I Wanna Be A Firefighter!
Letter to the Company before our Day of Service
Watching the LA fires and hearing from friends who have lost their homes or evacuated from their neighborhoods, one feels compelled to help. Like a little boy, I’d love to be in a big red fire engine filled with water trying to save some property or even a life if I could. But that is not in the cards for me, but what else can we do to help? This is the same feeling I had after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico or the floods in the Carolinas or the Tsunamis in Japan. Climate change is accelerating our problems, but it is not all weather disasters that tug at our heart strings.
When Russia invaded the Ukraine, when Hamas killed hundreds at a music festival, or simply homelessness in our cities, people need help all the time and around the globe. As a company, City Winery can leverage what we have and it certainly is not all about check writing! We can host and create fundraisers for organizations using our space, spread the word online as a company influencer to our million plus email subscribers or via social, making a special bottle of wine with proceeds supporting an important cause. We want to do whatever we can to help with the limited means and capital we have.
One of the things I am most proud as a company has been our “Day of Service” which like other companies, is a chance to take some time out our lives and give back in simple ways to our community. It started in earnest in 2017 when one-hundred and twenty City Winery managers and I went down to Puerto Rico to help farms after the devastation from Hurricane Maria. Here is a video from that trip.
But the year later, we did the same thing in the 9th ward in New Orleans and our teams have helped with brown bag donations, partnering with Habitat for Humanity building homes in the Hudson Valley, creating prepared meals for food kitchens in Atlanta, and even assisting at the Nashville Diaper connection in Nashville. All of these simply require a little time on one day to donate to these organizations.
I’m very proud that this giving back to the world is a big part of our company DNA. The Hebrew word, Tikkum Olam--repair the world, is a strong part of our company’s core values. Being a conscious business to support the short- and long-term needs of our fellow citizens utilizing the tools we have to make the world a better place. This is a great chance for all our leaders to participate, to lead by example, and team build. I strongly encourage everyone to participate. And look out for some announcements in the next few days on our LA Fire benefits. We can fight the fires by putting on a concert, selling tickets, and getting extra funds to those in need. Thanks team.
Hi.. I just want to let people know that it is never too late to become a firefighter, depending on where you live. I went from being a weekender and COVID refugee in our town of Copake in the Hudson Valley to becoming a full time resident during the pandemic. Three and a half years ago I joined our local fire department at age 59 and we fight fires, do trail rescues, respond to car crashes and other types of emergencies. After a year of training, I was no longer probationary.
Last yearI passed the state Basic Exterior FF course and I was not the oldest in my class. Firefighters also clean their stations, spend long nights in the rain and other non-glamorous activities. But it is rewarding and you learn a lot.