August 11, 2025
“Businesses are the only ones that have the choice to help because they are the ones with money.” - Ivy said to the Mayor.
Tonight I’m grateful the Mayor stepped out the “business meeting“ to talk to me after I showed him my public comment below. I was about to explode in anger and I’m grateful there was a power chair sized path to the Mayor so I could show him my comment on my cellphone.
Public comment:
I never had control of the state/the fed services that once covered my daily care. People in a higher caste than mine controls and profits from these services no matter what. Starting in 2017, the people I were interviewing to be my CD Attendant were focused on the pay rate and not at concerned about the value of serving a person with a disability. Make the choice to volunteer to serve people with disabilities. Serving one another will return mental health to our community. I’m asking you to foster volunteering to serve all people including people with disabilities. Volunteering to help/serve me is a choice made by the caste above mine, I'm talking about you. Because the caste above mine have been constantly greedy with money to pay for my daily care, I'm here to see if you have any goals to volunteer to help people with disabilities. I have many years working for a business and have been a volunteer myself for many years, so I know you have to schedule time to be a volunteer. What does it mean to our community and your business to serve people in a caste lower than yours? Volunteering bolsterers worth and value for all people involved. Taking action in real-time when volunteering improves mental health. This is matter of empathy, kindness, humanity, worth and value. It’s healthy to help others and I don’t mean co-dependency. It cost no money to help/serve people with disabilities. You don’t need any training to help/serve people with disabilities. You just ask the person with a disability themselves, "Hi. What's the simplest thing that I can do to help you in this moment?" We are supposed to help one another. The acronym for this initiative is hope. First you have hope, then you take action. There is healing to humanity in serving people with disabilities. I’m happy to talk with you about this. You can text me at **********.
About a week later I spoke to the Assistant to the City Manager, Sheila on the phone for about 10 minutes.
My email to Sheila:
Tue, Aug 19 at 2:28 PM
Hello Sheila,
Thank you for speaking with me today. I understand you took notes. Thank you for confirming your notes with me.
Key take aways from our conversation:
- ***** has no volunteer opportunities listed at (city website link removed) for people who want to serve people with disabilities
- Documentation and or training is not required to help/serve people with disabilities. You simply ask that person "What is the easiest thing I can do right now to help you?"
Thank you for your time.
.
