© 2024 Texas Public Radio
Real. Reliable. Texas Public Radio.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

SA2020 Asks San Antonio To Make A Resolution

Ryan Loyd
/
TPR News
Aside from commitments made by local residents and community leaders, SA2020 wants San Antonians to resolve to do something for themselves and others this year to make the city better.

For the second time leaders with SA2020 are asking San Antonio residents to make resolutions to make the city a greater place to live and work.

Nineteen local leaders are hopping on the resolution bandwagon with personal resolutions to impact their city. Mayor Julián Castro wants to make a difference with mom and pop restaurants.

"What I'm going to be doing this year is going to at least 25 new restaurants that I have never eaten at before that are small, locally owned restaurants in our city to try and support small businesses. That's my resolution," he said Tuesday.

Councilman Diego Bernal is committing to drink eight classes of water, and eat more fruits and veggies a day. Councilman Rey Saldaña has vowed to ride the bus at least 20 times in 2014. He'll talk to his colleagues about doing the same.

"I think it'd be a great idea to ask all my council members to leave their car at home one day and ride into council on the bus," he said. "I think we've got some excellent park and ride options throughout the city, and that'll be proof positive that riding the bus can be a great option."

The resolutions are to inspire all of us to do something in the new year to make a difference in San Antonio. Maybe it's eating better, or deciding to vote during elections, or maybe it's volunteering. Volunteering is actually a new metric for SA2020.

Leaders found that between 2006 and 2012, the rate of volunteering was declining fast. It's now around 20 percent.

But by the year 2020, SA2020 wants 438,000 San Antonians -- nearly 30 percent of the city -- doing some kind of volunteer work. They say now's the time to start to get a jump on the new year, and to make it a habit in years to come.

And with more than 100 nonprofit partner agencies, including newcomer ArtPace, the folks behind SA2020 say there are more opportunities than ever to get involved and make a difference.

Ryan Loyd was Texas Public Radio's city beat and political reporter. He left the organization in December, 2014.