Season 2 EP13 - "Good Guys, Doing Good" Special Edition courtesy of EPS

Welcome to Season 2 - Episode 13 of The Bridge to Kindness Project Podcast.

On this Episode you will hear from the following organization:

Mr. Joe Carter - Science Teacher - Bloom Carroll High School              00:00 - 22:30

Each episode features interviews on how you can be involved, volunteer, donate and make a difference being a part of these non-profits in our region.  To learn how your organization can become a part of The Bridge to Kindness project send an email to theBridgetoKindness@gmail.com.  Thanks for listening!  New episodes air each week at 1pm on Saturdays.

You can also find out about The Bridge to Kindness Project by visiting our website at www.TheBridgetoKindness.com.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:35

And onesie honour on our website, BritishEconomists.com. You'll find out more about our mission and have access to links to the organization's website that we've got online, as well as an archive of the interviews we have here on the podcast. We would love to hear from you. Whether you're a volunteer or you lead a nonprofit organization, you can reach us through the website or email us at the bridge to kindness at gmail.com. Today we welcome Joe Carter, science teacher at Bloom Carroll High School. Mr. Carter has successfully introduced, with help of his students, a recycling program at the high school. We'll get to speak with him in just a moment. But the reason why today's program is so important, and we're glad you're with us, is that it addresses how a company can have a core principle or how they want to be a difference maker in their community and put it into action. Joining us on today's episode are Rocky Rodriguez, president of EPS, and Caitlin Wilde, marketing coordinator of EPS. Rocky, can you share with us how empowering your staff to come forward to be involved in this mission really has created the results you've seen through this powerful relationship?

SPEAKER_00 1:48

We believe in good guys doing good that you know our goal is to impact our community in a positive way. And if we want to do that, we got to make our help make our staff buy in. And for our staff to buy in, they need to be passionate about it. So we've really tasked our marketing coordinator, Caitlin, and our our company, our our staff to find us things that they're passionate about. Um Caitlin is a local, a local uh lady who grew up here in uh Canal Winchester and and area, and you know, she went to Gloom Carroll High School and she found us something that she was passionate about, and we're really appreciative of that. And I think that um it's something that really motivates us as business owners, Mike and I, and just to kind of see how we can increase awareness of opportunities to help and give back to your community. Um, and that and that's what we're trying to do with the good guys doing good.

SPEAKER_03 2:36

With that, Caitlin, would you please introduce our guests that's with us today?

SPEAKER_02 2:41

Absolutely. Um, I went to Bloom Carroll High School. I am a 2012 graduate, and Mr. Carter was uh a science teacher, and he still is a phenomenal teacher, really involved with the students, and he runs the Bloom Carroll High School Science Club. Back in the fall, I reached out to see if there might be any opportunities for us to collaborate, whether through sponsoring projects, helping with resources, or supporting any green tech initiatives that the club is working on. And although Bloom Carroll is not a nonprofit, you know, getting involved with sometimes organizations or businesses outside the box is just as impactful as your local nonprofit. So Mr. Carter and I reconnected and um we have worked together a little bit, and I'm just trying to help with the efforts that he has put forth um within his community of the students and um honestly for Carol itself.

SPEAKER_03 3:43

Mr. Carter, welcome. Tell us about your mission and initiative.

SPEAKER_04 3:47

Well, thank you. Thank you, Caitlin, and everyone. Um, yeah, my name is Mr. Carter. I have Joe Carter. I have worked here for 24 years now and at Bloom Carroll. Um I started the science club uh doing the the um recycling about oh about 2007. Science club's been going on here forever, uh, so I can't take credit for that. But uh we started recycling here at uh school about 2007 through my ecology class, and um it has become a culture that what we do. Uh I tell the kids it's not it's not the uh the answer or the uh the what's gonna fix everything, but it's it's a band-aid, but it's something. And um so yeah, we go around and we collect pretty much everything. I've got boxes in my room everywhere of like whether it's cardboard, paper, aluminum, plastic, metal, glass, electronics, batteries, whatever. Uh and every room in the school has stuff for um certain ones. And I have students who come around Wednesdays after school, we get together and we uh collect the recycling, we take it back and put it in some bins, and Lancashire Community Action picks it up for us, and then we um we have stuff at the middle school and we have stuff at the elementary that we work with. Uh so quite a bit of uh recycling that we do, and it's it's a fun time.

SPEAKER_03 5:10

What occurred to lead you to start this project?

