From Daily Planet Staff Reports

Dr. Jeff Heck spoke for 30 minutes, noting that he wanted to keep his Dec. 1 talk short so that he would have plenty of time to answer questions afterward.

Indeed, questions were fired by members of the World Affairs Council of Western North Carolina for nearly an hour — and they would have continued longer — had WAC officials not intervened, citing time limitations.

In responding to one woman’s questions about the Shoulder to Shoulder agency he founded, he noted, “I’m a cynic — and, therefore, all of our officers are volunteers.” Heck then explained that took the agency on that tack because he has seen so much corruption and waste in other aid organizations.

A man asked, “How do you choose a community to serve?”

“Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua are the three poorest countries in the Western hemisphere,” so those are served by his group, Heck said. He noted that he has personally served in a region of Honduras, “where people hadn’t seen a doctor in 10 years.”

Another man asked about Shoulder to Shoulder’s style of helping people and determining community needs.
“With our nature as Americans — it’s just so hard for us to walk into a community with our hands in our pockets, our mouths shut and to listen ... It’s a balance.”

Another questioner said, “You seem to think the problem of poverty is untractable.”

“I don’t think povery is untractable. If I did, wouldn’t devote so much time to Shoulder to Shoulder,” Heck replied. “One of the challenges in Central America is that those with ability go to the States and come back after they’ve made a lot of money,” resulting in a brain drain of the best and brightest.