Pleasure: Also
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Why I Give
Rita Howard has been reading YES! since its inception. “We inhabit the same corner of the universe,” she says, “so our meeting was inevitable!”
What kind of work or volunteering do you do?
I’m retired from paid work but I contribute to community in many ways: volunteering at a food bank, serving on the Board of Commissioners for the Seattle Housing Authority, leading grief support groups, and more.
What are your passions?
Art and nature! I garden, hike, bike, and snowshoe in the arms of our Mother, the Earth. I also create art that expresses personal and collective experiences, aspirations, and beauty.
That marriage of your art and politics led to your Earth stewardship poster.
Yes. I was inspired by a comic strip in YES! The poster is a call to live more lightly on the planet by not buying things new.
As a Black person, I’m deeply concerned about environmental justice. Landfills are often located in Black and Brown communities. I want people to see alternatives to generating more stuff that ultimately gets tossed away.
The poster is for sale at artpal.com/howardrita. I’m hoping folks will display it in their homes and support getting it into schools, community centers, and other public spaces where it can help educate young people about caring for our planet. Part of the proceeds from the sales will go to an environmental justice organization.
Why do you support YES! as a monthly donor?
YES! nourishes me. It helps me maintain a sense of optimism and provides me with an array of ideas on the way forward. I especially like that YES!’s nourishing good news is not just White, but also Black, Brown, Indigenous, and from other parts of the world.
I believe organizations like YES! have to be supported with routine and automatic commitments. If I’m living, YES! should as well!
Please join me as a monthly donor to help ensure that YES! solutions keep coming.