SPEAKER_04 5:12

Actually, it was my science and society class I had. I was teaching for a while, and I gave them a project of we need to do something that is gonna affect the society that uh we can deal with. And we were talking about the environment at the time. And so um that class, we started going out during that class every Wednesday. We put little bins uh in each room and we just collected paper. And that's what we started with. And um that grew really quick, and so I had to uh get help. So I made my science club do it, uh, where we went around and we found uh Lancaster Community Action, some other places, uh local waste, um, asked for free um bins and things like that, and they've been very gracious to uh provide us with what we need to collect it. And uh so then Science Club took over and we've done um yeah, we've just blown up from there.

SPEAKER_03 6:06

How important is recycling today?

SPEAKER_04 6:09

To me, we've been called to be good stewards of what we've been given. And when we take advantage of something that is a throwaway society like what we live in now, uh we are not being good stewards. Um I don't want my great-grandchildren to dig up my waste. Because at some point we're gonna have to actually mine our landfills. When you know, if we're I'm not trying to be an alarmist, I'm not saying we're gonna run out of oil quickly or gas and stuff, but we are using up our resources pretty quick and we're just tossing it. And it's all going in the landfill. It's not gonna like regenerate into something new. Um, we're gonna have to find a way. And I think that being someone who is more um loves nature, loves being outdoor, loves my environment, um, I also like to drink clean water, breathe clean air, and see a hillside that is free of trash. And if I can do my job of just putting trash where it's supposed to be, that helps everybody.

SPEAKER_03 7:16

What has been the reaction of the students taking part and being involved?

SPEAKER_04 7:20

I always tell them that they don't need to be the dumpster diver that I am, but if I can get one of them or a few of them to just every time they go by a trash can, look in and go, oh, that shouldn't be there, um, then I feel like I've done my job well. Um lot of them are very the ones in the science club are very receptive. We have a great group of students that uh come in every Wednesday. There's days where I've got 20 to 40 kids stay after to help with it. And uh we'll meet on Saturdays after a football game and clean up the uh field and do recycling then. And um obviously I'm not getting everybody in the school because not everybody understands recycling really well or even you know does it at home or it's just different. But um the kids the kids that buy in love it. Um it what I think is one of the benefits uh to it is I'm bringing together some kids who may not get together in other situations and they have a common interest, and I see friendships form uh to the point that when we talk about it afterwards, they're like the funnest time I had was Wednesdays after school, us crashing, uh crushing cans or you know, going through the the uh bins, and I'm I'm laughing, going, that was so stinky and sticky, but they do, they love it, and it's just giving them an opportunity to serve. Uh to they they say that they they feel like they have there's a purpose and they're doing something good, and that I could provide that for them is humbling.

SPEAKER_03 8:48

When we come back, we'll talk with Mr. Carter about the life lessons that have come out of this project. That comes your way next. As the Bridge to Kindness podcast continues, I'm running to this will be right back.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

If you're listening to the Bridge to Kindness Podcast, the purpose of this podcast is to encourage you to identify your gifts and talents and to help you identify ways that you can use those to bless others and serve your community. For additional information about the Bridge to Kindness Project, or any of the guests appearing on today's podcast, visit www.thebridge tokindness.com or email us at the bridge tokindness at the female.com. This podcast is made possible through the kindness of APS signature kind of expressionist floral design and the highest.

SPEAKER_03 10:05

I'm Ron Smith. With us is Mr. Joe Carter, science teacher of Blue Carroll High School, that has not only had impact on the students at a school, but has also had an impact in the community. Mr. Carter, what do you find are some of the life lessons being learned beyond the recycling?

SPEAKER_04 10:23

I I hope so. You know, we talk about how um you mentioned uh uh Rocky, you mentioned the video, and the one thing I said in the the video that uh they did was that you know just need that one person to um be a champion. And I think they sometimes have learned, some of my students have learned that they can do it too. That they've learned that if they become passionate about something and they take on that that role and they enjoy it, they have fun with it, then it creates an atmosphere and an environment where other people want to join them. And uh so I I hear back from other students that uh, you know, they've started recycling at home or this, they still do this. I've got a I've got a couple of that have uh admitted that they are now dumpster divers, also, which you know that makes me happy. Um, that they can't handle seeing stuff in the trash. They've got to get it out and recycle it. So I think it does go beyond, and they also see the value. I I think one thing that we sometimes are so stuck in in this world is we're very materialistic and it's just easy really replaceable. And I think my students have learned that we can't afford to do that forever, that we're eventually gonna run out of space, resources, and so that's my hope is that it continues on. You know, we're not gonna be able to get everything, but if we can just at least get something out of it, um that makes me feel better.

