“I want to tell everybody to celebrate every day, to savor the day and be good to yourself, love yourself, and then you can be good to others and be of service to others.” By Charlotte Rae
Have you responded to “Count Me in 2022”?
Non-Financial Success…!
I am often asked about “Friends of Copey”. How does this all work with so very little funds? I prepared a audiocast this year to help explain. However, submitting this report to “Friends” at the end of the year helps me demonstrate how this is done. Our success is defined mostly by what we do…and how we do it. The volunteers aka “Friends” make our efforts a “non-financial” success.
Each day I wake up to a new experience witnessing people caring for others. I engage with people who easily see their small acts of giving to others ultimately returning enormous satisfaction and gratification. Certainly, giving or sharing is priceless and what the giver receives in return is also priceless. The volunteers give and the prayers and encouragement others provide throughout the year explains why this project remains successful and without any known peers.
If you really want to help make a difference in a young life…be a “Friend of Copey”.
“Congratulations to Friends”
The time was December 15, 2013, eight years ago this week when the first “Friends of Copey” Post was published. That is when “Friends” and our history officially began. Today’s Post represents Post #422. This means an average of one Post per week has been published for every week during these eight years. 
Visits to the Posts each week are recorded by the software used (WordPress). In 2017, we had a very sharp increase compared to prior years in Post visits (4055 total visits). The increase in 2017 was so large that it has been difficult to reach that high mark again.
But, this year things are different. Beginning December we passed years 2018, 2019, and 2020’s annual count. Now, we are very close to reaching a new all time high for visits to our Posts. Our current level is 3,828. At this hour we are 227 visits away from matching our all time high count.
This is very simple….if you are now reading this Post, you have reduced the count below 227 and contributed to a tremendous accomplishment for this year. Thank you so much!
Footnote: Occasionally, I comment on the various parts of the world where we get many of our visits. The Posts continue to be read all over the world. 
We certainly expect to have visits from the USA, Costa Rica, and Canada. However, other countries are very interesting. Here are only the top ten countries for the year. There are about 100 countries with one or more visits.
The On-Line Educational Project Support
During 2021, “Friends” assisted the Copey Learning Center by recruiting very talented teachers to support the 2021 on line education project. Dream Teams II and III were formed. Our 2021 direct link support included Jane Rutledge, Emery Reid, Teresa Keller, Hina Fatima, and Katy Davidson.
Jane Rutledge has served on all three Dream Teams and Emery Reid has served on Dream Teams I and III. This represents a major volunteer effort. I am very grateful for them. Repeat Dream Team members provide continuity, trust, and a growing student teacher relationship.
Dream Team members for all three semesters are congratulated for being so generous with both their time and talent. These great volunteers represent Virginia, South Carolina, California, Ohio, North Carolina, and the United Kingdom and Canada. See the list of Dream Teamers in the Menu.
Others who have also devoted hours of support include Emory & Henry College students led by Professor Dr. Ed Davis. The entire college is a major support and is always willing to collaborate with ideas of service to others. When I have all the info needed, I will feature one student who supported Jane Rutledge during this last semester.
We are very grateful for providing close to 1,000 hours of volunteer service in 2021.
Emory & Henry College Summer Scholars Institute
For the second year, Copey students were restricted from traveling to the USA to attend the college’s
Summer Scholars Institute. However, the students did participate on line along with all the other students from various states. This provides a significant opportunity for the Copey students to meet, interact, and exchange knowledge and cultures with others. Most rural Costa Rican students do not have this rich opportunity.
Other Measures of Support
The Audiocast system was established and used to share three oral presentations. The planning and implementation of this new feature took time and my thanks to my grandson Mykel Broady for his volunteer hours that made this happen.
Mykel also implemented other changes including new “Quick Links” on our Posts where readers can easily view photos, Special Posts and Comments, and a special “In Memoriam” to recognize “Friends” and family members who have passed away.
I begun updating some of the information such as my biography with plans to continue bringing more topics up to date.
More improvements are planned for 2022. We never stop trying to show, explain, encourage, and just say “Thank You”.
If you want to continue receiving Posts after January 1, 2022, please send an email to me…”Count Me in 2022″ atbroady@aol.com
One post per week average for 8 years is an amazing accomplishment in itself—and what you and Friends of Copey have done for the children and community of Copey is indeed without peer. Just the fact this program exists is a light in turbulent times.
Count me in for 2022, 2023 and on and on. I get such joy from reading about this project and the wonderful teachers and students.