Empowering Spirits Foundation Volunteers Plant 250 Trees in San Diego

[allanrbrts]

SDGLN:
There are 250 newly planted trees in San Diego’s Ruffin Canyon thanks to volunteers with the Empowering Spirit Foundation (ESF), a national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, who spent Saturday working alongside volunteers from the City of San Diego Park & Recreation Department.

The joint effort between ESF and the city’s Park & Recreation Department was designed to allow LGBT individuals to work side-by-side with non-LGBT members in an effort to open up communication between both sides. The event was also attended by members of Gethsemane Lutheran Church.

“It was a great day, many more volunteers showed up than we anticipated,” said A. Latham Staples, ESF President & C.E.O. “This was a great opportunity to restore the habitat with native materials, and in doing so we engaged in dialogue in a non-divisive manner, with our non-LGBT neighbors in an effort to promote understanding of the issues that affect the LGBT community.”

A total of 103 volunteers helped to plant the trees that were provided by the San Diego Park & Recreation Department.

http://www.sdgln.com/news/2009/12/07/esf-volunteers-plant-250-trees-san-diego-s-ruffin-canyon
http://www.empoweringspirits.org

[joeybee12]

1. That's a good idea...n/t