SPEAKER_03 11:48

Can you share with us the impact you've seen with these students through this initiative?

SPEAKER_04 11:52

Watching some of these kids come on Wednesdays and get excited to show up on Wednesdays. Um to, you know, we there we've got a lot of clubs that do some fun stuff. They get together and and um do crafts and do chess and do uh you know drones. Um I run a ping pong club sometimes, and those are fun ones. But to get kids to want to go put gloves on and stick their hands into um, you know, sticky put pop stuff and crush the cans and sort through trash, that's that's pretty special. That I can get kids excited about doing that, that look forward to Wednesdays to come together. And it's to me, it's really about the community. Uh, you were talking about how getting together people together to in the community to work, it it's it's brought together these kids that um this is something they look forward to and they enjoy doing.

SPEAKER_03 12:45

Rocky, you have an important message for Mr. Carter and the work that he does to impact our youth.

SPEAKER_00 12:50

I would just like to give them kudos. I mean, as a parent, you know, I have four sons, uh, one in high school, one in middle school, and two adult sons now. Um, but you know, that's something I've always tried to instill in my kids from a young age. And I just think that, you know, sometimes as you know, I coach baseball and I tell Caitlyn this a lot. Like, you know, sometimes people think, well, they're too young for that, or they they don't understand that yet. And I think that if you get them involved at a younger age, they actually do, and they can become motivated and champions for these things, right? And I just think like taking care of your environment, you know, we plant last year we planted trees right in the back of our uh property, right? And and there's things that you can do that help your community, that help your environment. And, you know, I told you um earlier, Mr. Carter's got our whole building, you know, with recycle bins now that we're recycling in our building too. So he's having an impact on us. Um, so you know it's it's it's it's a good thing, and I just really appreciate people like him and what he's doing.

SPEAKER_03 13:48

Caitlin, what would you like to add?

SPEAKER_02 13:50

It's been great. Um, you know, our VP went and got and bought the recycling um bins that we put aluminum in. Um it's just kind of been fun, you know. Sometimes people will throw some plastic bottles in there, and I'm like, no, we're recycling aluminum specifically, but yes, plastic is recyclable as well. Um so just like the little steps um that a company can take to make the environment uh just a little bit better. And then partnering, you know, with the science club to help them in any way we can too is just really rewarding. They're right up the road from us. Um so it's just it's something very simple.

SPEAKER_03 14:27

Now that you've achieved bins in every room, what's next for the project?

SPEAKER_04 14:31

I'm not sure because I I do this on a zero budget. Um the money we get from the aluminum cans helps us buy gloves so that we can have the kids you know safe when they're sorting. Um anything extra, uh, we sometimes have to I I've had to pay for stickers to and signage to put around. Uh, and that's all based upon what we've made. Um we've been blessed though. We do a lot of recycling. Um, I recycle all the textbooks here if I can, but if nothing else, I or try to sell them, but recycle if I have to. And then I've got people who bring me stuff that um like printers and copiers and computers, and I'll have some of the kids help me take them apart and then we sell those for for a little bit. So um we've not had anything that uh it's either given to us or it is something we've made money to to buy. So we don't have a lot of really good stuff. And I don't know if we I don't know if we can actually expand much more. We we do quite a bit. We've uh um I know Linux Community Action says we're the top in the in the county of uh poundage that we recycle. And um that doesn't include the stuff that I take to the recycle bin, you know, to get money for. So it would be difficult for me to do this. My job now, we've uh added on the elementary two years ago when they got a new upbuilding. So I've got students to go there and I've gotten them started. Um but my job now is to try to get more influence on all the students. Trying to get there's still a lot of students in high school that don't recycle. You know, we'll find we'll find trash in our recycle bin, we'll find recycling in the trash bin, which is normal. We were used to it. Um, and try to get some influence on the uh Friday night football uh fans to get theirs to be a little bit better about putting their stuff where it should be. So uh the getting the word out is hard for me. I'm a doer. I'm not really good at uh the marketing or the uh um getting that out. So that's where I need help. And that's um I appreciate the opportunity today uh because hopefully it makes a difference in at least one person's life to like, you know, I could do this. It's not that hard. That's what I tell the students start with one thing, make it easy, and you'll find out that adding one more thing isn't that difficult.

SPEAKER_03 16:40

What are ways the people in the community can engage with you on this project?

