Oxford resident Dr. Janet McPeek was recently honored by the DTE Energy Foundation and Michigan Nonprofit Association with a “2003 Community Luminary Award.”
“It was a total surprise to me,” said the executive director of Crossroads for Youth, located at 930 E. Drahner Road in Oxford Township.
The awards, which commemorate Detroit Edison’s 100th anniversary, were given to outstanding leaders and volunteers for contributing to the development of Michigan communities and inspiring others.
McPeek was nominated for the honor by DTE Senior Vice President Ron May, who served on the Crossroads for Youth Board of Directors for eight years, six of those as president.
May described McPeek as a “class lady, “tireless” worker, and “special person.”
“She’s one of the most professional women I know,” he said. “She cares so much for her work and the children. She holds the kids in high esteem and really believes in the mission (of Crossroads).”
A real woman of “integrity,” May said McPeek “always faces the truth and does the right thing.”
“I was very surprised and very honored,” said McPeek of her award.
McPeek was among 100 community leaders who received a $1,000 contribution to a Michigan charity of their choice.
Naturally, McPeek chose to donate the money to Crossroads for Youth, which provides education, recreation, support and counseling to at-risk youngsters and their families.
The $1,000 was placed in Crossroads’ “children’s discretionary fund,” which McPeek said is “used for all of the unexpected kinds of things that come up with kids that we don’t get funding for in the regular perdiem.”
“Wednesday it was a kid who was supposed to go home for Thanksgiving and the parent couldn’t get here, so we gave the money for a bus ticket,” she said. “Or the kid who could see better if she had contacts, but Medicaid only pays for glasses.”
“It’s those kind of extra things that with kids make all the difference in the world,” McPeek added.
McPeek’s been making a difference in children’s lives for quite a while.
“I’ve worked with kids since I was a 16-year-old camp counselor and lifeguard,” she said. “The more experience I had, the more I grew to really like working with older kids, the middle school and high school ages.”
“Working with kids really keeps you young” McPeek said, noting she has to keep up with their music, vocabulary and fashions to stay in touch.
But beyond the latest trends, McPeek’s work has a positive affect on her outlook on life.
“The older we get as adults, the more we think of reasons why we can’t do things,” she explained. “And when your with a kid, all they ever say is ‘why not?’ To me, that really keeps your perspective very open.”
McPeek moved to Oxford in 1989 and began working part-time as a psychologist for Oxford Schools.
It was through the school district that she became familiar with Crossroads (then called Camp Oakland) and work being done there.
When the district promoted her to full-time, McPeek began working at Crossroads as a consulting psychologist.
However, she later left the school district to obtain her doctorate in psychology.
After receiving her degree, McPeek was hired 10 years ago as the clinical director for Crossroads.
Within a few years, she was promoted to executive director, a position she’s held for the last eight years.
McPeek’s love of camping and the outdoors made her a natural fit for Crossroads, which sits on 320 acres in a rural area.
She believes the rural atmosphere is a “tremendous benefit” to the kids because the “tranquil setting” has a “calming effect” and “supports traditional therapy.”
The large and diverse rural landscape also provides the kids with many activities such as hiking, swimming, canoeing, running, basketball, volleyball, fishing, etc.
“Exercise is one of the best ways to treat anxiety and depression,” McPeek said.
When she’s not directing the day-to-day operations of Crossroads, McPeek serves as president-elect of the Rotary Club of Oxford and sits on the advisory board for POH Medical Center-Oxford.
She’s also very involved in King of Kings Lutheran Church in Orion.