It was published at JenksJournal.com with a descriptive paragraph, "Optimist provides holiday food baskets ... The Jenks Optimist Club, partnered with the Jenks Police Department, area churches, the Jenks Chamber of Commerce and the Jenks Alternative Center, donated holiday food baskets to Jenks West Elementary and the Jenks Alternative Center."
What crossed my mind when reading the paragraph was wow, those three ladies are sure doing the work for a lot of people. And then I thought how easy it would be to dismiss the great number of partnerships that help service clubs thrive in their communities. It takes collaboration to prevent needs and people from falling through the cracks during the holidays and even more so throughout the year.
Next time your Optimist Club is fortunate to be photographed for the paper, try to be aware that the picture gives a good representation of the story because we know, it's a lot easier to read the headline, look at the picture and move on. As an Optimist Club, or any service club, be sure that your partners receive praise for their contributions at the same time that you receive praise for your coordination of an activity. We're all in this together!
