The Benefits of Gratitude

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Though it may seem like we can’t always agree on a lot, I’m willing to bet that most of us would agree that the last few years has been pretty stressful. Did you know that the simple act of saying “thank you,” regularly can help with that? Actually, according to Postive Psychology, gratitude can benefit you in a variety of ways including:

  • increased happiness and positive mood

  • more satisfaction with life

  • less materialistic

  • less likely to experience burnout

  • better physical health

  • better sleep

  • less fatigue

  • lower levels of cellular inflammation

  • greater resiliency

  • encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom

We could certainly use more of these things in our lives and so I want to take a moment to thank some of the people and organizations who make a tremendous difference in the lives of the 200+ Bennington County residents experiencing homelessness who we help every year.

1.) Our Staff: First and foremost, we want to thank our wonderful staff: Aiden, Bill, Deza-Rae, Ethan, Sarah, Shane, and Val. You keep our residents safe, create a respectful environment, and keep the shelter running 24/7 365 days a year. You help create a warm and inviting home for people who would not have one otherwise. Thank you for the great work you do.

2.) Bennington County: We are so grateful for the kind, generous, and caring people of Bennington County and beyond! Whether you’re one of our email subscribers, you’ve contributed money to our GoFundMe campaign or you’ve given one of the many physical goods we need to keep running, you’ve donated your time, or you’re one of the voters who help approve our funding in the town budget, we couldn’t do the work we do without you.

3.) Our Network Partners: We are so fortunate to have an amazing array of network partners with whom we partner every day to provide comprehensive wrap-around services to the people of Bennington County who are struggling. Among the MANY agencies with whom we work, we want to thank Greater Bennington Community Services (GBCS), Turning Point, BROC, UCS, Economic Services Division (ESD), Goodwill, Hireability, Creative Workforce Solutions (CWS), and PAVE.

4.) OEO and the State of Vermont: Thank you for providing the bulk of our funding so that we can serve our community. We appreciate your trust, guidance, and the opportunity you’ve given to us.

5.) Bennington County's Interfaith Community: From the individual support and guidance they provide to our residents, the delicious food the Second Congregational Church brings to our residents every Sunday, the salad and tasty sweets made by Rabbi Jarah and the Jewish community that fed 113 hungry Vermonters, and even their monetary donations, including a generous one we recently received by the First Congressional Church, we are so fortunate to have you here! Thank you so much to everyone in the Bennington County Faith community for all you do to help your neighbors. We see you and we appreciate you.

6.) Bennington County Voters: Every year, the town of Bennington votes on whether to appropriate funds to help keep BCCH running. In a time in this country when it often feels like voters can’t agree on what color grass is, we are touched and humbled that more than 60% of Bennington residents voted to keep funding our homeless shelters. Thank you SO much for coming out to the polls and for supporting us.

7.) Our Residents: Last but certainly not least, we want to thank the Bennington County residents whom we serve. Your resilience, hard work, and determination in the face of adversity are an inspiration to us all.