The world is a screwy place in the best of times, and even more so in the era of COVID. If we’re not careful, many kids are going to be left behind, but there are superheroes among us. They’re not the ones who make a donation, or speak a few encouraging words, or show up for a single day of service. They’re the ones who are in the trenches.
One such person is Carmen Garner, a public school teacher whose own life has been a series of struggles. He lost his mother to AIDS, lost his father to drug addiction, and lost a brother to prison. But despite all of that hardship, he’s learned firsthand the value of both mentoring and education, so when his stimulus check came, he knew what to do: He created a non-profit to take kids who otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to go fishing.
He’s not wealthy by any means, but he literally chose to put his money where his mouth is.
“I said, ‘Why not spend the stimulus money on something that’s going to benefit kids, and benefit our community?’ ” he told the Washington Post. “I was that kid on the step waiting for someone to come pick me up. Now, that’s what I’m going to be doing. I’m going to be picking these kids up.”
Someone alerted me to that Post article, and I subsequently saw stories about him on both local and national news. I was inspired, so I put together a box of gear and a small donation for his Inner City Anglers program and drove about 45 minutes to Mr. Garner’s house. In person, he’s even more impressive than he is in print. He is brutally honest and passionate about his cause. If you’re reading this blog, then it’s likely a cause you too can get behind. If you know the power of fishing in life, then I encourage you to make a contribution, however big or small, to keep the operation going. Your help will literally save lives. If for some reason ICA is not your bag, there is likely a similar organization closer to your home.
I know that my contribution wasn’t huge, but I look forward to taking him – and some of his mentees – fishing in the next few months. I have met so many people through this sport, and so many different people, that it’s time to pass along my happy place to people who can benefit from all that fishing has to give.
