follow up with our clients and to provide general administrative support, those hours are flexible.

DT: What is the best book you have read lately?

LS: The Noticer by Andy Andrews.

DT: What is the one thing citizens and employees would never guess about you?

LS: I love playing the piano! I took lessons when I was in grade school but didn’t keep it up.  I found an outstanding teacher in Plano and recently started playing again.

DT: If you had to describe your "bubble" Plano is three words, what would those words be?

LS: Community, pride & excellence.

If you'd like to nominate a local resident for a BubbleLife community profile, contact Dawn Tongish at dtongish@yahoo.com or find her on Twitter at @DawnTongish.