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There was a man who lived along the ocean. One
morning, at about 5:00 am, when he could sleep no longer, he decided to take a walk along the
beach. It was a foggy morning, and the first rays of the sun were slipping above the horizon.
The man enjoyed the walk; it was as if the beach belonged to him. He glanced down on the beach
and saw a figure that seemed to be dancing. He wondered why anyone would be on the beach so early;
his curiosity caused him to quicken his pace.
As he drew nearer, he realized that the figure was that of a young man, and he wasn't dancing . . .
he was throwing something into the water. As he drew very close, he realized that the young
man was picking starfish off the beach and was tossing them back into the water.
"Why are you throwing starfish into the water?" he asked.
As the young man continued on with his task he replied, "The tide is
going out, the sun
is rising, and the starfish that are left on the beach will surely die."
"I understand," the man replied, "
but there must be thousands of starfish on this
beach. It seems such a waste of time and energy! You can't possibly get to all of them.
There are simply too many and there are miles and miles of beach with starfish all along it.
Can't you see that you can't possibly make a difference?"
The young man thought for a moment. He reached down to pick up another starfish, and as he
gently threw it back into the sea he said, "It makes a difference . . .
to this one."
When parents feel that the Programs and Schools has 'made
a difference' in their family, they often want to
share this with others. This desire to share what has worked with their family is further
propelled out of compassion for other families in breakdown, a desire to express gratitude
by 'giving back', and/or a desire to 'make a difference.'
The Referral Program was created as a means to express appreciation for your vote of
confidence in the Programs and your ongoing efforts to share with others. Additionally,
it assists families who are experiencing financial strains as a result of their child's
special needs. When your referral efforts result in the enrollment of another student to
any of the Programs or Schools recommended by Teen Help, your student will be credited with a
month's tuition in their School.In many cases, tuition assistance is not needed or desired, yet
parents still want to utilize the Referral Program as a means to 'make a difference' and help other
families.
This handbook, Making a Difference, will provide direction and an
overview of resource
materials available, with effective suggestions for their use. While this guide is intended
to provide focus and direction, we expect this will be used as a springboard to additional
ideas as you pursue and live your purpose.
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Starfish Story |
One Parents Story | How To Get Started |
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