In Paul Fleischman's novel Seedfolks, Sam appears as the sixth character vignette in a story about a community that comes together over the planting of a garden in a vacant lot.

Sam is important to the novel because he is the one who notices the segregation in the garden and works to bring people together. Sam says that it's just what he does, bringing people together:

You've seen fishermen mending the rips in their nets. That's what I do, only with people. I used to try to patch up the whole world. For thirty-six years I worked for different groups, promoting world government, setting up conferences on pacifism, raising money, stuffing envelopes. Not that I've given up the fight. I've just switched battlefields. From the entire planet to this corner of Clevelan

Sam notices people and engages them, whereas many of the others in the neighborhood ignore each other. He gives a teenager a job tilling the soil and gives a third grader a job hauling water in his wagon. He holds a contest for children to come up with a way to solve the problem of watering the garden. He awards $20 to a young girl who comes up with the idea to collect rainwater in trash cans.

Sam patiently talks with each person about their ideas, just as he talks to the teenager who wants to plant marijuana. He validates them and shows them respect but ultimately leads them to a better path or solution. By holding the contest and solving the problem of water, Sam opens the door for others to let down their guard and begin to get to know each other as neighbors. As a leader, he also leads the way in this effort by modeling kindness and friendliness.