Hello and thank you visiting my blog. I’m Deborah Matthews — American Political Activist, Educator, Realtor/Broker, and Mother. I am a former Commissioner Chair to the City of Berkeley, serving my beloved city in the areas of Housing, Zoning, and Planning. In 2016, I was a candidate for Berkeley City Council and secured second in a field of four opponents. Although I did not win the seat, my work in the community is far from over. As an expert realtor/broker here in the San Francisco Bay Area, I am proud to have helped numerous first-time home buyers realize their dream of home ownership and community building over the last 26 years. Many first-time homeowners lack the necessary tools for navigating the responsibilities and complexities of home ownership, community safety, and civic engagement to protect their greatest investment and family home. It has been my pledge to empower individuals and communities to participate and attain equal distribution of available resources so that a few do not benefit from the labor of many. As an educator, I give lectures on real estate at Merritt College. I instruct community college students with comprehensive training programs focused on careers and opportunities in real estate and industry related fields.  I’ll be using this blog along with my wonderful Spotlight team to highlight the issues in local communities across America that we believe need to be addressed. We have learned that the problems faced in one city are often the same in many cities throughout our country. This is an opportunity for us to engage and learn from one another and explore solutions together.  Some of the issues that are especially important to us are: Housing for Everyone | Ending Homelessness | Addressing Crime and Living in Safety | Stopping Human Trafficking & Violence Against Women | Implementing Sensitive Active Urban Adult Living Geared to Seniors. We will be focused on forward-thinking active solutions to these problems, and working to bring about positive change in our communities. As we work we must have balance in our daily lives. This blog will share joy! I find balance in everyday beauty. A child flourishing in education, A flower in early morning bloom, A family receiving a home to bring comfort and safety, the rise of the morning sun, a new business dream fulfilled, a mile swim in the middle of the day and taking a photo of any subject that causes me to look twice. Like our blog: To stay connected with us as we build our online community | To keep hearing about how you can get involved with our international team of game changers in fighting for these issues in every community throughout the country | To bring positive step-by-step solutions that can be embraced by everyone with a willing heart and a drive for equitable change Thank you for joining us! “When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” Jalaluddin Rumi​