"Trickle UP, not trickle down...."

As I look around my community, there are many who may have voted differently in national elections but I fully support their local efforts. They are working on serious issues that trickle up - that lift our community UP. I see people who see a need and jump in to solve that problem. I see PEOPLE who want to build a better community for themselves and those around them.
There are the PEOPLE who cannot fathom a four pawed creature lost and who will dedicate countless hours searching for them. There are PEOPLE who stop in the middle of the street to rescue an injured or lost pet and spend countless hours finding the right home.
There are PEOPLE who spend endless time and money in our local Mustard seed program to help homeless people or to rehab homes for those in need. They are not liberal or conservative - they are PEOPLE - who care and serve without expectation except to make the world a better place.
They are preserving local legacy and local spaces. They are restoring local iconic structures. This is huge in terms that cannot be quickly summarized but can be seen long term as significant value added to our community.
Often we are caught up in the HUGE stuff - the global and national dramas. Our work, our promise, our impact, lies right here and right now. We can trickle up. We can set examples. We can show how things get done and how problems are solved. It's right here. It's right now. Just do it.
Many of us feel that what is happening in the big house is not consistent with our values and beliefs. Ok. Express those views. But if you really want to drive change - Trickle up. It doesn't trickle down. WE need to set the standards. WE need to set the example. Let's get something done.
TRICKLE UP!