05 Aug Kerry’s Corner: August 2020

Progress is defined as the forward or onward movement toward a destination. Progress assures us that we are not standing still and that there are places to go. As uncertain and unprecedented as the past few months have been, we have all held on to every sign or inkling that made us feel like we were making progress, that we were moving forward.

At the House, we have celebrated as some of our families who have been with us since March have been discharged and able to return home. At the same time, we have always looked forward to being able to open our doors to other families in search of refuge during their children’s medical treatments.

While the community joined us in our mission to take care of families in the ways we could control, like through our Dinnertime Heroes program, using grant money to pay for family hotel stays, and donations of comfort items from our critical needs wish list, we continued to cross our fingers, batten down the hatches at our Houses, and patiently wait for signs of progress.

My friends, we are happy to announce that we are slowly making progress. Two weeks ago, with permission from our RMHC Global organization, we welcomed new families into our Dobson and Roanoke Houses for the first time since March.

I am not exaggerating when I say that this was the best news I have received in months. It felt incredible knowing that families would once again be able to find the home-like comforts they need at the House. I know I speak for the entire organization when I say that we are very excited about this recent development.

But progress comes with responsibility – a responsibility to our staff and guest families that we do not take lightly. So, while this step forward feels great, we are moving slowly, welcoming families back in phases. Our Cambridge House continues to serve families that have been with us since March, and our Dobson and Roanoke Houses are limited to families only staying in our apartment accommodations. In addition, our daily cleaning protocols have increased to match those of our vigilant hospital partners and the recommendations of the CDC.

While there is still more progress to be made, I want to take a moment to thank YOU for standing with us during this crazy time. Whether you made a generous donation, sent a heartfelt Love Note to families, or just kept us in your thoughts, it has been incredible to witness the hearts of love and kindness that have been shared with us over the last few months. I know we will look back on this time and remember how fortunate we are to have a community that stands by our organization and the families we serve no matter what.

With gratitude,

Kerry Schulman
Chief Executive Officer