Five Letters That Can Change the World

“Just say hello.”

That was the advice John Verdi’s dad, a highly decorated NYPD officer, gave him before he began walking the beat himself.

It inspired John to start HeyBlue! – a group that creates positive interactions between police and their community.

His dad’s advice may be the best way to start changing the world. It’s already making a difference in New York City. It can do the same thing nationwide.

“It’s five letters,” Verdi says. “But yet, I’m telling you right now, it will save the community that you live in.”

Playlist

Two women standing outdoors with a desert landscape in the background, the text "Changemaker insight: First time entrepreneur" overlays the image. A man in a dark shirt gesturing with his hand in an indoor setting, with the text "Changemaker insight: Who's missing from your team" overlaying the image. A bald man in a dark shirt gestures with his hand, speaking about "Changemaker insight". Close-up of a man's face looking contemplative against a blurred green background, with the text "Changemaker insight: love the problem" overlaying the image. A group of people in casual workout attire laughing and interacting in a room, with a man in the foreground wearing a bandana and a "SOBER" t-shirt, and the text "How to grow a nonprofit" overlaying the image. Woman in black jacket talking near a brick wall. An artist, seen from the back, is painting on a large canvas in a cluttered studio. The painting depicts various abstract human figures. Young worker at construction site holding wood.