From the CEO: 2020…A Year Where We Overcame

From the CEO: 2020…A Year Where We Overcame

“The end of 2019 is upon us… but the truth of the matter is, I’m far too excited about the year ahead for LifeLinks CLASS to look back!”   –Jean Phelps, December 16, 2019

Dear Incompass Family:

Yep, that quote was me one year ago! Actually, last year I was writing my annual message to all of you from England, where I spent the holidays with my new grandson! And that was on the heels of another fun Annual Holiday Party at Lenzi’s! So yeah, safe to say my quote about 2020 hasn’t aged well, to say the least (including the LifeLinks CLASS reference)!

So I thought I should take the opposite approach this year in my holiday message to you. I know it was a challenging year, but I’m going to look back. Because despite the hardships, we have a lot to be proud of.

First and foremost, my heart goes out to anyone who’s been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those who have lost loved ones. And to our Care Champions who continue to work on the front lines at the height of the pandemic to provide care and support to the people we serve: thank you. You are not only essential, but you are an inspiration to so many at Incompass and beyond!

I think at some point down the line, when people ask me the theme of 2020, I’m going to say “overcoming.” We faced every obstacle you could imagine this year. And we faced it head-on…as a team. And our community is better for it.

But let’s not forget…we managed to take several steps forward along the way. I mean, look at this list!

and most importantly, we all worked together with our COVID-19 task force to keep all of our individuals and staff safe and healthy!

Now, did we have some setbacks? You bet. But you know what? The way we rose to the challenge this year and dusted ourselves off every time we were knocked down, tells me something about Incompass Care Champions.

We are resilient. We are dedicated. And we are stronger together.

I want you all to enjoy the holiday season. I know it will be different this year, but memories will still be made. So be safe, be happy, and be smart. And get ready for the year ahead. The vaccines are coming. And we will be able to be together again…I promise.

Merry Christmas!
Happy Hanukkah!
Happy Kwanzaa!
Happy New Year!

With gratitude,

 

Jean Phelps, CEO

We’re All in This Together

We’re All in This Together

LifeLinks CLASS was excited to receive a large shipment of PPE (personal protective equipment) this week which included nearly 25,000 gowns and thermometers.

The health and safety of direct support professionals and the individuals they support have continued to be our highest priority during the pandemic. Thanks to a new partnership with LifeLinks CLASS supporter Brian Abbott, we were able to procure PPE that would then be redistributed to other agencies in need.

“We did it because we know anecdotally that others were struggling to source PPE, that the costs for smaller orders were exponentially higher,” commented CEO Jean Phelps. “We had the resources to be able to purchase upfront and bring the prices down for everyone because of the size of the orders.  We wanted to be helpful to others because we could.”

We partnered with Lowell General Hospital, as well as Abbott, to ensure prompt delivery of all supplies. Once there, our facilities, administrative and nursing teams facilitated the distribution process. “It may be a little more work on our end,” says CFO Adam Shuster, “but we are all in this together.”

 

PPE waiting for distribution at the LifeLinks CLASS facility in Chelmsford.