Woman has passion for passionaries

OCEANSIDE – Passionaries: people with passion and vision.

Barbara Metzler, who created the term, is in the process of having it trademarked. It also is the title of her book, "Passionaries: Turning Compassion Into Action."

Metzler, 58, said she invented the word two years ago while attending a news conference in Palm Springs. She said a man was speaking about passionate visionaries, but he was talking so fast it sounded like "passionaries." "Right then I leaned over to my husband and said, 'There is the title,' " Metzler said at her Oceanside home.

Metzler's devotion to causes caught the attention of state Assemblyman Martin Garrick, R-Carlsbad, who recently named Metzler the 2007 Woman of the Year for the 74th District.  "I wanted to recognize her as an individual in North County that has been contributing to charitable organizations through her time and talents ... and also for the book she wrote," Garrick said. "It shows that one individual can make a difference, and it gives each of us some hope and inspiration."

He said the book showcases the American spirit. " Passionaries: Turning Compassion Into Action," For information about Barbara Metzler and her book, go online to www.passionaries.com.

He pointed out the story of Stan Curtis, a stockbroker who created USA Harvest after learning perfectly good food was being thrown away at his favorite cafeteria. The organization provides food to thousands of agencies nationwide that serve more than 2 million meals a day to people who might otherwise go hungry.

Metzler is an active member of her church and serves on the boards of several local and national nonprofit organizations, including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Alpha USA.

Work on the book started five years ago, Metzler said. The book tells the story of 35 Americans who either started or helped build successful nonprofit organizations that are changing the world. Metzler profiles passionaries by describing the event or circumstance that spurred them to take action, what steps they took to get started and the obstacles they overcame along the way. "There are so many people who think they can't make a difference. There is so much negativity in the world, but you don't hear much about the problem solvers, which is why I wrote the book," Metzler said. "I am so inspired when I hear these stories of what people are doing. ... They are my heroes."

Metzler has been married for 31 years and has four grown children. She also has started five companies. The largest, The Farmer's Wife, was one of the country's leading manufacturers of fruit byproducts in the 1980s. Metzler said she took the fruit her husband's farm in Fresno would have thrown away and turned it into juices and candy. "I started off selling fruit out of my station wagon to schools that had never used local fruit and ended up with $6 million in sales a year,”"she said.  She sold the company before moving to Oceanside 10 years ago.

Metzler said she was shocked and honored when she learned Garrick had chosen her as Woman of the Year. Representatives from each of the state's 80 assembly and 40 senatorial districts have the opportunity to select a Woman of the Year from the area they represent. "It was a gift from Martin and God. I don't understand it, but I'm totally pleased,"Metzler said.

Donnie Dee, regional director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, said he thinks it's fantastic that Metzler received the honor because she is a leader who truly cares about people. "There are not enough Barbara Metzlers in the world. She is a remarkable person who is making her life count, and she believes she's doing what God is asking her to do," he said.

Metzler said she is two-thirds of the way through writing her second book, which tells the stories of other passionaries. But Metzler said her goal is not just to sell a lot of books.

"I want to get people around the country talking about their passion, talking about what can be done, what is being done," she said. “"'m going to be doing this for the rest of my life, so it's not about one book or two, it's a lifelong journey for me.”"

Angela Holman: (760) 752-6750; angela.holman@tlnews.net