Community involvement

Some of you may know that I've been involved with several community initiatives within my hometown of Saint John and also a few initiatives that have a wider provincial focus. My motivation is simple - I've lived here my whole life and I want to do my part to help the place I call home to thrive and grow into the future.

I spent this past Friday evening and all day Saturday at a special planning session called "Imagine the Possibilities" which was organized by Enterprise Saint John. You may have seen some coverage of this event in the Telegraph Journal.

There were about 140 of us who gave up part of our weekend to participate in this event, but it was well worth it. As I've been involved with initiatives like this, I've found its really helped me to understand that there are a lot of people within our community that are working hard to make our communities better. (This has been a real fringe benefit of my community involvement - I've met some wonderful people, many who have become good friends, who I may not have met otherwise.) I've also gained an understanding of the part I can play to help my community become a better place.

There are initiatives like this going on throughout New Brunswick, and I encourage you to get involved, to see what you can do. I know there are groups and projects that could use your help within your community, and they will appreciate it.

I guarantee that if you take part, you will find many opportunities, much satisfaction and a real sense of accomplishment. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!