Cecilia Garcia

I was introduced to the Sierra Club in 2005. When I opened an eco-friendly / sustainable cafe in the same neighborhood as the Michigan Chapter. I was welcomed with amazing support and generosity by the staff. Sierra Club was a major factor in our success. I was invited to be a speaker at the Chapter annual retreat in 2008 and fell even more in love with the organization and its phenomenal members.

When I decided to close my cafe to be home with my children, Sierra Club couldn't have been more supportive despite the hungry bellies left in the wake of the cafe's departure. They found a place for me in the organization so that I could continue to work for the environment.

Without the Sierra Club, I would likely have continued a long career in the restaurant business, horribly conflicted between my personal beliefs on environmental stewardship and making a living in the incredibly destructive hospitality industry. Thank you, Sierra Club!

John Philbin

In the 1980s while living in California, I got hooked on the Great Outdoors and joined the Sierra Club.  It was a place I found kindred  spirits, and Sierra Magazine got me dreaming of hiking trips to all the in national parks.

Since I moved to Michigan 15 years ago, I've really enjoyed Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore and all the other natural wonders in this state, and I try to pass on that love of nature to my students.

-- John Philbin, Grand Valley State University film professor and Grand Rapids resident