Storyteller : Taking Steps to Make Change

Anyone that has had the pleasure of experiencing DC in the past 5 years can tell that it's changing; some will argue that this change is a tragedy, while some will say it is all for the better. The reality is that change is inevitable and in order for any city to grow, it must learn from its history and its people must be willing to create change. Cue this past weekend's volunteer event held by the good people at Broccoli City Festival.

For the past 3 years, Broccoli City Festival has taken over the Congress Heights community and provided the city with a glimpse of change, both environmentally and in health awareness, and this year they are preparing to do the same. With arguably their biggest lineup to date (thanks to recent successes of Future, Anderson.Paak & The Internet), the impact on the community is destined to be tremendous. But with the anticipated fun on one side, comes the work on the other. On Saturday, they held an event where volunteers can come together to help in their mission to aid the community. The goal was to gather a group of people to plant some seeds to help spark flower growth, paint a mural to help open eyes to a different perspective and pick up trash in the neighborhoods to show initiative on making a difference with the people who've inhabited this community for so long.

Photos by Yogi at @iRespectheShooter on Instagram .

While our intentions were to help, we were still met with some resistance. Some residents were not as happy to see us as we were to be helping, but again, change isn't always accepted. When you look at the city over time, change hasn't always benefited the lifelong Washingtonians. More often than not, they are left to fend for themselves when DC attempts to turn a new leaf. Change has most noticeably shown it's face in the form of gentrification and this is where frustrations tend to stem from. But with what Broccoli City is doing and the way they are doing it, the change they are looking to make benefits rather than takes from the people of the community. If we can all come together to accomplish a common goal, then we can all live more peacefully. The reality is that change is inevitable and how change happens is up to you and your involvement.