Sometimes we need to look back in order to be thankful. Often, I just get too busy and forget to thank the people in our lives - the people we work with, the people that volunteer and donate, the people we come up against ( ok, maybe that's a different blog...) the people we love and cherish, and for me, my God, who provides all those things.
Thanksgiving gives me the opportunity to take a moment, look back, and reflect. This year I’m especially thankful for how God works, weaving things together and putting people in my path just when needed. It's always amazing to me.
Thanksgiving gives me the opportunity to take a moment, look back, and reflect. This year I’m especially thankful for how God works, weaving things together and putting people in my path just when needed. It's always amazing to me.
I had not seen Carolyn Howard in many years, not since her daughter Sarah and Amilia were preschoolers dressing their baby dolls and cooking on their Little Tykes Kitchen ranges. Last December, the Howards came to Light the Night. To say the least, I was near tears with happiness to reconnect with them. They were moved by our cause, and last May, Sarah asked to intern with us. She and Catherine Conroy were a great help!
At Sarah’s graduation party in June, I connected with Kathy and Mike Wipperfeld, neighbors that I also had not seen in many years. We chatted and updated each other on our families. I gave them highlights about Amilia’s Light and the need for volunteers, especially in marketing. Well, Kathy just happens to have a background in marketing communications. Kathy hadn’t realized all that we were doing to empower survivors of human trafficking. On the spot she stepped up to help us with branding!
Over the summer, we were getting ready to host our first golf tournament. Suzanne Siino, one of our volunteers, just happened to have organized over a dozen of them. She stepped up to help get TEE IT UP For Amilia’s Light off the ground!
T-shirts were needed for the golf tournament and Kathy suggested we redesign the logo. o
Well, wouldn’t you know, Suzanne’s brother just happens to be a graphic designer. He volunteered to design a new logo that symbolizes our mission to shine light through a prism into the darkness of human trafficking. What a subtle, yet powerful way to convey our message.
In the process of rebranding, it just happened that our old website was no longer supported. It forced us to start from scratch, rethinking our image and refocusing our message. Now we are blessed to have an amazing new website.
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| The Empowerment Program - 10,000 Lights Women's Business Centre Miriam Enyaga, Co-founder Destiny Women Teddy - now employed at the program. |
So, this year, I’m most thankful for how God works. I’m thankful, too, for my family and friends, for the work that I’m privileged to do and the volunteers and board members that help make it happen, and for the young women who we are helping. Every day, even on the tough days, I wake knowing that we are empowering survivors of human trafficking, one girl at a time.
