By Laurel McKay
What’s been happening here? Growth, Change, and Community Rebuilding
I certainly didn’t expect to end up back at the NEC, but when I realized that the need was there, I felt a sense of concern for the long-term wellbeing of the NEC, as well as an obligation to help stabilize an organization that was deeply intertwined with my childhood memories and is part of my father’s legacy. I started by volunteering to help Chris Beresford, NEC Treasurer, get the NEC basic administrative functions up and running again last fall. Now, I am basically doing as much as I can to help the NEC with all its organizational and operational tasks.
Being back has brought so much opportunity for me to reconnect with people in the community who have been involved with the NEC, and so many other historic non-profits, for years. It has amazed me to see everyone rally together almost twenty years after my father’s death. Many members of the community have offered to volunteer in the office, help with editing and proofreading the EcoNews and asked what else they can do for the NEC. It has been so wonderful to hear that people are glad to have a McKay working for the NEC again. Even now the name can inspire hope in the community. We still see donations come in in my father’s name as well as in Sid’s, honoring both of their legacies and an organization which has been in Arcata for 55 years.
Thinking about their legacies helps me to live intentionally while connecting present actions to the future. It focuses on the values instilled by my father to build sustainable communities, promote ecological stewardship, and fight for the things that matter to us all including clean air, water and unpolluted food sources. Perseverance and endless pressure endlessly applied, reminds me to continue to fight for future generations so that they can experience first hand the beauty and wonder of the planet we call home.
As the NEC restructures itself and moves forward, we are excited to get our first issue of EcoNews out since last September. We are thrilled to announce that we have hired, in addition to myself, Aerin Monroe as our new EcoNews journalist and Will Suiter as our new digital media and design person. Aerin will be writing about environmental issues which affect those of us who live here on the North Coast, while Will’s emphasis will be putting the EcoNews out in a digital format on our website as well as doing other social media needs, including email blasts. You will be hearing more about both in future issues of the EcoNews. Also, we are planning an Earth Day open house on April 25th, so keep your eyes peeled for more to come about that.
I am excited for the future and the numerous possibilities I see here to help sustain the NEC and its community involvement for years to come. If you have any suggestions, email me at LaurelMcKay@yournec.org or nec@yournec.org, or come by the office to chat. I’d love to hear what you think.