That’s me with Lisa Sarno (she’s in pink), executive director of Million Trees LA.  We’re pitching our tree planting event to the Neighborhood Council board members and the stakeholders.

Our goal was to get the board members to vote to approve the expenditure for the maintenance of the trees for two years.  Unfortunately, there was no quorum, so no vote could take place.  I’d spent two weeks leading up to this meeting calling and emailing board members asking them to be there for this vote.   So it was disappointing that it was not to be.  At least not yet.

But Lisa did a sparkling presentation that sold the people that were there, so if we ever do get a quorum, I believe they will vote in favor of it.

My lovely Cousin Elle was kind enough to make a donation toward the maintenance, so once the trees are in the ground, we can begin getting them cared for even if the Neighborhood Council doesn’t get it together to vote.  I really hope they do, though, not just for my project, but for them as well.

In light of the recent events with the former chair, he was arrested for embezzlement, they need a morale boost.  I think the tree planting event can be that!

Something happened the night of the meeting that boosted my own morale.  A woman I have admired immensely, Maria Rangel, who used to be on the board, but had stopped coming to meetings, came out to support this vote.  Maria is a beautiful, smart young woman who lives in the neighborhood  and was very active at one time.  She was a passionate advocate for our community.  I would hear her speak at Neighborhood Council meetings and at Community Coalition meetings.  She was eloquent and so engaged and committed.   She was a role model for me.

But in the past couple of years, I think she grew frustrated with the lack of action and follow through she was seeing.    It takes a lot of energy to work on behalf of the community and when you see very little pay-off to all the energy you spend, it can be disheartening.   I called her about 10 days before the meeting and got her voicemail.  Even though I hadn’t seen her in a couple of years, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask her if she would come.  And she did!

She told me she came to the meeting to support me, and that she was excited about the project.   The sincerity and hope I saw in her eyes as she said this moved me to tears.

I can’t even convey how difficult and frustrating what we do is.  If I were to articulate the list of obstacles one faces when trying to do good things for South Los Angeles, it would sound absurd and  I would seem like a fool to continue.   But when you inspire one another to keep going and when you can see the good you’re trying to do reflected back in another person’s face, those moments are so deeply felt that they jolt you awake to the fact that you really are alive and making a difference, however small.