Doing Good Deeds

Teachers from Good Shepherd Episcopal School in Dallas help disaster victims

Photo courtesy of Robyn Hobbs Photography

Hurricane Sandy tore through the East Coast on October 29, 2012 and was responsible for at least 125 deaths. Tad Long, Director of Outdoor Education at Good Shepherd Episcopal School, felt passionate about helping the victims of this terrible storm and organized a group to aid with relief efforts.

With the full support of the Good Shepherd community, Long and the other volunteers assembled a trailer of supplies, $7,000 in donations and a kitchen on wheels. Within a week, Long set out to Staten Island with fellow Good Shepherd community members Andy Blount, Jeff Girard, Nancy Williams and Lysa Farah.

The group set up on the main strip in Staten Island, and provided meals for victims and volunteers.

“Lending people an ear was the most rewarding part of the experience,” Blount recalls.

After hearing the stories of countless victims and volunteers, lasting connections were made with people they encountered in Staten Island.

Fast forward to May 15, 2013 in Cleburne, Texas, where a tornado ripped through the city, causing widespread destruction. The group from Good Shepherd immediately packed up and headed out to provide disaster relief, this time with several recently graduated 8th graders.

“Our main goal is to get the students involved so they can really feel what it is like to give back to the community,” Blount says.

Contacts the group made in Staten Island heard about the destruction in Cleburne and sent donations, wanting to give back for the help they had received.

Plans to expand this program are already underway.

“We are just getting our feet wet,” Blount says. “We are not sure where this will take us, but we have big hopes and plans for the future.”

Good Shepherd has supported the efforts since day one.

“Without a doubt there is no way our efforts would be possible without the Good Shepherd administration’s support and the Good Shepherd community as a whole,” Blount says.

Community can be a wonderful support during a time of need, and Good Shepherd is setting the example for helping communities across America.

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Weed News

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas files bill to legalize marijuana

Redheaded Blackbelt

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Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana