As Earth Day celebrations kick off in earnest today, it seems like the perfect time to share this short video: Volunteering Leads to Good Health. It’s one man’s story of going from anxiety attacks, exhaustion and a fast food addiction to health and feeling alive. Al characterizes his journey as beginning with the need to “reduce stress”, which is something we can all relate to, but which is also, I think, a catch-all way for describing a profound disconnection from so many of the things that make life life: nature, good food, community. It’s a disconnection that’s devastating for our physical and mental well-being. This video isn’t slick, no one is trying to sell you anything, or to build their personal brand, but it’s all the more powerful for that. This is a man with a story to tell about the power of connection, one he found by volunteering at the Evergreen Brickworks.