Kris Wagner My name's Kris Wagner and I've been involved with Jungle Hill for almost 2 years now. What happens is that now there's a group involved, others expect those people to do everything. It's sort of a relief like, Oh, good, somebody is doing something about Jungle Hill. So we always have to be thinking about how to invite people to be involved, but try not to make them feel guilty if this isn't their thing right now, but not to just give up and say well, you know, no matter how many times I call nobody comes to meetings. So it's sort of a struggle to not get discouraged and think that noone else is going to help, but to keep putting up posters, or inviting people to meetings, or just letting them know what's happening so they'll feel like they are involved. And I guess one thing that's helped me not get discouraged is to keep remembering why I got involved in the first place and also that it took me 10 years of living in the neighborhood before I got involved. And I don't want anyone to feel if this isn't what they want to be doing right now then they shouldn't be doing it. And I try to remember that I got involved because I wanted to, because it seemed exciting, it seemed fun, because I wanted to know my neighbors better and as long as I'm still doing that then I try not to get caught up in why aren't other people more involved, so that sort of helps. And the other thing that's been sort of helpful for me is to see how the older leaders have sort of encouraged new people to get involved. They'll just sit back and let someone else volunteer for something. And I just say well, I can't do everything and so I hope that someone else will step forward -- if I just step back a little bit maybe someone else will step forward. I always try to think, if I want to do somthing is there anyone I can call up who might want to do it with me? If it's just one other person or a handfull of kids, and that way it's more fun and more people are involved. So I guess to sort of summarize or wrap it up, I think keeping a positive attitude, and an attitude of enjoyment, and to always have the attitiude of inviting people to participate but not trying to make them feel obligated to, but just trust that each person is doing what they want to and what's right for them, for the neighborhood. Return to This is Our Land! Homepage Whats' so Great About Open Space/ The History of JH/ The Dreaded Wall/ There's Power in Numbers/ Teens Make a Difference/ Problems/What would you do with One Acre of Open Space/ Interns of JH/A Work In Progress.../JH Update/ Visitor Comments/ Credits Return to Oakland Museum of CA Homepage