What a true blessing to have a heart full of gratitude, most especially as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday. As you reflect on what you feel grateful for this holiday, I’d like to ask you to consider the following numbers:
- 141
- 593
- 5,000,000+
At first glance these may seem insignificant, almost arbitrary. But when you think about what these numbers mean for the giver and receiver of extreme generosity by so many, their value transforms before your eyes.
Here is what these numbers mean in connection to the work accomplished and donated to the Phoenix Dream Center Kitchen and the Dream Rooms.
- 141 babies were born to young women who have lived in the Dream Rooms created for victims of human trafficking.
- 593 young women have been rescued between the ages of 14 and 26 who are survivors of human trafficking.
- 5,000,000+ meals will be prepared and served by Thanksgiving 2018 to individuals in addiction recovery, human trafficking and foster care programs since the implementation of the new Phoenix Dream Center Kitchen.
When it comes to understanding the value of each individual who has been helped by our combined efforts, our friends at Oz Architects put it quite beautifully. They described how they incorporated reclaimed beams in their Dream Rooms design as a symbol to show the women who would live in these rooms of what could be done by “recapturing and celebrating the inherent value and beauty that is part of every old beam, of every human.”
At Team DSC®, we agree that every‘one’ has immeasurable value and no ‘one’ should ever be disregarded or left behind.
Here are several more numbers that make up the community of people whose strength in numbers have exponentially affected the lives of others in immensely positive ways. We are forever grateful to:
- DSC Clients – each and every‘one’ treasured and valued.
- The DSC team and their families who volunteered 100s of hours of their time and talents
- 10 Interior Design Firms
- 34 Team DSC Trade Partners
- 100+ General and Trade Contractors
- 300+ Companies who donated materials of every kind
- 1,000+ Volunteers
One last number we’d like to share with you is 72. The Dream Rooms project was completed start to finish in 72 calendar days due to a spirit of cooperation and a common cause. It is incredible to think what can be accomplished in a small amount of time when individuals are on a focused mission to serve the community in which we are all connected.
As one person with the gifts you’ve been given, how can you make the biggest impact to make the world a better place for others? It can be as small as spending one hour tutoring a child from an underserved neighborhood to as large as leading the charge of one major community service project. What’s important to realize is that from your first step to help others, the sky is the limit. Share your efforts with us. And together we will celebrate in gratitude of what we can each do to lift up one another’s lives.
In gratitude,
Jerry Meek and Team DSC®
If you’d like to see pictures of the Dream Rooms, visit DSC.CO/DreamRooms.
To view images of the Phoenix Dream Center Kitchen, visit DSC.CO/PDCkitchen.
