The holidays can be a wonderful time of the year. Many people experience the "holiday paradox" where time seems to whiz by but in retrospect slows down because of the beautiful memories being made during the holiday season. This is the time of year when we count our blessings and reflect on our lives. We're also asking ourselves "is it possible to attend 3 holiday parties in one night?"

The point is that things are not "normal" during the holidays. We spend our time differently; we have different commitments and priorities. We think more about our families and friends and we try to be a little kinder and more considerate.  Some organizations even shut down between December 25th and January 1st. They provide their employees extra vacation time and everyone spends a well-deserved break recharging their batteries.

The Crisis Center will not be shutting down over the holidays.  The Crisis Center is here to ensure that no one has to face crisis alone. We know that crisis doesn't take a break for the holidays. It doesn't matter if it's Christmas Eve or New Years Day. When dealing with crisis, the day of the week or the time of the year is irrelevant. The Crisis Center's 2-1-1 specialists, sexual assault advocates, and TransCare EMT's are always ready and prepared to provide help, hope, and healing to people in their time of need.

As you enjoy this holiday season, I ask that you pause to think about those people facing a crisis right now along with the dedicated Crisis Center employees who are there in their moment of need. Please consider how you can also provide help, hope and healing to those in our community. Perhaps it's a donation that will benefit a family or child, or maybe it's volunteering your time and talent. Either way, there's no better gift to give.  

On behalf of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay's Board of Directors, thank you for your support! We wish you the happiest of holiday seasons!