Youth Empowerment Leader Drives Climate Solutions
Last week, we were excited to catch up with Freddy Jackson, of the Love No Ego Foundation, to take our all-electric CMA’s Colonial Nissan Leaf as a part of our Driving Climate Solutions campaign.
Freddy was born and raised in Buckingham County, Virginia and now lives in Charlottesville. He earned a degree in radio broadcasting and then M.A. in Psychology before founding Love No Ego Foundation in 2016. He is an author, motivational speaker, athletic trainer, and youth mentor. Love No Ego provides empowerment for youth and young adults ages 10-24 throughout Central Virginia to help them to “overcome challenges, find purpose, and live their true greatness.”
Before today, Freddy had never experienced driving an all-electric vehicle. “Wow! This ride is smooth like vegan ice cream!” was his initial reaction when we took a spin to get acquainted with the ride. He was impressed with how quiet and comfortable it was, the speed, and the overall functionality of the car. Currently he transports kids from schools to activities in his Love No Ego van, but told us he definitely would consider going electric when that becomes a viable financial option for the foundation. “It was easy to fall in love with [the vehicle] because I knew it was serving a great purpose. I'm still getting from point A to point B, but also leaving a gentle footprint on the Earth."
He picked up the LEAF at Burnley-Moran Elementary School, after their celebration of community leaders for Black History Month. Freddy has a contagious enthusiasm and learning mindset that he was excited to share with the youth he mentors. The focus for the afternoon was the importance of slowing down and paying attention to the impacts we have on the environment. “They had a great time with it. I even popped the hood...just to give them a good overview of it all and just try to make it a good experience for them.” They also discussed ways they could better the world through simple lifestyle changes. Check out their short video they created to show off the vehicle to his followers!
“Leaving a gentle footprint on the earth is important and becoming more critical every day,” said Freddy. Thanks so much for helping us drive climate solutions with us and making our community a better place to be!