Ryan Young, a life-long New Yorker, wanted to get out of the cold.
When the opportunity came to be remote nearly six years ago, he took the advice of friends and came to scope out Wilton Manors. Once here, the Database Manager found a community to call home and many spaces where to lend support. To many, Young is most recognized by his volunteer service and avid social media postings that journal his day-to-day experiences. He credits his mother for instilling in him the value of charitable giving, “My mother … was a very giving person. That was just kind of her personality … I was probably more influenced by my mother than any other family member.”
The FlockFest board member joined as a volunteer in 2018 after a chance meeting with FlockFest founder Steven Crawford, “He asked if I wanted to volunteer. I said, ‘Yeah, sure.’”
Young’s role in the organization grew, and with it his ambitions for what it could become. He also sought out to work with other organizations on community partnerships. “I think that's where the other charities all sort of came in.”
Young sees his personal mission of giving as a lifestyle, stating, “You give back because you should. It's like a part of an overall lifestyle. You create good Karma, because it’s part of what you should do as a person.”
Homepage: OUT & PROUD 2024
