Recently I shared with you a quote from Mother Teresa:
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
Of course, sometimes when we try to “cast a stone” in life it can be discouraging. Maybe it doesn’t go as far as we’d hoped, or the ripples aren’t as big as we expected.
That’s when discouragement can seep in. Is all this hard work really making a difference? 
Recently, I was talking to my son and he shared a great perspective on this feeling of discouragement.
“There are lots of ripples generated by all your hard work that you don’t even see or know about. So sometimes when it feels difficult or not worth continuing, just remember your ripples are continuing to spread!”
He’s absolutely right! Our hopes and expectations are one thing, but they aren’t the final word. Oftentimes our efforts can have far-reaching effects we don’t see or know about.
So I encourage you to keep creating ripples! All the effort and hard work IS worth it!
Here are some ways Defend Dignity is creating ripples:
- A fall webinar series entitled Digital Dignity that will focus on how to protect our children from online harms. It’s going to be a great series that provides awareness and action tips for staying safe online. Stay tuned for registration details!
- Our Survivor Support Fund intake opens October 1st and the need is great. During our spring intake we had 61 women apply—however, we only had sufficient funds to support 31. Supporting this fund with a donation is a great way you can “cast a stone” with Defend Dignity. Your gift can help provide a survivor with tuition fees for an aesthetic course so that she can become self-sustaining—a ‘ripple’ that you may never see but one that deeply impacts someone else’s life.
- This fall we continue to support important federal legislation that fights sexual exploitation! Defend Dignity is recognized as an official endorser of the Stopping Internet Sexual Exploitation Act (Bill C-270). Watch for updates on how you can get involved in supporting this legislation!
As we set out to do this work, we invite you to partner with us and become a monthly donor. This is a great way to make a real difference each month.
This fall, remember to keep on “casting your stone”—it’s the only way to create those ripples that you may never see.
Julia Ellergodt is the Interim Executive Director of Defend Dignity.
