By Speaker Toni G. Atkins
One of my first experiences in local politics was volunteering for graffiti paint-outs. Our district had a graffiti problem, so we partnered with volunteers and recruited community members to clean up the neighborhood. The taggers tried to reclaim their territory, but we painted over it as soon as they did. Our hard work paid off and they soon left the neighborhood.
This year, with Team Toni, I’m renewing our volunteer effort to improve neighborhoods throughout the 78th Assembly District, and I invite you to join me.
We started Jan. 23 working with the Regional Task Force on the Homeless and with WeAllCount, documenting homeless individuals.
This project can lead to millions in federal and state grants for local agencies to provide targeted services. Knowing the scope of the problem in San Diego will help us work toward the goal of ending homelessness.
In February, we’ll join Wildcoast for a cleanup project in Imperial Beach. In March we’ll focus on River Kids Discovery Day by the San Diego River Park Foundation.
Why volunteer? If you want to help others, contribute to your community, challenge yourself, support a cause, gain new skills, find new friends or get extra credit for a course or program, then Team Toni is a great match for you.
Elsewhere around the Capitol and the District: The Human Rights Campaign partnered with San Diego Youth Services for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Services to get donations for our homeless LGBT youth. I was happy to see that the donations filled the room! … I checked out the wonderful local art at the San Diego History Center’s Master Works of the Exposition Era … in Sacramento, I met with three great chefs — Jamie Oliver, Alice Waters and Ann Cooper — to talk about safe, clean drinking water and healthy and delicious food … and, I almost couldn’t resist bringing a puppy back home to San Diego from the Legislative Pet Wellness Fair. But my Haley and Joey are still first in my heart!
If you’d like to join me on volunteer projects around the district, let me know at [email protected]. Upcoming events for 2015 will be posted on my website: asmdc.org/speaker.
—Speaker Atkins proudly represents the people of coastal San Diego, from Imperial Beach, along the Mexican border, north to Solana Beach, and most of central San Diego. She previously served eight years on the San Diego City Council, and stepped in as acting mayor in 2005 after the resignation of the mayor. Atkins lives in the South Park/Golden Hill community of San Diego with her spouse Jennifer LeSar and their dogs, Haley and Joey.
