Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

So, a while back I was talking with an organization in Staten Island, New York about partnering with them and bringing Everybody Matters to the East Coast. One of the people on the call was a high powered community organizer who had worked both for the city and the state, and as I explained how we started the program, she politely interrupted and said, "Uh, wait a minute. Are you telling me that a school district just let you pilot this program? That doesn’t make sense. Districts aren’t nimble enough to let someone do that? How did it make it through committee? How did it make it through the board? This is nothing short of a miracle!"

"You got that right!" I said, “And the Miracle's name is Kim Guerin."

I explained that when I'd been inspired to create Everybody Matters, I was a school social worker and Kim was my boss. I'd gone to her and said that although I loved working with the students, I was simply outnumbered every day by the children who needed my attention and support. Everybody Matters would solve that problem, and I was going to quit my job so that I could create this program.

She said I couldn’t quit my job.

I said I was pretty sure she couldn't tell me I couldn't quit my job.

She laughed and said, "No, no. no. You don't get it. This is EXACTLY what we've needed all these years. Stay here and pilot it here!"

I told her I was pretty sure the district wouldn't let me do that. She said she was pretty sure they would.

They did.

She won.

And although I tell this story in a lighthearted way, I'm smart enough to know this all happened BECAUSE OF HER. She ushered the idea through committee. She ushered the idea through the board. And she gave this gift to the children of her school district.

I believe she trusted me because I had the reputation for being hard working and smart and honest. I believe they trusted her because she had the reputation of being hard working and smart and honest.

And so the children of her district got the help they deserved. And then other kids in other districts and now other kids in other states (over 5,000 to date) did too. And social work interns are getting exceptional training and over 250 of them are now out in the world doing great things. It's the ultimate ripple effect.

And most of the time I get the credit for all of this. But let’s face it, I might have "thought up" the miracle - but Kim made it happen!

And on behalf of all of these children and social work students: Thank you, Kim. Thank you for being hard working and smart and honest. You matter!

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