09/03/2026
From the office of our Executive Director Christopher D Madden
September Character Trait: Respect
As we enter September, Lee's Summit CARES invites our community to reflect on this month's Positive Character Trait: Respect. President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, "This world of ours... must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect." Those words feel especially meaningful today.
Respect does not require us to agree on everything; it asks us to recognize the humanity and value in one another even when our experiences, beliefs, backgrounds, or perspectives are different. A healthy community is not one without disagreement—it is one where we can disagree without losing our compassion for one another.
Respect must also begin with how we value ourselves. When we teach our young people to recognize their worth, establish healthy boundaries, make positive choices, and have confidence in their own voice, we give them tools that can last a lifetime.
Self-respect influences the relationships we accept, the decisions we make, and how we respond when faced with pressure or adversity. As adults, we have an equally important responsibility to model that behavior.
Our children are watching how we speak to one another, how we handle conflict, how we treat people who are different from us, and whether our actions reflect the character we encourage them to demonstrate.
At Lee's Summit CARES, we remain committed to doing our part to cultivate a community where positive character is not simply discussed—it is practiced. Whether through our work with youth, parents, schools, businesses, law enforcement, or community partners, we believe mutual respect creates the foundation upon which trust, belonging, and stronger communities are built.
This September, let's challenge ourselves to listen a little longer, judge a little less, extend grace more freely, and remember that we do not have to see eye to eye to stand shoulder to shoulder. When we respect ourselves and one another, we create a community where everyone has an opportunity to belong, contribute, and thrive.
Respectfully Submitted,
C.D. Madden, Sr. M.Ed, Executive Director
