By Sabrina SHELTON

In today’s social, political and economic climate, good news is always a welcome reprieve. From large-scale stories of countries helping other countries, to next door news about a friend’s success, it warms the heart and feeds the soul to know that there actually is good in this world. For Chris Ryder, sharing good news and gratitude has been a recent lifeline.

A 20-year La Crescenta resident, Ryder recognized the pros and cons of being sheltered by the Verdugo Mountains.

“We live in an amazing family-oriented community,” he explained. “Social media can be an amazing tool, but can also be used negatively to pit friends and neighbors against each other. I wanted to create a more positive place for our valley for these reasons.”

Ryder decided to use his powers for good and create the website We Are CV. It’s more than just a shout-out on a personal Instagram page – it’s an entire website dedicated to the residents and businesses of the valley. The site features a Wall of Appreciation, where anyone can post a thank you for all to see. Visitors to the website can write gratitude letters to healthcare providers, teachers, local businesses and their employees, or anyone else who has done some good.

“[These people] have stepped up big time over the last year. Unfortunately, they are rarely recognized. Somebody may thank a neighbor on Facebook, but people will scroll by quickly and it will never be seen again,” Ryder said. So he created a site that was a more permanent space to appreciate neighbors.

We Are CV also strives to become a one stop shop for everything between Sunland and La Cañada. Ryder has placed resources for chambers of commerce, historical societies, news outlets and government offices. He also plans to have neighborhood maps highlighting local points of interest, links to watch groups and more.

Ryder commented that there are many websites and Facebook groups that focus on their own area, but that he wanted to create one space for people to share information. 

“I run a [local] digital marketing business called CR Digital Solutions, so I wanted to give back to the community a bit by starting this site to help out our businesses and families in our community,” he said.

Moving forward, Ryder welcomes any and all help to grow the website. Historians are invited to help piece together the neighborhood maps’ section of the site, and local businesses are encouraged to reach out for a forthcoming advertisement section.

At the root of this project is a desire to help local businesses, discover hometown history, and honor and appreciate the people who make life a little better in the Crescenta Valley.

“The sky is the limit on what can go on this site. Just no politics,” Ryder kindly added. “Overall, I just want our community to be better informed, and have a place where [people] can go to get the correct information.”

Those interested in helping curate information for the neighborhood information section can email Chris Ryder at cryder11@gmail.com. To thank someone in town, visit www.wearecv.org.