SPEAKER_04 16:44

With recycling, we do have I have uh parents and teachers who will bring in, there's a certain place where we have stuff. Um I I wouldn't suggest that yet because I might get overwhelmed. Um, but if they have things, I can they can contact me through the school, uh Bloom Carroll High School, but uh they can just email me at joe.carter at bloomcarrol.org. And uh I've got people in the neighborhood or in the area that will drop off cans or other stuff to us. Uh we don't have a really good area, like a drop-off spot like they do at uh certain places like Lancaster Community Action has, um, because it would become a mess. And uh we don't want that at the school. But if they work with, you know, call me or contact me, uh, that would be great. As Caitlin mentioned before, I think before the uh um podcast, uh, we do blood drives also, and we're always looking for people in this area. I do it at this the elementary school. The next one is April 18th. You can sign up on redcrossblood.org. And what that does is I try to teach the kids how important blood is to all of us, and I try to get them started early to um get them a good experience and uh to get them to be lifelong donors. Every pint that we or every unit that we uh get goes towards scholarship money for my seniors. So this year we have we will have raised over 300 units in our six um uh six drives that will get us about five thousand dollars that I can donate or give to students to for scholarships. Uh so that if they sign up and they come in and they uh uh donate, they are helping not just three lives, but they are helping um possibly others with the the donation of money. So um and then I'm I'm always doing stuff. I've got a pollinator garden that we work at with that's if anybody out there has a green hand, green thumb, uh please let me know because it's it's a lot doing all of this. Um and then um so if they have any ideas or suggestions, we're trying to get that into an educational situation for the school. And then science fair, I think Caitlin mentioned this also. Science fair is something we run here. So if you are a science person working in the business and you are in the area, uh usually the second week of February, we do a local science fair and I need judges. Someone who wants to come and listen to my students, my high school students who have some pretty good projects. We're getting ready to go to state. Um, 15 of them are going to state next uh well, they've already sent it in, but next month.

SPEAKER_03 19:18

Rocky, you have a great way to relate this to your company culture.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

I think this is in line with our core mission. And I think that you know, we as a company, we we recycle every year. We actually do a big recycling in the summer of all the things that we've taken out. We you know separate them and take it over to uh recycle all of it. We use the money for the company picnic every year to kind of get our employees excited and excited about it, um, and you know, prizes and stuff too, so we don't just throw things away or waste the opportunity to hopefully help our environment. So I think this is a good thing. And I think that again, going back to what Good Guys Doing Good is about, which is just helping other companies see possibilities about ways to help their community. It doesn't necessarily have to be a nonprofit, like Caitlin said earlier. It could be a local high school, it could be a local um group, you know, a seniors at home or something, anybody that out there that might need a helping hand or you know, just a chance to get their message out or something. And I think that like as a business and and me and Mike as owners, we just want to give the opportunity to somebody else that might not have an opportunity that we have, um, you know, to share their message and maybe make a positive impact on their community.

SPEAKER_03 20:27

Caitlin, what would you like to see in addition to that?

SPEAKER_02 20:30

This has all been great. Um, really glad to touch on, like I said, the blood drives and the science there. Um there's there's volunteer opportunities in your community that you may not be aware of, and it may be as simple as just going back to your old high school um and keeping those relationships alive. Like I said, I graduated over 10 years ago now, and um luckily Mr. Carter remembered me. Um, and you know, we were able to connect, and I look forward to seeing how much we can do um in the future with them.

SPEAKER_03 21:01

Mr. Carter, we would like to provide you the last word and a word of encouragement to us all.

SPEAKER_04 21:06

I just want to say thank you to you guys because highlighting these other people who are doing this, these acts and this compassion projects, um, not only does it encourage us, but it helps us get the word out. And our hope is that it reaches people that go, like, I can do this, I can do that. It's not that difficult. And it might take a little bit of extra effort, but it's worth it. And that's the hope. So thank you for what you do because you know, this is like I said, I'm not good at marketing, so I just do my job and I don't openly lift my head for anything else. So thank you for getting the word out for me.

SPEAKER_02 21:42

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 21:43

That brings to a close this edition of the Bridge to Kindness podcast, good guys doing good. This podcast is made possible through the generosity of PPS, signature carpet care, expression split design, and lengthy handouts. Special thanks again to Mr. Joker. Carter of Bloom Carroll High School. Take a moment and think about how you can engage with a nonprofit or an organization in your community to make a difference in those around you. Join us again on our next episode, and we'll profile more individuals and nonprofits in the Columbus region and share how they help people and how you can be involved. Until then, from all of us at the Bridge to Kindness, I'm Ron Smith. Make a difference, make an impact.