As we head into this election year, we should listen to political views and engage in
disagreements, but we should also demand that anyone wishing to serve our community do so
with respect and empathy for all who are a part of it. There is plenty for us to disagree about, but
there is more that is not up for debate.
Caring for our neighbors, educating our kids, and protecting our communities are among those
things that should not and cannot be dependent upon one’s political party.
For 4 1/2 years, I ran an increasingly progressive bookstore in Westminster. Being outspoken
became as much a part of our business as shelving books.
Then the federal government shut down and SNAP benefits were in jeopardy. People in our
community didn't need to hear my views, they needed help.
I turned a large area of the bookstore into a free pantry. I asked for donations in our newsletter
and on social media, and the shelves quickly filled. Soon after that people started coming in to
shop in the pantry. We received an overwhelming number of donations every single day.
At the same time, I asked for folks to let us know if they needed help with gifts for the holidays.
Over 30 families replied. We set up an anonymous way for the community to buy gifts for those
families, and again, the response with donations was overwhelming. Businesses around the
county asked to be a part.
Whether you were asking for help or providing donations, not a single person asked about
political views. People bringing in donations engaged in conversations about the needs of our
community and the resources available and what more they could do to help. No one wanted to
know about the political views of those on the receiving end of their help. Not a single person
receiving help complained about being in a decidedly liberal space. Everyone loved that we had
a bookstore dog.
We should be outspoken about things that matter, and there are values on which we cannot and
should not compromise. But there is a reason so many of us love living in Carroll County that
has nothing to do with politics: We love this community, and what we are willing to do for one
another. That willingness does not come with a D or an R. It comes with having a heart to serve
everyone in our community.
With your support, I want to serve everyone in our community by representing us in Annapolis.
This is why I am running for State Delegate in District 5, and this is why I’m asking for your help
to make sure all of our voices are heard and all of our neighbors are served.

As we head into this election year, we should listen to political views and engage in disagreements, but we should also demand that anyone wishing to serve our community do so with respect and empathy for all who are a part of it. There is plenty for us to disagree about, but there is more that is not up for debate. 

​

Caring for our neighbors, educating our kids, and protecting our communities are among those things that should not and cannot be dependent upon one’s political party. 

​

For 4 1/2 years, I ran an increasingly progressive bookstore in Westminster. Being outspoken became as much a part of our business as shelving books. 

​

Then the federal government shut down and SNAP benefits were in jeopardy. People in our community didn't need to hear my views, they needed help. 

​

I turned a large area of the bookstore into a free pantry. I asked for donations in our newsletter and on social media, and the shelves quickly filled. Soon after that people started coming in to shop in the pantry. We received an overwhelming number of donations every single day. 

​

At the same time, I asked for folks to let us know if they needed help with gifts for the holidays. Over 30 families replied. We set up an anonymous way for the community to buy gifts for those families, and again, the response with donations was overwhelming. Businesses around the county asked to be a part. 

​

Whether you were asking for help or providing donations, not a single person asked about political views. People bringing in donations engaged in conversations about the needs of our community and the resources available and what more they could do to help. No one wanted to know about the political views of those on the receiving end of their help. Not a single person receiving help complained about being in a decidedly liberal space. Everyone loved that we had a bookstore dog. 

​

We should be outspoken about things that matter, and there are values on which we cannot and should not compromise. But there is a reason so many of us love living in Carroll County that has nothing to do with politics: We love this community, and what we are willing to do for one another. That willingness does not come with a D or an R. It comes with having a heart to serve everyone in our community. 

​

With your support, I want to serve everyone in our community by representing us in Annapolis. This is why I am running for State Delegate in District 5, and this is why I’m asking for your help to make sure all of our voices are heard and all of our neighbors are served.