Everyday Inspirations: Lessons Inspired by Edward D. Lowry

by Kelly Kehoe | Apr 15, 2021 | Uncategorized

As we gear up for our inaugural Edward D. Lowry Award Ceremony on May 21st, we’d like to take the time to reflect on the many civic-minded qualities embodied by the award’s namesake and invite you to consider how you can integrate these principles into your own life.

In addition to overcoming adversity, Ed Lowry was well-known for his tireless dedication to serving others in his community. He was a tremendous source of inspiration for countless people throughout his life, and we can continue his legacy of community service by striving to engage in everyday acts of inspiring courage, service and advocacy.

Encouraging Volunteerism

Ed Lowry was a committed volunteer who consistently went above-and-beyond what anyone could’ve expected from just one person. Ed didn’t simply volunteer for organizations he was personally passionate about; he leveraged his voice and expertise to inspire others to get involved in volunteering as well.

As we gradually move towards some semblance of “normal” in 2021, ask yourself how you can get more involved in supporting community organizations through volunteer opportunities. Maybe you already volunteer once per month for one-day/weekend events such as local park or beach clean-ups, healthcare clinics, food pantry or soup kitchen preparations, exercising dogs for the local animal shelter, collecting supplies for low-income folks, or any of these virtual volunteering opportunities. Do you reach out to others and encourage them to get involved too?

Volunteering doesn’t have to be exclusively performed through an organization, of course. Helping neighbors with groceries, driving seniors to medical appointments or offering to babysit for a busy parent are some of the many ways in which a small action on your part can make a big difference in the lives of others.

Fundraising for Worthy Causes

If your schedule is packed or you have ongoing concerns about Covid-19, there are ways to help others in your community even if you’re not involved in hands-on volunteer efforts. By spreading the word about donation drives and other fundraisers on social media, email or video calls with family and friends, you could create a ripple effect for fundraising initiatives that wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t shared this information with others in the first place.

For more information on supporting donation drives, GoFundMe published this great list of 25 fundraiser sharing strategies to help you get more creative in your efforts to raise money for organizations and causes you care most about.

Engaging in Civic Advocacy

As a strategic advisor for First Amendment Voice, Ed Lowry was well-known for inspiring others to become more civically engaged in their communities.

Ways to get involved in civic advocacy include:

• Writing letters to elected officials to support local causes that deserve more attention from city council members and/or state legislature representatives
• Encouraging involvement in community work
• Identifying ways to modify access, barriers and opportunities in the community
• Developing a local “Time Dollars” program
• Getting involved in micro-grant programs
• Educating others about civic advocacy

At FAV we know that you are probably doing many of these things already. Keep up the great work, just like Ed did his entire life, and you will enjoy the satisfaction that comes from serving with purpose and meaning.

Announcing the Edward D. Lowry Memorial Award for Citizenship!

by Dan | Mar 11, 2020 | Uncategorized

FAV is excited to present a new honor, the Edward D. Lowry Memorial Award for Citizenship, during the National Symposium in September. Steve Miska, Executive Director of First Amendment Voice, acknowledged, “We wanted to honor Ed Lowry’s life and legacy by recognizing outstanding civic engagement and encouraging citizens to serve others and engage on issues of importance in their communities. He created bonds throughout the community and across ideological divides.”

Edward Diller Lowry (1944-2019) exemplified civic virtue during a lifetime of service; a dedicated husband, father, citizen and patriot. At age seventeen, Ed was in an automobile accident that resulted in the loss of his dominant hand. With a lot of hard work, he taught himself how to function and handle everyday “ins and outs” using his left hand. Although hard for a young man, he had the courage to live life, despite setbacks and never let his injury limit him. During his professional life, he served for decades in the telecommunications industry, conducting governmental coordination and receiving. When Ed retired at the end of 2000, he was Executive Director of Federal Regulatory Policy and Planning for Verizon Communications. In that capacity he helped shape the law and government regulation as technology changed freedom of expression. He also served as a member of the Michigan State Public Utilities and on the advisory boards of KMB Video and the International Engineering Consortium. In 2017 the Vienna Mayor and Shepherd’s Center recognized him as Volunteer of the Year.

In retirement, Ed never learned to slow his pace or service to others. Within his church (which he attended for 37 years) he chaired numerous committees and started many initiatives that have forever changed his community. Ed was never afraid to talk to anyone he encountered and relentlessly sought out partnerships with local business and agencies in order to serve others. Due to his drive and passion, many of these initiates not only blossomed, but thrived.

In addition to endless hours leading at his church, Ed served on the Board of Directors for the Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna. At the Shepherd’s Center, he was active on the fundraising committee, drove seniors without transportation to doctor’s appointments, volunteered for the friendly visitors program, and was Co-Chair of the congregational advisory committee. Ed also joined First Amendment Voice as a strategic advisor. He quickly became involved in the strategic planning process and facilitated outreach and partnership engagement, connecting key partners to the FAV movement.

Ed gave advice with collegial candor and exhibited the moral courage to challenge assumptions and choose the harder right over the easier wrong. His ability to work across ideological differences united people in common purpose. He was passionate that every person has the ability to give back in some capacity, and he lived this out through volunteerism. Ed believed that playing an active role in any organization could come through monetary donations, willingness to ask for sponsorships, or service. He
recognized the importance and value of donating time. Ed had a way of encouraging others to contribute their time, talent or resources, and sometimes could be described as relentless in this pursuit. In the wake of his death, many of the people in organizations he impacted have commented that it will take 10-15 people to carrying on his legacy.

FAV is convening a nominating and selection committee to shepherd the process of identifying upstanding citizens engaged in service to community. FAV will announce the recipient in advance of the National Symposium and design an award that symbolizes Ed’s life of service and inspires others to rise to that level of civic engagement. This year FAV will host its National Symposium in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center from September 25-26th.

If you would like more information about FAV’s plans to honor Ed’s legacy through the Edward D. Lowry Memorial Award for Citizenship, please contact Diane DuBois at (202) 215-5341 [email protected] or Heather Miska at [email protected]