“Sometimes, one person can give you the inspiration you never knew you needed.”
Community Partnership of the Ozarks
I received such an inspiration! I was writing about Missouri authors when I met Mr. Todd Parnell. He spoke to my heart and moved me in a direction I would never have found had we not spoken. This blog was to be about Writing for a Cause. Don’t get me wrong, it still is. The “cause” has spoken to my heart and I hope it speaks to yours as well.
I had the pleasure of meeting an incredible woman, Dana Carroll, thanks to Todd Parnell. She is doing remarkable things as the Vice President of Early Childhood and Family Development at Community Partnership of the Ozarks.
The Community Partnership “facilitates and promotes the building of resilient children, healthy families, and strong neighborhoods & communities through collaboration, programming, and resource development.”
One of their programs is “The Every Child Promise.” The Every Child Promise works to make life better for children. They work with schools, parents, and the community to give every child the opportunity to excel in kindergarten, in school, and in life. They have developed the Early Learning Leadership Academy in an effort to support preschool children.
Remember at the beginning when I said it spoke to my heart? This is where I want to give you a look into why. I grew up impoverished. Our Thanksgiving meal came in a box donated by the community. My family life consisted of emotional and physical abuse until I ran away from home at the age of 16. I struggled for several years to get on my feet. I couldn’t have made it without help along the way. When I was at my lowest, a hand was always extended and helped me up. I have several people I could thank over the years. Looking back, I am humbled by their generosity and caring and wish I could name each one. But the focus here isn’t on me. It is on my story. A common story. A story the Community Partnership of the Ozarks is trying to change, one child—one family at a time. The Every Child Promise is the helping hand extending out to those in need.
Mr. Todd Parnell is one of those extended hands. A man of purity, selflessness, and love. He will be donating a book, To Have and Have Not, a Love Story, to the Every Child Promise as a fundraiser. The book will be available just before Christmas (what an awesome gift). You can get your copy from Acclaim Press or Barnes and Noble at one of his featured book signings.
With us, the community, we can make this fundraiser a huge success for a very worthy initiative. You can also join them as a volunteer at Community Partnership of the Ozarks.
Read the interview with Todd Parnell.
I hope you are as inspired as I was by what this organization is doing!