Martin Luther King, Jr. said that “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” I couldn’t agree more; it is the reason I am so proud to be serving as president of the Citizens Association of Georgetown – an organization that is of our community and for our community.
We are living through a time when it is difficult to know how to help our neighbors and our neighborhood. Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve been told to do nothing, to simply stay home. Doing nothing is “helping.” But I know how much the people of Georgetown want to give back, and how frustrating it is to do nothing. I hope part of the way you will help your neighbors, and your neighborhood, going forward will be through getting involved with CAG.
The reopening and recovery of Georgetown will be a challenge. It will require teamwork. A strong citizens’ association that is fully engaged with all community members can serve as a powerful foundation for tackling the challenges we face.
Like many historic organizations (CAG was the District of Columbia’s first civic group!), CAG must work hard to connect with, and include, all residents and stakeholders. We must – and we do – welcome support and volunteerism both from Georgetowners who have lived here for decades and those who have only been here a few months. I have not called Georgetown “home” as long as many of you – but the people and work of CAG are why I felt at home here, right from the start. When Betsey Cooley recruited me to serve as a committee volunteer (in spite of the fact that I’d only lived here a short time), I knew I was becoming part of the Georgetown family.
As CAG president, I want to send a clear message: The doors of CAG are open to all those who want to be involved in making Georgetown the best it can be. Our volunteer committees will be a pipeline for leadership in the organization, full of opportunities to help our neighbors and to create a culture of collaboration.
For more than 250 years, Georgetown has been a vibrant residential and commercial community. There have been plenty of tough times along the way. History is full of pain, but it is also full of triumph and joy. I believe we have a chance, working together, to make Georgetown’s next historic chapter its best yet.
To get involved in CAG, send us a message through our website (and stay tuned for a website renovation in the coming months!): www.cagtown.org
I look forward to hearing from you!