President & CEO Michael Decker presents a 2020 Service Award to Bobby, who has been with Eden since its founding in 1975.
As 2020 comes to a close, it’s important to acknowledge the support of Eden’s families, staff, friends, and neighbors during the challenges brought on by COVID-19. Eden has been tested in ways we could not have imagined. Through the commitment of my colleagues, the faith of our families, the leadership of our board of trustees, and the generosity of our donors, we have grown stronger.
For over nine months, friends of Eden have inquired about the well-being of the men and women we support in our adult day and residential programs, our students, and our staff. This meant a great deal to us as we navigated the unknown and worked hard to understand and implement health and safety practices and what we believed to be in the best interest of the individuals we support and our staff.
We are very thankful for the continued dedication of our program, clinical, facilities, administrative, finance, and development colleagues and how they investigated best practices, sourced appropriate PPE and related supplies, and created environments that were as safe as possible while maintaining Eden’s hallmark attention to individuals’ and families’ needs. They addressed these challenges while ensuring that Eden remains stable into the future. Many decisions were not easily made, nor were they acceptable to all stakeholders at all times.
As we conclude Eden’s 45th year of service, I am reminded of the many stories that were shared in the film we produced to recognize this milestone. Over and over again, family members, participants, staff, and friends shared the trials and tribulations of starting Eden and of nurturing the founders’ vision of building a leader in autism services for the life span.
Today, as we look to 2021, with challenges before us, I am inspired by the tenacity and dedication that is at the core of Eden’s existence. With the example set by our past, we will open another chapter in Eden’s history and rise to what the future holds as a family. Thank you for your place in our story.
