Richard Shaw will go down in WCRF history as one of the pioneers that helped secure the completion of the community center in La Calle Real. Richard labored on many aspects in the construction of the community center. He was there working in the hot sun doing rough electrical work when the building had only walls with no roof cover. He was instrumental in starting the inside buildout of the Center in December 2015. On a later trip he worked on finish plumbing and electrical, along with other finishing touches to make the LCR Community Center what it is today. Richard not only provided building expertise, but also has aided our efforts with equipment and generous financial support. He was also Instrumental in connecting us with Folsom High School student support. Richard is truly a great humanitarian, and Worldwide Child Relief says thank you for his generous service.
From an Interview with Richard;
Richard was attracted to humanitarian service because really he has been doing it all his life and it relates to his career and education. He likes working with people and fixing situations to help others. He originally became involved with WCRF through his friendship with Hal Young. As he became familiar with the work of the foundation, he was asked to work in Nicaragua and build school desks. Completing 100 new desks was a satisfying accomplishment and truly made a positive difference to a poor school. Of his 5 trips to Nicaragua, 4 of them have been for building the LCR Community Center. Richard described this as a great personal challenge to achieve, especially considering the plans and materials lists that had to be drawn up ahead of time. He enjoyed going down and working, even though conditions could be miserable. He likes hard work and an opportunity to challenge himself. One of Richard’s favorite memories is when he went down to Nicaragua on his birthday, but kept things hushed. On that trip they finished the community center and held a festival in honor of its completion. He found it touching to watch the festival and the children celebrate. Richard came away from experiences like these viewing people much differently. He says that I don’t center on how we all differ, I center on how we are all the same. He sees similarities in many aspects of our lives although circumstances may be different. Although physical situations may differ, but the characters in society are common among us all.
