THREE AGENCIES HONORED FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

A room filled with red and pink hearts in observance of Valentine's Day set the scene for a message of compassion at the Community Caring Council's ninth annual conference Friday.

About 200 people attended the conference at Drury Lodge.

The Community Caring Council was developed 10 years ago primarily through efforts of state Rep. Mary Kasten.

On Friday, Kasten presented three Community Partnership Awards honoring the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, Cape Girardeau Police Department and Area Wide United Way.

The Community Partnership Award is the highest award given by the council.

"These organizations share a common purpose with the Community Caring Council to empower families to be self reliant, responsible and resourceful," Kasten said.

The Community Caring Council was designed to bring service agencies in the community together in a way that best helps people and families having trouble.

Cape Girardeau's council serves as a model for similar collaborative efforts across the country.

Kasten said: "It's hard to believe it has been 10 years. We've grown together. We've had our ups and downs, but we've grown stronger and we've built a trust."

The organization is still working toward the same goal, she said. "We're trying to do some great things for families and children."

The Rev. Leo Booth, keynote speaker for the conference, said he was confident Cape Girardeau was a caring community. "Today I want to start the process of caring for yourselves," he said.

People who work in service agencies persuade their clients to do things they may not be inclined to do, like attend support group meetings, read materials and look at life in a different way. But how do we take care of the care givers?" Booth asked.

Booth, an Episcopal priest from Los Angeles, has written several books on spirituality, including a new book of meditations titled "Healing Thoughts."

He said care givers should look for a spiritual answer to help themselves and their clients.

"We all come from a variety of religious groups, but the one thing we have in common is spirituality," Booth said.

Spirituality will lead to a positive and creative person, he said. Positive people, he said, look at what can be done today for good. Creative people look for ways to take ideas and make them work.

"Communicating with people, connecting with them, helps them move to the next level," he said.