Charlie Holmes
Charlie was born and raised in Springfield. To him, helping others is one’s responsibility. “I grew up in the church, and as a young kid we learned a lot about helping people, and it just makes me feel good when I make others feel better.”
What do you envision for Springfield?
"I envision tearing down some of the barriers, to let kids be kids, to stop big corporations from taking over everything, letting us all work together, and keep growing as a community and not let Springfield become completely gentrified, like I see in other places in Massachusetts. When you look at what happened to Worcester, it was totally taken over by Boston, hit with gentrification, rents went up significantly, and people could not afford to live there. Springfield was an affordable place to live and a safe haven for people of all colors, races, and creed, to enjoy freedom. That's what Springfield stands for to me."
What advice would you give to others who want to start getting involved?
"My advice is this, a wise Mexican man told me, either you'll find politics or politics will find you at some point in life. You never know when you're gonna get into a situation in which you're gonna need the higher figures of government to help you battle through things. So I think people should give it a try because they're always complaining. Instead of complaining, come and see how the process is done and become a part of it. You'll be a part of it whether you participate or not."
What issues concern you the most?
"Clean air, clean water, and public safety. You know, I want our kids to be able to see what Springfield has to offer, to be able to walk to the museums, and ride the public bus system without their parents like we did when we were kids and learn things. They're not able to be out there anymore like before."
How do you stay involved in advocating even when life is already full of challenges?
"I make time to go to meetings. I make time by doing whatever I need to do. On my weekends, I try to incorporate these activities and sometimes bring my grandson with me. With the free time that I do have, I try to speak with others because it doesn't take much time to do those things, you know, a meeting or two a week a couple of weekends to stay involved. I carve time out my day; I think we all have to."