It is important to remember that all of our actions, no matter how small, make a difference in our community. Often times, it is a small action that touches someone’s life and makes a permanent impression. It is easy to get overwhelmed in today’s world and to feel like you just can’t do enough to make a difference.



A good story to think about to combat this feeling of "how much good can one person do" is the “Golden Starfish” story: While walking along a beach, a man saw someone in the distance bend down, pick something up, and throw it into the ocean. As he got closer, he noticed that it was a young woman, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the ocean. The old man smiled and said, “I must ask, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” The woman replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.” Upon hearing this, the man replied, “But do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!” The woman listened politely then bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the ocean and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

The Juniors’ first project of the year, Special Olympics Bowling, was a great success and an extremely rewarding experience. The Juniors were assigned the duty of “lane monitor” in order to ensure that the bowlers knew which order they were bowling in, to assist those with severe handicaps in the actual process of bowling, to help the score keepers, and to act as cheerleaders. Everyone had a great time and the top scoring bowlers from this event will move on to the next level of competition.

Our second event was a chocolate party with Faces of Courage, a group that organizes camps for kids, women and families who have been affected by cancer or blood disorders. The Juniors have established a great relationship with Faces of Courage, and this is one of our favorite organizations to support.

I think it is safe to say that the GFWC Tampa Juniors are well on their way to “Making a Difference Everyday in Tampa Bay”!