I try to avoid divisive issues and discussions whenever possible – but being an election year, politics is one that is hard to miss.
I had heard news stories of vandalism occurring nationwide under the guise of a certain President-Elect, but never thought I’d see it so close to home.
Racist graffiti had been written on the back of a Spanish banner for Sunday service at the Church, just down my street:
In a community such as Silver Spring, this type of attack does not affect one group – it affects every person, regardless of creed.
In the 25+ years I’ve lived in this area, Hillandale and Silver Spring has remained steadfast against hate of any kind. In a few hours, my neighbors and I had covered up the vandalism with temporary sheets, but know we wanted to do more.
We wanted to show all those who come to this area a real message representative of Silver Spring. By letting the Church know of ARG and the RAK program, I was presented with an opportunity to donate $50 towards the creation of a new banner.
I was happy to see a new banner and message in a few short days. Every morning on the drive to work, I now see a constant reminder of where a small RAK delivers a priceless message of hope.
– Jason Ak
