Leave it better than you found it.
We’ve all been there. You see that piece of trash on the trail or street. It’s staring you straight in the face, but as you approach, what do you do? Pick it up or walk right past?
When I was growing up, my grandma would go on walks around her neighborhood and bring a bag in case she encountered stray pieces trash that needed to be picked up. She always did and she always picked them up. Her philosophy was that you should "leave things better than you found them." Do the right thing and pick it up so the street, trail, etc. look nicer than before you were there. It’s a simple mind shift that can have a dramatic effect once multiplied by tens, hundreds or even thousands of us.
Throughout my own life, “leaving things better” has taken various forms. It could be holding the door for someone, volunteering at a food bank, fundraising for nonprofits or simply smiling back to a stranger. They don’t all have to be grand gestures, but over a lifetime the little things add up and hopefully once I’m gone, I’ve left this world better than I found it.
Protecting what I love
As a person who feels passionately about California’s wild spaces and our National Parks, it just feels right to donate a portion of all Open Road Candy Co.’s profits to the National Park Foundation and the Santa Monica Mountains Fund. Why these two nonprofits?
When I was going up, my family vacations consisted of road trips to National Parks and long drives up and down the California coastline. Between slug bug fights with my siblings, I spent hours staring out the window and frankly, taking for granted the incredible beauty that California offers. It wasn’t until I got older and traveled abroad that I understood how rare this place I call home truly is. It’s desperately important to me that future generations get to experience our National Parks as I did and learn to love being outside too. The benefits of being out in nature have been documented by the National Heart Association so it’s not just my own anecdotal experience that informs this decision. We need our wild spaces now more than ever.
Going back to my grandma’s philosophy of making your own neighborhood look nice first, I wanted to support a local organization that is working tirelessly to preserve natural resources near Los Angeles. The Santa Monica Mountains Fund fit the bill. This organization works closely with the National and State Park agencies that operate within the Santa Monica Mountains and provides funding to get local students out into the park, educates the public about protecting wildlife such as the mountain lions and sponsors research projects. They use nearly every dollar raised to make life better and brighter for those in Los Angeles.
If you are as impressed as I am by these organizations, you can make a donation directly on their websites (link above). Each purchase of Open Road Candy will help them too.
When I was growing up, my grandma would go on walks around her neighborhood and bring a bag in case she encountered stray pieces trash that needed to be picked up. She always did and she always picked them up. Her philosophy was that you should "leave things better than you found them." Do the right thing and pick it up so the street, trail, etc. look nicer than before you were there. It’s a simple mind shift that can have a dramatic effect once multiplied by tens, hundreds or even thousands of us.
Throughout my own life, “leaving things better” has taken various forms. It could be holding the door for someone, volunteering at a food bank, fundraising for nonprofits or simply smiling back to a stranger. They don’t all have to be grand gestures, but over a lifetime the little things add up and hopefully once I’m gone, I’ve left this world better than I found it.
Protecting what I love
As a person who feels passionately about California’s wild spaces and our National Parks, it just feels right to donate a portion of all Open Road Candy Co.’s profits to the National Park Foundation and the Santa Monica Mountains Fund. Why these two nonprofits?
When I was going up, my family vacations consisted of road trips to National Parks and long drives up and down the California coastline. Between slug bug fights with my siblings, I spent hours staring out the window and frankly, taking for granted the incredible beauty that California offers. It wasn’t until I got older and traveled abroad that I understood how rare this place I call home truly is. It’s desperately important to me that future generations get to experience our National Parks as I did and learn to love being outside too. The benefits of being out in nature have been documented by the National Heart Association so it’s not just my own anecdotal experience that informs this decision. We need our wild spaces now more than ever.
Going back to my grandma’s philosophy of making your own neighborhood look nice first, I wanted to support a local organization that is working tirelessly to preserve natural resources near Los Angeles. The Santa Monica Mountains Fund fit the bill. This organization works closely with the National and State Park agencies that operate within the Santa Monica Mountains and provides funding to get local students out into the park, educates the public about protecting wildlife such as the mountain lions and sponsors research projects. They use nearly every dollar raised to make life better and brighter for those in Los Angeles.
If you are as impressed as I am by these organizations, you can make a donation directly on their websites (link above). Each purchase of Open Road Candy will help them too.