As 2022 ends, I am reflecting on all that Operation Freedom Paws (OFP) has accomplished this year. 2022 has had its ups and downs. We have all faced challenges and survived. This post is about believing there is a better tomorrow than today. Believing in the good, caring for one another, smiling at someone when you pass by them, or saying hello even when you may not feel like it, it can all make a difference. You never know how your actions can brighten someone’s day, or your own.
We have seen significant progress with our clients this year. You, our supporters, don’t always get to see that progress, but we strive to share with you how important your role in that progress is. For our clients, progress is sometimes measured in things you and I take for granted every day like stepping outside of our homes, having a conversation with a stranger, taking our kids to Disneyland, reconnecting with our partner over dinner at a restaurant, starting a job, going to school, or trying something new. These moments may feel like daily events for us, but for our clients, these are huge milestones that we cheer on and congratulate them for achieving. These are moments we have the honor of witnessing. So, every minute volunteered, every tax-deductible dollar donated to OFP makes a difference in our clients’ lives and helps give them moments to be celebrated and cherished. Because for some of our clients, a second career, treasured family memories, new adventures, retirement, a new day for the everyday things to happen is a profound gift.
So yes, I count my blessings every day. I am grateful for all of you, our supporters, champion fundraisers and donors, our ambassadors and sponsors, our community partners, the folks that attend our events and the folks that ask us to do presentations. I am grateful for our clients and their families for trusting in OFP. I am grateful for the community we live in and our community that spans across the country. The gratitude I feel for my incredible staff that keep things going and moving forward every day.
May we all count our blessings, be kind and supportive. May we not judge a book by its cover but by its character. May your lives be blessed each and every day and thank you for being a part of our community.
Every penny counts. Please consider OFP if you are making a tax-deductible end-of-year donation this holiday season. And if you become a monthly donor, you enable us to sustain our mission throughout the year. In doing so you will help us to save two lives, one team at a time. When you do what you can, you never know how far that ripple of good will go and how many lives it will touch.
Four Paws Two Feet One Team™. May 2023 be all you hope for and may it be filled with blessings and miracles. Know you have been a part of making blessings and miracles happen here at OFP.
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My Sincerest Gratitude,
Mary Cortani, Founder and Executive Director of Operation Freedom Paws