The people who participate in running events such as marathons will understand this. As they tick off the miles in a race, their focus is constantly what’s ahead of them. They don’t take time to celebrate the checkpoints. Instead, the pass through each and devote their complete energies to reaching the next one. Many of us will be setting goals again as the new year begins. Our team at Care to Change has certainly spent some time setting goals and making plans for 2019.
But if we stop for a moment we’d realize just how much ground we’ve had covered in a short time. We incorporated in 2015 and opened our office in 2016. In just a short period of time more than 1,000 people have called us; we’ve served more than 600 families and we’ve educated hundreds of students, professionals, and church leaders along the way. And we’re just starting!
I frequently need to remind myself of the stories that accompany those numbers. Care to Change has been a labor of love, but I often focus so much on the labor involved in making things happen that I need to stop and consider the lives changed. We’ve seen marriages restored, lives saved, and parents responding to their children out of hope rather than desperation. We are so honored to be a part of that process. Every child, every teen, every couple… every family mean so much to us.
It’s starting to be common that the rooms at our office are full. 
We’ve started shifting where our therapists do their work to accommodate the space needs. And we’re adding new therapists to our staff as quickly as we can find those who fit our criteria. (If you’re a mental health professional who meets that description, and you’d like to know more about joining our team, please contact us so we can schedule a time to talk).
As word is spreading, our phone keeps ringing. Yes, I’m still focused on the next steps for Care to Change, but I’m grateful for what has already happened. Like those marathon runners, my eyes are firmly fixed on the next checkpoint and the one after that, but instead of getting a medal or a jersey, we get the satisfaction of watching people find hope, healing and purpose. It’s so exciting to know that as we grow, we’ll be able to do that for even more people. We are so honored.
Thanks for cheering us on along the way. We appreciate you.
To connect with our director, email april.bordeau@caretochange.org.