Letter: Feeling Victor’s Pride

Victor Herrera will be whatever he wants to be in life.

The reason why?

Because he takes the time and effort to pick up litter in his community.

And not just the five full garbage cans and three full garbage bags of litter he gathered, but also the three mattresses, a couch, a chair, and a partridge in a pear tree – had there been one.

And he also found a one-dollar bill.

So that’s cool.

For his two hours of hard work, that comes to 50 cents per.

But he also got paid in a way that wasn’t something he could take to the bank.

It’s called pride; it’s pride in one’s community; it’s tackling “the worst first.”

Speaking of which, one lady came out of her house and said “God bless you! What a mess that side of the street has been.”

Not any more, thanks to Victor.

Other than that pile of discards he’s standing beside in the accompanying photograph, there’s not a gum wrapper that was left behind.

He wants his volunteer community service hours to far exceed the twenty or so hours he’ll turn into Clover Park High School, where he is a freshman.

At some point in the near future, a prospective employer will look at the sheets of hours upon hours documenting Victor’s volunteer time in his Tillicum community.

Hard work and pride in community can lead to future employment.

If you are a youth who lives in Tillicum or Woodbrook and want to get your community service hours; or if you have a truck and live in this community and would be willing to pick up the garbage we’re stock piling in preparation for Lakewood’s Spring Clean Up on April 17-18, contact David Anderson, president of the Tillicum Woodbrook Neighborhood Association at (253) 988-2536; communitymattersweb@gmail.com.

Feel the pride.