Some people spend retirement slowing down. At 75, longtime Lantana resident Bill Featherstone still believes in showing up — whether that means picking up trash, directing traffic or answering the call when his community needs a hand.
Featherstone and his wife, Donna, moved to Lantana in 2002, drawn to the promise of a new community away from the bustle of the big city. More than two decades later, he still calls Lantana home and has spent much of that time helping make it a better place to live.
His involvement started simply enough.
Featherstone began picking up trash around the neighborhood and joined the community crime watch. Along the way, he met other residents who shared his desire to give back.
Those connections eventually helped create something much bigger.
In March 2016, Featherstone joined a small group of community leaders and residents to discuss creating a volunteer organization that could bring neighbors together and encourage them to take an active role in caring for Lantana.
That meeting led to the creation of Lantana Cares, a nonprofit organization focused on resident-driven beautification, education and recreation.
“You always need volunteers,” Featherstone said. “And, as they help other people, they really end up helping themselves.”
Lantana Cares held its first community event April 23, 2016, as part of the Fresh Water Supply District’s Earth Day activities. Neighbors gathered to pick up trash and encouraged other residents to join them.
Those first cleanup events were modest, typically drawing 10 to 15 volunteers who collected garbage from Lantana’s undeveloped areas. But the effort grew.
Lantana Cares attracted sponsors, sold T-shirts and expanded its involvement in community events and projects. Over the years, the organization has supported or assisted with the annual Run Lantana 5K, Lantana Fishing Pond cleanup, Lantana Splash Pad and recently-opened Ferguson Pickleball Courts.
A decade after that first meeting, Featherstone is still there, happily picking up trash, directing traffic at events and working alongside some of the same people who helped launch the organization — as well as new volunteers who have joined the effort.
At its heart, Featherstone said, the idea behind Lantana Cares remains simple: Strong communities depend on neighbors willing to do something for one another.
“They care,” Featherstone said. “They care and they put the effort in. It’s hard to find people like that sometimes.”
His volunteer service extends beyond Lantana Cares. Featherstone also serves as district chairman of the Boy Scouts’ Frontier Trails District of the Longhorn Council, supporting local Scouting units and working to ensure young people have a positive and safe Scouting experience.
Connections have played an important role throughout Featherstone’s life, from his career before retirement to his years of community service.
And he has developed a simple philosophy about those connections.
Whether it’s a phone call from a friend or family member — or a call to help the community — Featherstone believes you should pick it up.
After more than two decades in Lantana, he’s still answering.
For more information about volunteering with Lantana Cares, visit LantanaCares.org.
