What are you grateful for this holiday season?
I am grateful for the circle of support at Wayfinder. I am grateful for community. Since Wayfinder’s founding, we have been building community. In the organization’s early years, we gave children who were blind a chance to meet and befriend other children like them. At Camp Bloomfield, on trips to the circus and at dances, they built a community. We continue to build and nurture communities today in all our programs. For example, being a foster or adoptive parent is not easy. Wayfinder provides caregivers with opportunities to share their struggles and accomplishments with families in the same position. These connections strengthen and persist long after families graduate from our programs.
Can you share a story about the power of the Wayfinder community that you saw in your first year as CEO?
In the story about T.J., his mom, Katharine, mentions her feeling of loneliness when her son was born with albinism. The family thought they would be raising a baby with disabilities all alone. This is a very common feeling for families before they find Wayfinder, whether they have experienced trauma or received a challenging diagnosis. But when I attend Wayfinder’s beeper egg hunts, holiday events, or support groups, I see families interacting and lifting each other up. Parents are exchanging tips. Children are playing together, with siblings included. There’s so much joy. Wayfinder’s power to change lives is not only about world-class direct services. As Glenn describes on the next page, Wayfinder brings families, children, and adults together to combat loneliness and isolation. Wayfinder builds communities that enrich our clients’ lives.
December 4, 2024