No masks is a giveaway that this is a pre-COVID photo. It happens to be some of the members of the CCS family who love to garden and spend many hours planting, tending, growing, maintaining and harvesting. We’ve had to give up a few things, change-up and adapt on the fly in other cases. But the energy, activity, and spirit endures.
CCS Executive Director Beth Sightler recently wrote letter asking for continued support of our consumers, staff, and mission.
Read her letter below, and use the link to donate on line if you can!
FROM BETH:
Thank you to each one of you who has reached out to lend support, check in on us, ask how you can help, and generally cheer us on throughout this wildly, incredible – and ongoing – experience. With all of your continued support, I believe we’ll come out of this even stronger. We have something special at CCS and knowing that allows me to ask for you continued support – and to look forward – with confidence.
So, how are we doing now?
The best news is that, while we would never have imagined or wanted to encounter such a challenging year, we’ve been doing what we do best: facing hardships and difficulties head on – and even thriving a little! We are learning and growing, remaining grateful and hopeful. Over the past year CCS pivoted back and forth (based on individual and community needs) between remote and in-person services, learning and re-learning how to keep people safe. We’ve become quite well-versed in PPE and Zoom/Teams and finding ways to “warm up” online life.
We’ve kept people safe and we’ve kept people informed. Through it all, CCS continues to provide high-level supports to the people we serve. And we’re not just getting by; consider all that we’ve celebrated:
- a 10th consecutive year with Way2Work as Vermont’s top employment program
- Way2Work short-listed for an international Zero Project award for innovation
- CCS earning its third consecutive Gold Seal for Transparency through GuideStar
- our second year named one of the Best Places to Work in Vermont”
- and our second year as a “Top-Rated Non-Profit” through GreatNonProfits.com
These past nine months allowed me to bear close witness to the incredible, inspiring ways that each of you make CCS the special place it is.
Still, as I send this letter, I see complications on the horizon; winter is coming, and the virus is increasing in our area. But I also see relief on the way – vaccines are coming, people are following safety protocols and, well, winter will end. I’m looking forward to a very different spring and summer!
In the meantime, will you help us keep our programs flowing and staff supported?
Any year-end gift you can make to our Annual Fund will go directly toward staff training, resources or needs – including internet connectivity – for the people we serve.
Please consider supporting CCS, especially now.
Warmly,
Elizabeth Sightler
Executive Director
P.S. My sincerest thank you to the members of the CCS Board of Directors for their continued leadership, engagement and guidance, the members of our COVID-19 task force for their, endurance and wisdom, and our front-line workers for showing up, caring and keeping people safe. I’m proud of the hard work, patience and even courage of CCS’ Direct Support and Administrative staff who make all this possible, every day. And a special thank you to the families, guardians and people in services for your trust and participation.
