State of the Agency 2021

​Happy Holidays to all!

Today I’m reflecting back as 2021 draws to a close. We began the year with so much uncertainty, and while the pandemic hasn’t yet drawn to a close, we are so thankful that our residents and staff have not only been vaccinated, but have received boosters. We all celebrated as visitation opened up for family and friends. And, while given the ongoing state of the pandemic, we sadly elected to move our auction to virtual once again, we were buoyed by so many supporters and exceeded our fundraising goals.

This year, we’ve made great strides in strengthening the agency. We held three guardian/family Zoom meetings to share information and answer questions. We increased the size of the Board of Directors from eight people to 12 committed individuals. And, we rejuvenated our Advisory Board to add more resources for our outreach and knowledge base.

Pandemic aside, among the greatest challenges we face is our continued fight to hire and retain staff, given the financial limitations of our state funding. That said, I am happy to report that the Board unanimously supported wage increases across the board, as well as provided retention and merit bonuses for all staff. We will continuously strive to fund, within our budget constraints, the most competitive pay structure we can responsibly absorb.

To that end, we have also employed a new CPA/audit firm and a new bookkeeper to help us better manage our finances. We have also established a Fundraising Committee and reinvigorated our Community Outreach Committee to offer us new opportunities to pursue grants and increase our agency’s awareness in the community.

For 2022, our goals include hosting in person events, including a summer picnic for all supporters and of course, our fall auction. We are also looking to expand our social media exposure (look for us soon on Instagram) and community outreach.

How can you help? Join our Facebook Group (link) where you will get the latest information and our “asks” for aid and assistance. Invite your friends to subscribe to our newsletter (link) and follow us on social media. Does your company provide matching funds? Make sure we are included as an organization on their platform – if not, contact us (link) and we’ll make sure we are added. You can also join our board, or if your time is limited, our Advisory Board could be the perfect option for you. Contact us (link) to learn more.

Our Board caroling party this past week will be my best holiday memory of 2021 and a stark reminder of why we all are so committed to this amazing organization. There is no shortage of ways you can help. I encourage you to just ask.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday and a happy & healthy 2022!

Wendy Peloquin

DAHLIA Living Board President