Colorado Congressman Spends Saturdays Supporting Community
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - A Colorado Congressman is giving new meaning to the title "public servant." U.S. Representative Jason Crow is coming together with other volunteers to launch a new community service initiative that he calls "Service Saturdays."
Crow is giving up a Saturday every month to give back to his community.
"We are a community that takes care of our own. We come around, we support each other."
An Army Ranger turned U.S. Representative, Crow says service is part of his DNA. As part of his initiative, he's served food to homeless people and laid tile at a Habitat for Humanity remodel. He tackles challenges like affordable housing in a tangible way.
"We're seeing police, firefighters, nurses, people who are serving us can't afford to live in our community anymore and that's not okay," he said.
It's a struggle this former Army Ranger, who worked construction to put himself through college, has lived.
"It's been long path for me to the halls of Congress. I worked minimum wage jobs in high school, worked in fast food at Arby's and McDonald's. I think that background and the different experiences I've had really inform my work in Congress right now."
He's pushing to expand a tax credit that he says finances 90% of Colorado's low income housing, and he voted to increase the federal minimum wage. But Crow says working side by side with the people he represents - Democrats and Republicans - is also part of his charge to serve.
"In the very divisive time we're in right now, I think it's really important that people just lead by example. They put the Twitter and Facebook down and they just start doing the work and they just show what you can do to help each other and promote goodness in community."
Crow says Habitat for Humanity is among those doing a lot a good. The metro Denver chapter says it helps more than 100 families a year. Crow has also volunteered at the Aurora Bridge House which helps people find jobs, the Comitis homeless shelter and Abu Bakr Mosque.
