Message from Our Executive Director

Care Enough to Make a Difference!

A few weeks ago, I drove through the drive-thru at Dunkin Donuts on Gandy Blvd. and ordered a large coffee with cream. When I got to the pick-up window, to my surprise, my $2.13 order had been paid by the person in the car in front of me.

It was one of those fabled random acts of kindness.

All these weeks later, I smile every time I think about it. It was a simple gesture with a lasting impact.

Captivating the nation’s attention recently was a news story about a 26-year-old New York City police officer who noticed a homeless man without shoes sitting on the cold sidewalk. He went to Sketchers and purchased a $75 pair of boots to give the stranger -- proof positive that there are still good Samaritans among us.

Every day people step forward to help others. That is the story of The Centre for Women. When founder Helen Gordon Davis discovered women in the community who were in desperate need of help, she decided to step forward. It wasn’t easy. But she persisted, and with help from her husband and others, she opened the doors to The Women’s Survival Center as it was first called in 1978.

Now, 35 years later, more than 65,000 people are leading better lives because she cared enough to make a difference.

It may sound cliché but the reality is that more people than ever need help from The Centre this year. Job loss, economic woes, family discord, marital issues, substance abuse and poverty are only a few of the challenges our staff help people cope with every day. Those who come through the doors here find hope, inspiration and pathways to a better life.

Our work is possible because people in the community care enough to make difference in the lives of others.

In this season of giving, we hope you will make a gift to The Centre. Every gift matters…and yours will make a lasting impact here. 

 Ann Madsen