Mary Sosa
When Mary Sosa first visited Possibilities, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be involved, finding everyone a little too loud. Then she thought, “What the heck, I can be loud too!” Since then, there has been no stopping her. Mary loves her community in SW Oklahoma City, including the children there who have a special place in her heart. In fact a few years ago, she worked with the Lee Elementary PTA to build a new playground for the school. Mary hopes by providing a safe and fun place to play, she will contribute to lessening childhood obesity in her community.
Because of the crime and cultural disconnect in her community, Mary worked with others to organize an association for her neighborhood. In the middle of her first meeting, she said to herself, “This is what you’ve been learning to do at Possibilities!” When she found herself elected President of the new College Hill neighborhood association, she said “I’m going to use what I have learned to get things going,” and she certainly has! With more than 30 members, Mary has worked with Mount Saint Mary School and Sacred Heart to carry out many neighborhood clean-ups, with students from the school earning their community service hours in their own community for the first time. She has helped to secure a $10,000 grant for decorative lighting to keep the streets safe as well, with plans for more on the horizon.
Mary has always been inspired by the words of JFK, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” She takes his words to heart, feeling they apply to one’s family, church, neighborhood and country. Once she retired, she knew she wanted to volunteer in her community. She has found her passion through her community work, and enjoys being a role model to her grandchildren, who love to help her with her community activities. She says their favorite part is knocking on doors, inviting neighbors to meetings or movie nights. She hopes they will observe her service and learn not to just expect something, but to get out and do it. Mary knows that one person cannot make a community, and hopes to leave a legacy of service to her grandchildren.
Mary says that Possibilities helped her to look at things differently and know how to put things together. Because of Possibilities, she is able to get up and communicate her ideas to neighbors, and inspire them to see what possibilities are available. Possibilities helped Mary to bring back ideas and explain them to neighbors in a way that makes people excited. Mary has learned to talk less and listen more, and help people to see all the things they can do. Being associated with Possibilities brings Mary lots of ideas, moral support, and resources. People view Mary as a leader in her community, and look forward to what she brings back from Possibilities.
Mary still continues to dream for her community, and continues to make those dreams a reality. Mary drives through her neighborhood often, and is struck by the pride she has for her community. While many of the homes in her neighborhood are small, Mary says it does not matter because they are taken care of with such pride. Mary feels it is the work of the neighborhood association that allows people to feel proud by making cleaning up a priority for the community. Cleaning up is a “catching disease,” and one that Mary has seen spread throughout the streets of her community. Whether cleaning up, fighting crime, or dreaming of a historical museum, Mary will keep working to make her community one that she, and everyone who lives, learns, worships, and works there can be proud of.
