From my family to yours, I want to wish the entire Incompass Human Services community a happy Thanksgiving. This year has been a challenging one, but I thought this particular holiday was a good opportunity to look back at one of my favorite days of 2020: our Care Champions Caravan. On this day in May, dozens of staff drove to each and every one of our group homes to express appreciation to the Care Champions who are working so hard to keep our community safe.
For all of the Care Champions, thank you so much for all that you do. The executive leadership team will be handing out some small tokens of our appreciation to each of you in the next few weeks. We are eternally grateful for the dedication you have to every individual, family member, and caregiver we support.
We were thrilled to start the short holiday week by finding out that Incompass Human Services was featured in The Lowell Sun! This is a huge win for the Incompass community because we truly couldn’t do what we do without the support of our community, Care Champions, the folks we are honored to support, and their loved ones. Check it out here!
Today is voting day across the country, and polling stations around the nation and across our region are bustling with activity! Given the work that we do, and the hundreds of people and families we actively support, civic engagement is obviously core to our culture and mission. The work we do has a profound and positive impact on our communities!
Just a reminder that if you’re a registered voter and intend to vote today in Massachusetts, polls will be open until 8 PM and you can easily determine your polling location on the Massachusetts website. I know that a number of you have already voted, either through early voting or by mail, and you can check the status of your mail-in ballot here.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the intense passion that the election cycle has generated across the political spectrum. But Incompass Human Services is a 501(c)(3) organization, meaning that our organization will never engage in politics, endorse a candidate, or support a campaign. I just want you to know that the act of voting itself is not a partisan issue, and I support your right to participate no matter which candidates you may support.
Two of the greatest aspects of this organization are our diversity and our unwavering commitment to the people we serve. We’re #CareChampions for crying out loud! And because of that, I think – no, I know – that nothing will get in our way of delivering on our mission. You have exemplified the #ForEachOther mindset that has enabled us to continue to be there for those who need us most – when they need us most.
Also, let’s not forget we’re still in the midst of a pandemic! As Dan pointed out in our bulletin on Friday, both Chelmsford and Lawrence are classified as “high-risk” communities. Governor Baker announced new restrictions just yesterday aimed to slow down the spread, as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. So if you are voting today, please be sure that you are doing so safely. Wear a mask. Social distance. Wash your hands.
It’s an honor to lead such a talented and passionate group of Care Champions. Keep up the great work, everyone!
New strategic plan. New culture statement. New brand. New group homes. New virtual programs. You notice a theme here? So I thought, why not try a new format for my monthly message to all of you! So I asked Dan to facilitate a little Q&A session where I was able to touch on many of the questions I’ve received in the past few weeks.
Now, believe it or not, there are some of you out there who don’t have the time or inclination to watch to me talk for 20 minutes! (Shocking, I know!) So if any topic is of particular interest to you, feel free to watch in three-minute increments below:
Hopefully, you’re still with me! I’d love to hear from you now…do you prefer this type of communication? Are there questions you have for me? Are there others in the organization you want to hear from? We have a big year ahead of us, and our ability to work together for the people we support will be the key to maximizing our impact.
Remember, we’re all care champions – even me, the least valuable employee! ? And we’re all working #ForEachOther to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
In all seriousness, it’s impossible to properly put in words my appreciation for the work you do. Your impact on the lives of the people you support cannot be overstated. Throughout the week, we’ll be sharing thanks and shining a spotlight on all of you, and since we can’t be together in person Al and I wanted to kick this off virtually.
