November is definitely the season of gratitude and thankfulness! The month is spent in anticipation of
gathering with friends, family and loved ones on Thanksgiving to celebrate and reflect
on the countless number of things we have to be thankful for. At Crittenton Centers, we go through this
same type of reflection, thinking of the many things we have to give thanks
for. So, here is our list of ten! It is
by no means comprehensive, but it certainly captures many of the blessings we
are grateful for each day.
10. Facility.
Crittenton Centers has certainly evolved
since 1892 when it was founded and called the “Home of Blessing.” The buildings of our history are beautiful
and certainly served their purpose, but we couldn’t be more thankful for our
state of the art facility located in the heart of the community we serve. We moved here in 2004 and were able to bring
all three core services under one roof! This further enhanced our ability to provide
wrap-around services to children and families.
365 days a year, the lights are always on at Crittenton Centers!
9. Financial Support.
From individual donors to grants secured
through the State and community organizations, we could not do any of the work
we do without financial support. The
financial support we receive from these sources as well as our special events,
allow us to provide safe, nurturing care to children in our Crisis Nursery and
Child Development Center. It also
provides us the opportunity to support parents and educate them on the
important role they play in their child’s life.
8. Resources.
Quite simply, we are thankful for all of
the resources we have to educate and care for young children. A pantry full of healthy, nutritious food;
play equipment that allows children to exercise and develop their growing
bodies; books to foster an early love of reading; safe reliable vehicles to
provide home visits and client transportation.
All of these resources create an environment for successful learning!
7. Vendors.
We are so fortunate to have vendors that
not only provide great customer service to keep our operations running
smoothly, but are also deeply committed to our organization’s mission. Jeff at Stellar Systems who manages all of
our technology needs; John at Performance Foods who takes time to come in each
week and personally order the food needed for children’s meals; Trisha, Mindy,
Denise and Sandy at Kuhl Insurance who work tirelessly to advocate for staff;
and Pam at Mutual of America who takes time to ensure staff have the tools for
successful retirement planning. These
are just a few of companies we are grateful to for their continued support. You certainly go above and beyond.
6. Community Partners.
There really are too many to name, but
we could not successfully complete the mission of protecting and nurturing
children and families without all of the other human service organizations in
this community. By working together in
partnership we are building a stronger community.
5. Volunteers.
Our volunteers are one of our biggest
blessings. They do so much to support
the work from rocking babies in the Crisis Nursery to pulling weeds in the
Community Garden. There is no way we
could do as much as we do successfully without their tireless support!
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| Featured in the Crisis Nursery. All of the Volunteers who regularly give their time are displayed on the bulletin board: "Friendsgiving!" |
Our Board of Directors are some of the
most committed people you will find.
They support the mission of Crittenton Centers through lending their
expertise, governance, fundraising efforts and general ongoing support. They desire to see the agency be as
successful as possible and work hard to ensure that it is. We are so thankful for their unwavering
support of the work.
3. Staff.
There are not enough words to express the gratitude we have for our
staff. They are so committed to the
mission and they demonstrate that every day through their work with children
and families. In fact, they are like
family. We all work together fulfilling
our specific roles to ensure success for those we serve. Nothing would be possible without them, and
they are one of our richest blessings!
2. Children
and Families.
Of course near the top of our list must be the children and families we
serve! Getting the opportunity to work
with these little people every day is something that motivates each and every
one of us on staff at Crittenton Centers.
Tucked inside each of these children is a story that is precious and
wouldn’t be complete without the parents.
That is why we are grateful for the chance to work with two generations --parents
and children.
1. YOU!
Our list wouldn’t be complete without you. No matter your role, if you’re reading this
blog, you are a friend of Crittenton Centers and we are thankful for you! Maybe you give financially, or advocate for
the clients we serve, or remember us in your prayers, regardless of your role,
it is critical to our success. You
support us in our effort to build stronger communities by strengthening
families. Thank you!
You have undoubtedly heard the saying “it takes a village to raise a
child.” This is something we say often
around here, and is certainly a sentiment we experience every day. Each of these items listed is a part of the
village that helps make Crittenton Centers successful, and that includes you!
Happy Thanksgiving and MANY THANKS for your continued support,
Keri Hattan
Vice President and COO
