Getting Involved - Making Your State Better

**Fe 26** · 30 Jun 2011, 02:28 AM

Do any of you get involved in your community or state? Do you do charity work? Do you ever help with the homeless or with sick animals? Maybe help clean up a highway or park?

Do any of you volunteer politically? Maybe work with a lobbyist group or local elected official? How did you get started in that line of work? Have you seen any progress?

Personally, MS isn't very organized in this regard. Most charity efforts are funneled through churches. Education/information on getting involved politically is almost nonexistent. This is one of the reasons MS stays the way it is and is behind the rest of the country imo. Political power in MS is protected by an invisible layer of ignorance in how the state and federal government works.

As for my own experience, recently I helped create material for setting up a CVC for my state. I made a video, logo, presentation, brochure and some other stuff to help the economics council for the state to encourage businesses to give aid in times of charity.

So, what do you guys do? Razor I'd even love to hear about what you know in regards to being a lobbyist (so long as you have more to say than you want to do it for the prestige and to "get paid").

**Fe 26** · 30 Jun 2011, 02:31 AM

If anyone gives a crap, this is the first draft of the video I submitted. I don't currently have the final version up. It isn't perfect. I don't like the wording of the text. I was asked to give factual information without making it locked to a date, resulting in some very weird phrasing.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4135937/forstattempt.mp4

**Gohron** · 30 Jun 2011, 02:39 AM

I got arrested once and did community service...does that count?

Honestly, I've done humanitarian work before, both in the United States and out of the country. Most of this was done in my good Christian days though. I don't have tons of time like I used to (actually hardly any time) but I'd like to do things like this again. I'm not so into charity unless it is countering personal tragedy (sickness, natural disasters, etc.) because I don't believe many able-bodied people in the US deserve outside support but I wouldn't mind getting involved in other things. Neighborhood restoration is something I've had interest in participating in.

**icarusfall** · 30 Jun 2011, 03:00 AM

While I go about my daily business, if I see someone that needs a hand, I give it to them.

And if you're a friend in a bad spot at 4am, I'm the guy you call.

Charity doesn't have to be something you set out on like a mission.

**kedawa** · 30 Jun 2011, 04:06 AM

I feed and foster feral cats with a cat rescue agency.

**Opaque** · 30 Jun 2011, 04:38 AM

Originally Posted by icarusfall

While I go about my daily business, if I see someone that needs a hand, I give it to them.

And if you're a friend in a bad spot at 4am, I'm the guy you call.

Charity doesn't have to be something you set out on like a mission.

This. All of it.

I'll help a random person load something onto their cart at the store for no reason. I'll also wake up at any hour of the morning to save someone from something, luckily that rarely happens around these parts.