People with Purpose: Richard Lawrence

Keeping his involvement on a more behind-the-scenes level (though you may see him on stage dancing along with the rest of the sole men at Forty Carrots’ annual Wine Women and Shoes event …), local attorney and Forty Carrots’ Board President Richard Lawrence is actively involved in working to better the resources for local parents and families.
 

My first understanding about the importance of getting involved in the community was when I played professional baseball with the Cincinnati Reds as I was finishing up college. We would have to go into the community to generate support for the team and participate in different things around town. Our objective was to get people to come out and support the team. I learned a lot about the importance of involvement and the importance of a connected community from that. That was my first experience of realizing ‘I’m a part of a community’ and that is a really important part in knowing your place and what you need to do.

After that I worked in Orlando, and my mentor was involved in an inner city organization for at-risk kids that needed help and guidance, so I became involved. That was where my affinity for helping children and families in the community began. When I moved to Sarasota and got affiliated with the community, Forty Carrots came to the forefront. That’s where I saw the best opportunity to help.

My wife, Bianca, and I attended one of the library classes, a free parenting class offered through Forty Carrots, and that was my first contact with the organization and realization of the efforts that it extends into the community. Once I got involved and started to learn more about the agency and sat in on a few parenting classes, it brought me to tears to hear the stories of the parents, particularly those about parents trying to get their children back. There are a lot of people out there who want to be good parents, but they don’t have the resources and aren’t sure where to start.

We have to realize that not everyone has families and parents that they can turn to for guidance when they have children. They have no one to learn from. Family is the foundation — that is why children’s and family organizations are what I am primarily involved in. When you get back to your roots, it’s always about the family. This organization provides a resource to them. This is a way to break the cycle. For me it has everything to do with helping people at the most basic level, giving them a strong foundation. Hopefully as their kids get older, the cycle will have been broken and they will be there in the right way for their children.  

Time is one of the most valuable resources we have — the one thing I can give the most of. It does take a lot of time, but for me, if you’re going to be committed to something, you should be involved as much as you can. You just have to make it happen. Although my life is already busy with a growing and demanding career, a family and three kids, it’s important for me to be involved and to show my kids that not only is there is a commitment in volunteering and being involved, but finding time for that is imperative.