This year we wrote a letter of thanks to our 160 employees and included a $10 gas card as a small token of appreciation for all our employees do to help us build strong kids, strong families and strong communities every day.
Kirby J. Falkenberg
President/CEO/KB
YMCA of Michiana, Inc.

In Evansville, Indiana, a variety of youth-serving agencies have come together to promote Thank a Youth Worker Day. The Mayor of Evansville is issuing a proclamation declaring Nov. 5 Thank a Youth Worker Day, and we are holding a news conference on Monday to encourage everyone to express their appreciation for youth workers.

My agency plans to give our staff, Board, and other volunteers an orange (echoing the tradition of giving an apple to a teacher), along with orange awareness ribbons and notes of appreciation.

Parri O. Black, CEO
Youth First, Inc.
Evansville, Indiana

We have approximately 325 employees, all of whom meet the definition of youth worker. We have ordered 400 bright orange EcoBags imprinted with our school’s name, logo and the Thank a Youth Worker Ribbon for distribution to everyone. Those are the “green bags” like you see in super markets to encourage people to not use disposable plastic or paper bags.

We also are having a thank you buffet from 6AM to 6PM, hosted by Agency administrators, where staff can drop in before, during or after their work day to enjoy food and fellowship with one another.

Dave Moorehead, Executive Director
Waterford Country School
Quaker Hill, CT

Without knowing about today being Youth Worker Day I sent a thank you card this morning to my daughter’s Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Jennings along with a coffee gift card. She deserves that and more.

This post spurred me, however, to do something I’ve been meaning to do for ages: Thank my 8th grade history teacher. Mr. Christy taught me life lessons that I use frequently even today, 25 years later. More importantly, he inspired me at a time when I really needed it. Fortunately, old classmates with whom I’ve reconnected on a social networking site pointed out that Mr. Christy was not long ago awarded a coveted “Best teacher” award by a local news weekly and I was able to track down his email address.

Thank you friends and technology for making it easier to give just praise to someone who helped make me that man I am today. Thank you, Mr. Christy, for being an inspiration and for obviously continuing your life’s work with excellence. Thank you Mrs. Jennings for nurturing my daughter’s growing love of education. And thank you to all of you out there who work with youth everywhere.

Matt

Thanks Tom for all the work you are doing with our youth and still maintaining a fulltime college schedule. staring with two youth and now with 14 -16 youth in one year is pretty good. I look forward to your growth in Christ and to the youth that are learning the grace of God.  –Kirby

I’m remembering and sending prayers to the various teachers who have touched my life, especially:
- my mother Ann Underdown, who taught 4th grade in the public school system for over 30 years;
- her best friend Lucy Conar, who taught me the value of grace & now suffers from Parkinson’s disease;
- my close friend Krys’ mom Peggy Hamacher, who has been teaching 2nd grade forever & is now back at work after losing her husband of 37 yrs to cancer;
- my h.s. drama teacher Pat Sutherland, who encouraged me to be Wild & Wonderful (d. 2007);
- and my h.s. literature teacher Sherry Godsey, who opened the world of poetry to me (d. 2001).
Thank you!
Christi

Thank you to all those Youth Workers wherever they serve.  –Margaret