Sometimes when I get out of a late meeting, I take look around the Crisis Center.  I'm always reminded of the remarkable work that goes on here 24/7 and the truly extraordinary volunteers and staff who do that work.  The miracles that happen here each day are truly amazing. Help is given to people who feel helpless; hope to people bereft of hope; and healing to children and families who have experienced horrors beyond comprehension. 

We are among the lucky few who have been given the rare opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others, to contribute to the well-being of a perfect stranger, to leave a lasting imprint on the fabric of life.  We know that being among the select few who get to witness the resiliency of the human spirit and to coax a wounded brother or sister along the way to a better life is indeed a privilege that we dare not squander; that as we ennoble others, we ennoble ourselves and  

all of us are better off as a consequence.

There's a saying that "good" is the enemy of "great", but I've come to realize  

that even "greatness" is not enough.  Given the lives and futures that are at stake each time we pick up the phone in 211, counsel a child in Corbett Trauma Center, or help a survivor walk through the door in Sexual Assault Services, we know that only the "extraordinary" will do.  

Your support of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay inspires me and reminds me how vital this agency is to our community.  A few words of thanks in this newsletter doesn't begin to express my appreciation to everyone who makes a financial contribution or volunteers their time to help make the extraordinary work of the Crisis Center possible!