Retirement? Not for Lou!
How one “retired” teacher turned his free time into full-time climate action
When most people retire, they might slow down. Not 350 CCA volunteer Lou Flores. When Lou first retired he had a lot of energy that needed direction. He didn’t just want to build models or watch sports. He had dedicated his life to supporting others, first in a variety of non-profits and then as a Special Education teacher. He wanted to help—to continue making a difference in the world.
Answering the Call to Action
An email, a meeting, and the spark that ignited his passion
“I must have gone to some event and put my name down,” he recalls. Whatever the reason, he got an email from 350CCCA inviting him to a meeting. It was the “Action” in the name that drew him in: “I wanted to do something,” he says, “not just talk about it.
And do something he did. He jumped in and started tabling with the Communication Team right away. But when he didn’t feel like he knew what he was talking about, he joined the Legislative Team, the Local Policy Team, and the Leadership Team to learn more.
“I just followed my nose,” he says, “getting involved in one thing and another.” He loves that he has been able to learn so much from so many different people. He marvels that “it’s amazing how everyone—heart and soul—is working to improve the situation, be it climate or environmental justice.”
Learning, Leading, and Leaping In
From tabling to team leadership—Lou’s unstoppable curiosity at work
In the two years he’s been volunteering with 350 CCA, Lou has become what another volunteer described as “a real mover and shaker.” In addition to his work on the teams, Lou has collaborated with other environmental organizations and programs, often serving as a liaison between us and them: 350 Bay Area’s End Fossil Fuels Action Team, CACTI (Communities Against Carbon Transfer and Injection), the Contra Costa HazMat Commission, mobile air monitoring in Pittsburg with the East Bay Air Coalition, Urban Habitat, the Sierra Club Delta Chapter, and others have been lucky enough to benefit from Lou’s boundless energy and enthusiasm for improving the climate and the lives of his neighbors.
Lou’s Advice: Just Show Up!
Real change can start with simple steps
“What’s really neat about this work,” he says, “is you connect with people and it leads to another and leads to another. I’ve learned quite a bit, I feel like I kind of know what I’m talking about now.”
“If you’re questioning,” Lou advises, “just volunteer. The climate needs you and future generations need you.” And for those concerned about not having the energy or the knowledge that Lou demonstrates, he says, “If you have a little time, give a little. If you have more, give more. If you feel inadequate about not having knowledge, you start out slow. You learn a little here. You learn a little there. It’s ok. Like I’ve heard about certain jobs: 98 percent of the job is just to be there.”
Inspired by Lou’s story?
Become part of 350 Contra Costa Climate Action (350 CCA) today—because every moment and effort contributes to our communities and to the sustainability of life on our planet.