By Senior Director of Programs & Operations, Jeannine Short
With the end of the year approaching, I’ve stolen moments of time to reflect on my personal experiences, challenges, accomplishments, and perhaps missed opportunities; and have asked myself “did the year really count?”
As I expand these reflections to the work that we do as an agency, I have to wonder if we have really made a difference in the lives of the families we serve. Were we at times so enmeshed in our day-to-day functions that we missed the small opportunities? Did we become so overwhelmed by the challenges of a new program model that our efforts seemed and felt futile? Did the year really count?
Perhaps the answer to both questions is yes, but when I remember the stories…. The family of six that we moved into a unit within an hour of hearing that they had slept in a car the night before; the single dad who became obviously overwhelmed when it “hit” him that he could finally provide a stable environment for his two girls; and the mother who, after paying off her debts and moving to permanent housing, exclaimed that she had never ever felt so free and relieved.
When I reflect on these and similar stories, I think I can say that it’s been a good year, and yes, it did count!
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