Why is community the answer?
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.
Tell us about the communities that are being built through Wayfinder’s work?
Wayfinder is multiple communities that are mutually supportive. Our community of staff are connected to each other and the organization’s mission. I am so impressed by the many ways staff step up for each other every day. Also, we build community for our clients. A mother, child or family in distress enters one of our programs, meets other clients and feels for the first time that they are not alone. Within each program, clients interact with fellow clients who are going through the same experiences, and we connect them to resources in their own community. On the next page, Glenn describes some of the communities in Wayfinder’s programs. One result of Wayfinder’s community building is visible in the excellent outcomes we achieved in client satisfaction in 2023-24.
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 TJ on page 4, 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 by themselves. 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.
Please consider a gift to Wayfinder today. You can give securely on our website now!
December 26, 2024