As we wrap up 2020 (Thank God), it is our last newsletter of the year. Andie Mosley is very organized with identifying themes for each months newsletter at the beginning of the year. We know when articles are due and what the focus should be, often timely to the given month.
Looking at the title for this month, it was all I could do not to laugh out loud(I did let out a little bit of a chuckle).
It was December of 2019 that we were able to move into our new building and the one year anniversary was the opportunity to reflect on a years worth of activities.
Looking from the outside you can see that it is a beautiful building. You will just have to take my word that it is similarly magnificent inside because since March, we have been in a virtual lockdown.
Our goal was to have a building that would host diverse community groups in this accessible space built and furnished with universal design concepts. We anticipated groups in the evenings and on weekends. We envisioned providing internships and work experience for individuals with varying abilities. Two well-equipped classrooms would host educational sessions and board meetings. We included a spacious parking lot to manage the throngs. You can credit the Yiddish proverb or Public Enemy, but we were reminded: Man plans, God laughs. (Or: Woman plans, God laughs.)
It has been our home for 2020 and it has done its job even if it was not as envisioned.
- When office space is designed to accommodate power wheelchairs or service animals using extra-wide halls and space between work stations, it is ideal for social distancing.
- Protected doorways with high porticos served ideally for distributing masks and gallons of hand sanitizer on blustery April days to dozens of grantees and service agencies.
- A large parking lot is an ideal spot for a food distribution site.
- Remote conferencing facilities built to allow inclusion of those who might have transportation problems were ideal for Zoom staff calls and virtual board meetings.
- A family bathroom helped minimize the spread of germs through body waste by providing extra private use. Look it up.
- Our new phone system seamlessly transferred all calls to individual cell phones giving the perception that the office was staffed by everyone on each business day.
- Sidewalks and landscaping provided a path for staff to walk when fresh air was the best medicine.
- A one-touch door opener makes it easier to open doors with a touch of the elbow after washing hands.
Sure, we missed seeing all of you in our offices but we have gotten very good at zoom virtual site visits. While you havent been visiting, the birds have been enjoying the bird feeder and there was one red tailed hawk that had a spring banquet on a couple of goslings.
It has been a busy year perhaps not how we had planned but we have had a safe and efficient work environment that has kept us working as a team to meet our mission. We will plan for a better 2021.
Did I just hear another laugh?