Women create a thanking chain

This November, family and friends will come together on Thanksgiving for a day of gratitude. However, it is throughout the year that these bonds are strengthened by acts of kindness. In this issue of CityLife, we asked three women in the Shreveport- Bossier City community to begin a “pay-it-forward, thank-you chain.” They gave thanks to someone who in turn gave thanks to someone else, and the chain continued. These three “thank you” chains include teachers, visionaries, businesswomen and a student expressing their thanks to each other for years of generosity, admiration, support and true friendship, proving we are all connected by a single act of kindness.

chain 1:

Jaleia Latson, Renzi Center student, age 9 Thanking: Christy Kirkley, director of the Renzi Education and Art Center “I am thankful for Mrs. Christy at the Renzi Center because she is compassionate and caring. She loves kids. She is very different from other people. She is a good manager over Renzi. She loves everybody no matter what.”

Christy Kirkley Thanking: Kelly McDade, art instructor at Bossier Parish Community College “I give thanks to the amazing Kelly McDade for her friendship and thoughtfulness. I am grateful for and inspired by the work she does in our community, supporting local art, businesses and causes. I am thankful for her dedication to the Renzi Education and Art Center, from manning tables at the crack of dawn to surprising the kids with pizza. Kelly’s one of the most awesome women I’ve ever met!”

Kelly McDade Thanking: April Dahm, an independent consultant “I thank April Dahm for being a community activist, a bicycle enthusiast, a devoted wife and mother, a music-lover, a slow food and localvore advocate, a Master Gardener, and an enthusiastic supporter of the arts. She is the original founder of the Texas Avenue Makers Fair, has acted as Minicine and McNeill Street Pump Station events coordinator, and she led Texas Avenue Community Association. I cannot wait to see what her next idea is. When she has a vision, she works collaboratively, amasses great volunteers and works harder than anyone out there to get things done right; with authenticity and integrity. I just love her!”

April Dahm Thanking: Regan Horn, administrative assistant for Argent Financial Group “Regan Horn is a vital force in behind a group of young people working to better our community. Her positive and gregarious attitude is infectious. A recent graduate of Louisiana State University-Shreveport, Regan has decided to stick around and create the lifestyle options our area lacks rather than seek those choices in other cities. She is definitely a woman to watch; she is golden.”

chain 2:

Liz Swaine, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority Thanking: Jan Elkins, broadcast journalist for KTBS-TV “Dear Jan Elkins, thank you for being so kind when I moved to Shreveport to take the 6 and 10 anchor job at KTBS. One of the reporters there at the time believed the job was hers, and I remember being both an outsider and an unwelcome interloper. Thank goodness for you. You were always there with a friendly word, helpful advice and a hug, which – as you remember – freaked me out, being from a non-hugging family. But you kept on hugging and gradually, I became less of a fence post and started hugging in return. I now hug with great abandon – something I learned from you.”

Jan Elkins Thanking: Sandra Braddock, president of Jean Simpson Personnel Services “I want to thank Sandra Braddock for her generous spirit, and leadership in the community. Whether it’s a chamber event, Military Affairs Council or another business function, you can count on Sandra to sponsor events and promote the good in our communities. She believes in practicing the Golden Rule in her business, and that same concept shows throughout her life. Thank you, Sandra, for making our community a better place to live.”

Sandra Braddock Thanking: Jane H. Smith, retired educator and former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives “I want to pay it forward to Jane Smith. I want to thank her for her dedication to education and representing my views in the Louisiana State House of Representatives. She is a woman who stands by her views and never waivers, unlike a lot of other politicians. She is a role model to me and for many other women. Thank you, Jane Smith, for being who you are.”

chain 3:

Elizabeth Bright, executive director of the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet Thanking: Kristi Gustavson Harris, Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet board member “I am thankful for Kristi Gustavson Harris. Although I’m not from Shreveport, she rolled out the welcome mat when we moved here in March 2013. She was inclusive and welcoming and made the transition of the move and settling in much easier. Kristi was monumental in redirecting my career and finding not only my niche but a new interest: the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet. Yet still, I am most thankful for her friendship and support as we traverse the world of having strong-willed daughters. To many years of: family gatherings, play dates, girls’ nights out and laughs and tears over the kids ahead.”

Kristi Gustavson Harris Thanking: Candace Collette, marketing and recruiting director, Cook, Yancey, King and Galloway, APLC “I am thankful for Candace Collette. Candace and I worked together for many years at Cook Yancey. Candace is one of the most upbeat people I know. Despite what she is going through, Candace always remains positive and her attitude is often contagious and a good influence on those around her. Candace is also the type of person that is always thinking of others. She often clips out magazine or newspaper articles for me on topics she knows that I am interested. Candace is always open to try new things and frankly just fun! Finally, she is truly thoughtful and a great friend.

Candace Collette Thanking: Jodi C. Penn, business development, Heard, McElroy & Vestal, LLC:

“I am thankful for her friendship, generosity and caring ways. She has wise words and inspiration for me and often points me to right paths. Jodi shares her gifts of hospitality in beautiful ways. Her winning smile and infectious laugh have a way of drawing you in. She has many good qualities, but I think her penchant for spontaneous fun might top the list.

Jodi C. Penn Thanking: a community of best friends “Mindy Lahiri, played by Minday Kaling, of ‘The Mindy Project’ said ‘A best friend isn’t a person ... it’s a tier.’ Although this is meant to be funny, in my life it’s true. When my husband was diagnosed with cancer, my ‘best friend’ provided the support, love and laughter I needed. For 13 months, my best friend stood by my side and oftentimes carried the burden. Even after Mike’s death, my best friend ‘paid it forward’ to me. So, to all my best friends who I fell into their arms broken and grieving from the moment of diagnosis to this day ... I say thank you and I love you. You held bedside vigils, prayed, counseled me, delivered meals, helped me laugh, let me cry and showed me the love of Christ with your compassion and care. Thank you. You are my best friend!”