Message From our CEO, Adelia thompson

​I think the words Thankful and Grateful are not interchangeable.  

They share the same spirit, but  they are different - in the same way I think happy and joyful are different. Sad and heartbroken. Inspired and enlightened. Lucky and blessed. Nice and kind. 

For me, thankful is a more “in the moment” expression. A response to an experience or item or kind words or surprise.  Stopping to be aware, to say thanks, to be thankful is one of the most important, affirming and 

positively human things we can do. It is good stuff.  Mom always said, never underestimate the power of a thank you.  She’s right.

Grateful - so that runs deeper.  It too can happen in a moment, but for me grateful is that utter soul-encompassing, love-wrapped, emotion-overflowing sense of blessing that can emerge at some of life’s most joyful times, and most crushing ones too. And shows up as part of everyday miracles.

I offer that bit of back story so that when you see “Grateful” as the theme for our summer newsletter - you have a little context. 

• ​Our Generous Community: We are grateful for the extraordinary response this community put forward for this year’s Give Local 757 day of giving event. You can find the details in the feature story, but the bottom line is this: You - Hampton Roads - showed up in record numbers.  You gave more money than ever before. You made more gifts to more organizations than ever before.  That is game-changing, life-supporting giving that makes all the difference to those organizations across the 757 that serve our neighbors. That serve all of us.
  
• The Newport News Public Art Foundation: We are grateful for their trust in us to help them care for the resources gifted to them, but most importantly for the art that lives in wonderful spots across Newport News that invites us every day to be open to beauty and delight and creative spark - and to have the eyes to see those things in unexpected places.
• Our Scholarship Recipients: We are grateful for the beautiful stories from some of this year’s scholarship recipients - students who received support from one of our 23 scholarship funds that will fuel their lives and their dreams as they dive into their “next.” 
• Entrepreneurial Educators: One of the ways PCF serves our neighbors is to make it easy for businesses whose home base is the Peninsula to channel support to the whole footprint they serve. One great example is our educator grants. We are grateful for all the teachers who received one of our educator grants this year on the Peninsula and beyond. 
• Children's Holiday Fund: We decided to celebrate Christmas in July! We are grateful for the sponsors and donors who, year after year, sign on to help us help kids and families during the holidays through our Children's Holiday Fund. This special program meets real needs while also providing real joy for children and families. The grantee organizations know the families’ hearts, hopes and needs because they walk their journey with them all year long. Our sponsors and donors know that’s what makes this holiday program different - and only through their support does this beautiful Fund continue.

In recent weeks, I have lost a few precious people in my life. They were young. They were making a difference here.  They were kind and funny and wise and wonderful.

But you know what? First - they were grateful. 

For the chance to help. For the chance to step up - to be quiet everyday heroes. They didn’t ask why - they just said yes. They were really, truly grateful.

So - I am too.  We are too.  When you focus on grateful, there really is just not a lot of room for anything else.

Peninsula - we are grateful.  757 - we are grateful. Friends and neighbors - we are grateful.  

Grateful indeed.
Adelia

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