Our Community Matters

Community Service has a thick root in my family’s history.  Growing up in Salem, I was shown the power that giving back had on people around me.   Simply taking our God given gifts and paying it forward to our fellow man has tremendous power to make someone else’s lives infinitely better.  It is a tradition that has been a backbone of America and my family for generations.

When I recall the weekends I would spend at my papa’s house, gazing over the countless awards he had positioned on his wall, I recall how community involvement never had to be enforced in my family.  It was assumed among my siblings and cousins that helping out our fellow man was a family tradition, just as a trip or vacation is for other families. 

My papa, also named Joe Sweeney, was more than an involved citizen.  He was a leader of his city which he loved so much, Lawrence, MA.  He never gave up on Lawrence, even though it drastically changed during his life, he still cared about it the same way.  He led the creation of the union at AT&T in the 60s in order to protect workers from mislead management while keeping the union locally run.  He was a member of the Greater Lawrence Vocational School Board.  He brought community service to a new level and performed his tasks extremely well. 

When my papa passed away, what he left for us in inheritance was astounding.  We inherited a legacy of community service that would be hard to outperform.  As the bearer of his name, I have always felt extreme responsibility to carry on his mission of making my community as best as possible.  Where he had Lawrence, I have Salem.  I like to think I carried on his legacy throughout my high school career, involving myself in multiple community organizations and reaching out to make Salem a great place.  I also think that by running for State Representative, I am also bringing his legacy of community involvement to the great State of New Hampshire.

I am asking for your vote in the Republican Primary next week and in the subsequent General Election in November, but I am also asking you to dedicate yourself to improving our town in any way you see fit.  We all realize Salem’s potential, and with more members of our community deeply invested in our town, I foresee that potential skyrocketed to new heights.