Gratitude is a powerful thing.

It’s amazing, the more thankful for what you have, the richer your life becomes.  Living a life of gratitude can make you incredibly happy.  For those of us who try to practice gratitude, some days are easier than others.  For me, it’s a process of fits and starts.  I go down the path, I fall off the path, I start back on the path.  I guess that’s why they call it “practice.”   


I recently heard a wonderful story of gratitude.  A young woman was graduating from college and wanted to thank some of the individuals who made a difference in her college career and her life.  She invited professors and mentors to a dinner and at the gathering, she expressed how she had lost an important person in her life at a very young age.  Because of that, she came to realize that you must always express thanks to those who impact your life while they are with you, because you never know how short that time may be. She thanked each individual personally for the impact they made in her life.  The grace and gratitude she shared brought everyone to tears and the impact of her gesture spread to others, who then shared their gratitude for those in their lives. Her gesture of gratitude spread.


I am on the MCCOY board of directors and I am grateful for the incredible work of the MCCOY staff and volunteers, the dedication and involvement of the youth workers who are out in the field every day, and the amazing impact that our youth have on our community. MCCOY is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.  I’m honored to have the privilege of working alongside MCCOY staff, board members and volunteers as we make plans for upcoming celebrations of MCCOY’s impact for the past 20 years and it’s exciting to hear what’s planned for the future.  While MCCOY is thanking the community for its support over the past 20 years, we also need to thank MCCOY for its tireless work in Marion County over the years.


If you have ever wondered what you can do to make a difference in your community—ever thought about getting involved but didn’t know how to get started—just take that first step.  Making a difference in your community doesn’t need to be big, involve a lot of money or be a drain on your time.  It can be simple—and fun!  Come to a MCCOY event and bring a friend.  Attend a training session.  Come to the June golf outing or September Art of Youth event.  Join a committee and volunteer your time and talent.  Subscribe to our newsletter and share it with a friend.  Thank a social worker by making a donation in their name.  Just say “thanks, MCCOY!” If you don’t know how to get started, email me at sjudge@butler.edu and I’ll get you going.


Thank YOU for being a friend of MCCOY.  Pass it along.  


Stephanie Judge Cripe
MCCOY Board Member