By Lawrence Edmondson | Board Member - Duncan Tree Foundation
There’s a bible verse from Luke 12:48 that says “to whom much is given much is required”. At first glance, this may be interpreted as purely a financial statement. However, it goes much deeper and covers a greater surface area than one may think. Since becoming a board member of the Duncan Tree Foundation this year, the verse has taken on a whole new meaning for me; which I’d like to share. Besides my Dad, as a young Black man growing up I didn’t have many other male role models. As a teenager after my parents divorced, I became angry and set on a path where I was surrounded by crime and violence. The only role models I had in my life during these formidable years were drug dealers and hustlers. Were it not for my mother and her tough love, I would’ve been another casualty to the streets. In addition to my mother, I always felt that there was a guiding light in my life which aimed to course correct me when I was straying from my true destiny. A destiny that would take me out of the streets and into the boardroom and a destiny that would in turn make me a positive role model for other young black men.
During my career in advertising which spanned two decades, I was fortunate enough to meet our Founder and CEO, Ouida Duncan. Like so many others will tell you, Ouida and I immediately hit it off and I felt that inner guiding light once again telling me that Ouida was someone I should pay close attention to. Throughout the years, I’ve witnessed the amazing life-changing work performed by the Duncan Tree Foundation under Ouida’s guidance. Therefore, when the call came to request that I be a board member I was honored, to say the least. I was also a bit frightened that I may not be able to live up to the expectations of such a noble organization. Was I worthy? Did I deserve this?
One Sunday night while putting the final touches on our newly designed website (https://duncantreefoundation.org), and seeing all of the lives we’ve positively impacted, it all clicked for me and I realized the importance of the work we’re doing here. Lawrence, I said, none of this is about you! It’s about helping others and not expecting anything in return. That was my epiphany and the call to action within me became so much stronger. As a board member, working with the foundation has been fulfilling and uplifting.
During the past few months, we’ve been working on defining what our challenge will look like. While we don’t want to abandon the work we’ve done in the past, as an organization, a pivot to the future is needed. Among many things, this pivot comes in the form of a yet-to-be-released talk show. It’s an exciting time here at the Duncan Tree Foundation as we brainstorm, whiteboard, and hash out ideas. One thing I’ve realized during my time with the foundation is that we need help! We need more consistent and recurring funding, we need more partners and more opportunities to spread our message of healing and hope. However, most importantly we need others who are passionate about making a difference in the world. We need others who will rise to the occasion and realize that they have been given much and therefore much is required of them.
By Duncan Tree Board Member | DTF,Storyteller
By Roanfiel Andal | DTF Advocate - Philippines
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