First, I'm Tyler and I'm a Husband and Father

As a husband and a father, Tyler has learned that community isn’t much different than family. Like a family, a strong community is made up of individuals willing to support one another in both their strengths and weaknesses. Tyler uses his own strengths to make life easier for those in his community in any way that he can and hopes others will do the same. Read more about Tyler below.

Q: What have you learned about the importance of community this year?

A: I’ve seen that a strong community is much more than the sum of its parts. So much more can be accomplished as a community than as a collective group of individuals.

Q: What do you think community looks like?

A: To me, community looks like a massive extended family that all lives in the same area. We will typically go above and beyond for our family, and I think a good community is a group of people willing to do the same for their neighbors.

Q: What does community mean to you?

A: As a person with a disability, community to me is the opportunity to both give and receive. It means having a total stranger bring your dog back home when they wander off, or someone you’ve met just a time or two in passing invite you and your family over for dinner. It also means that my neighbors can lean on me for help too, such as providing a home cooked meal or a play date with the kids. All of these things happened by the way.

Q: What strengths do you bring to your community?

A: My family and I bring a sense of perseverance to our community. Times are not always easy, especially lately, but we are a family that overcomes challenges, and teach others to do the same.

Q: How do you want to be known in the community?

A: I want to be known as a stable and reliable family, good neighbors, and fun to be around. Life is challenging enough, it’s up to each of us to make the lives of those around us just a bit easier if we can.

Q: Why do you think more inclusive communities are important? How can we make stronger, more inclusive, communities?

A: Everyone has something to offer. Not only is it good for the community to include all persons of any race, gender, ability, age, or anything else because of their varying strengths and perspectives, but it is also good for the individual. Everyone wants to have value, and everyone wants to be able to contribute to those around them. This can be done in so many various and meaningful ways, and a truly inclusive community will seek ways to utilize a person’s strengths while supporting their weaknesses.

Learn more about "First, People" here.