(dramatic instrumental music)
- I think it's so challenging to read the news
and just think about all of the injustices in the world.
- You hear some of the stories
and you really learn what people are up against.
It just gets to you and you say, I gotta do more.
You know, I got to do that 24/7
to try to help out as much as possible.
- We don't exist alone.
We're not on an island.
We're all in it together.
I think it's working together as a collective
that we're able to have the greatest impact.
- I'm chair of an organization
called the San Antonio Area African-American Community Fund.
And the purpose of it was really to help out
with the livelihood of African-Americans,
not only in San Antonio, but across the rest of the nation.
And other major initiative is our social justice fund.
We're focused on how to provide bail relief,
we're focusing on how to support voting rights type things,
as well as civil and criminal and housing discrimination
and and also excessive force type issues.
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- I've been volunteering with Engineers Without Borders USA
for over eight years now.
I'm currently working on a project in Panama
where we're trying to build a library and technology center
in this indigenous community.
A lot of folks, you know,
get so excited when they hear about it.
They've never heard of Engineers Without Borders before.
And a lot of times you see that translate directly
into MITRE folks getting involved.
- A team of MITRE staff and I volunteer
with the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation.
The foundation works to break down
the stigma around mental illness and emotional distress,
specifically within the African-American community,
but also in the general society.
This work is important to me
because I've have and had mental and emotional illness
within my own family.
I want to make sure that this stigma is erased
and that people get help.
- We live in a community where there was looting
following some protests against police brutality.
And our main street was destroyed.
We could actually see fires from our house.
We just felt, we got to go out there, broom in hand,
figure something out.
We got to help contribute.
I just feel fortunate that MITRE
kind of helps encourage that.
I can't think of an organization that cares more
about its people and giving back.
(hopeful music)
- My wife and I purchased 500 face shields
made by a young man in New Orleans
so that he in turn would donate 500 more face shields
to the New Orleans healthcare givers.
In our case, we gave them
to the Cobb Douglas Department of Health
here in Northwest Metro Atlanta,
who immediately put them to good use
at local hospitals and healthcare facilities.
I had viewed an article on the MII
about three individuals who had done special things
during the pandemic.
One was a fellow who had flown,
in his personal airplane, supplies across country.
Another contracted COVID, had beaten it,
and now was donating blood plasma.
And so I read that article
and that was part of what motivated me to do what I did.
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- MITRE's vision is pioneering for a better future.
And I think part of that is what we're doing
with STEM outreach, which is inspiring the next generation
of scientists and engineers.
I'm working with Bedford STEM Outreach.
We're partnering with Kids in Tech
to offer STEM workshops to underprivileged kids.
- There are definitely students
who've never really had access to a STEM education
or have been exposed to different topics in STEM.
And so, you know, that's really empowering
to see these kids connect with with those different topics.
Without Kids in Tech, I think a lot of these students
would not be able to find a passion like I did.
- The organization that I support is MITRE Feeds.
They provide food to food-insecure children.
This food drive I think is successful
because MITRE people are MITRE people.
We don't just look at problems and say,
Okay, we can solve it by doing X.
We want to understand why it is.
How do we solve food insecurity?
I don't know how to answer that one,
but what I do know how to do
is put some food on some people's tables.
When I finally met two or three students from the school
that were getting the meals...
Yeah, that was rough.
- If I had to provide a word for my support, my effort,
I think it's very easy to say
that I am grateful to have this opportunity.
- Gratifying would be the word.
It was just extremely gratifying.
Hopeful.
I am hopeful.
- [Male Speaker] There's something bigger than you
out there.
And there's always somebody you could help.
And if you can help, help them.
Just help them.
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