Redesigning Our Future

Robin Emmons, Founder & Executive Director of Sow Much Good, opened the 2014 National Environmental Summit for high school students. Her story began when she realized that she needed to make some changes. She began by resigning from her 20-year corporate job. When her husband asked her how her day went, she smiled and said, "I quit my job." But, she told him she had a plan. At that moment, she actually didn't. The concern that was pulling at Emmons' heart was her mentally ill brother who had many needs as a homeless person with one of those being access to fresh and healthy food. On his behalf and others unable to afford food, she had 50 friends over to turn her entire back yard into a gardening space. Her husband enjoyed his riding mower and keeping up the back yard. She said he still misses his back yard. Students at the summit were asked what they would think/do if their parents had an epiphany moment like Simmons did and quit working and turned the fa...

Robin Emmons opened up the annual Redesigning the Future Environmental Summit at Catawba College. She explained that having a homeless brother with a mental illness inspired her to work to help feed the hungry with high quality foods. You can read more about what we learned from Emmons and about the huge issue of hunger for the poor, homeless, mentally ill, and working poor. High school students from the Environmental Summit moved out to the atrium outside the Tom Smith auditorium at Catawba College to talk about the excellent opening program and to get acquainted and enjoy some cookies, goldfish crackers, and lemonade. It was nice to process the information which was pretty serious while taking a break. Students were surprised at some of the concerns that are not often addressed. The "down" time gave them a chance to think about the keynote speech and share the experience.   High school students from around the country took some time to think about this new...

Robin Emmons, Founder and Executive Director of  Sow Much Good  By Payton Coleman & Alia Dahlan On the first day of the National Environmental Summit 2014 , Robin Emmons spoke to around 50 excited campers on Catawba College campus.  After an introduction from President Brien Lewis and Dr. John Wear, the founder and executive director of Sow Much Good spoke about the start and success of her non-profit organization.  Her journey began when she realized that the homeless condition of her brother was detrimental to his health and well-being. After he was arrested for having a schizophrenic episode in public, Emmons gained guardianship of him and enrolled him in a mental health institute. This organization did not have enough funding to provide healthy food for its patients, which gave Emmons' brother physical health problems.  Emmons decided to quit her job in the finance industry, telling her husband that she had a plan, although she did not at...