I don’t have a background in transit or planning, and my guess is that you don’t either. You’re probably like me: You want to be in a community that values livability for all residents and you want to keep track of our region’s efforts to get there. But we non-experts play a crucial role, and we need to put our money where our hearts are and donate to Greater Greater Washington today.

I joined the Greater Greater Washington Board of Directors a couple of years back because I wanted to do my part to ensure that strong voices supporting a more livable Washington, DC are heard and supported.

Our community will be more sustainable and equitable with a transit system that opens opportunities for all citizens and increases mobility for work and play. Also, we all can agree that housing affordability is a major issue in our region, and it threatens to push longtime residents out of communities that have grown because of the their hard work.

I don’t have the personal expertise and ability to bring about change on these issues, but I know a collection of people who do: the GGWash contributors, commenters, and readers. I’m a fly on the wall for a number of internal GGWash conversations, and I’m so impressed at the knowledge and commitment of the people associated with the site.

How will you support this effort? Will you write a blog post? Will you attend committee hearings and testify? Will you run for office? I hope you will.

But if now isn’t the right time for you to do those things (and believe me, it’s not the right time for me!) I hope you will agree that our obligation to cause change isn’t lessened by the exhaustion of our personal lives. Do what you can: Make a monthly contribution today.

Many of you are able to cause lasting, positive change for livability in this region because of your job, your volunteering, or your expertise. I hope to have some impact personally through my work (education at the national level), but it’s a couple of steps removed. What I know I can do to ensure that the right voices are heard on important issues that impact my community is to support Greater Greater Washington.

I hope you’ll join me.

Continue the conversation about urbanism in the Washington region and support GGWash’s news and advocacy when you join the GGWash Neighborhood!

Tagged: about ggwash, reader drive

Aaron Lemon-Strauss is the father of two delightful children, husband of a civil rights lawyer, and employee of a non-profit education organization.  As all will eagerly tell you, his views are very much his own and not meant to represent anyone.