by Jonathan Balash, President
This web post was originally printed in the Spencer Pride Volunteer Quarterly Newsletter. To receive a copy of the digital newsletter, please send an e-mail to info@SpencerPride.org with the request to be added to our distribution list. Thank you!
Greetings from my home to yours! In the middle of this pandemic, much of our lives has been turned on its end & we have had to learn new things & overcome many unexpected obstacles just to maintain as much of our routine (& sanity) as we can.
For me personally, the pandemic has meant working at home, helping the organization to navigate this ever-changing environment, & supporting my family’s newly added responsibilities in homeschooling. When Truman broke his arm last week it wasn’t just a new experience for us as parents, but it also forced us to deal with our healthcare system & illustrated how quickly things have changed since the pandemic began.
For our organization, the pandemic has had a profound impact on nearly everything that we do: we cancelled our youth prom, postponed our Pride Festival until October, & closed the commUnity center for an unknown period of time to ensure the long-term health & wellness of the people who rely upon our organization. Nearly all of our educational & health & wellness programming has been postponed or cancelled at the moment & we’ve managed to convert only a few items virtually (including the recent Owen County Commissioner Candidates Forum).
Rest assured that many of our volunteers continue to work daily on ways to creatively engage with the public during this time period. We have converted all of our meetings into virtual forums, are developing an online retail sales platform, & are routinely reaching out to our volunteers to ensure that we are doing what we can to support them during this difficult time.
We care deeply about all of you. If there is anything that you need right now – a virtual hug, a phone call, toiletries, food, or anything else, please let us know. Over the past 13 years you have helped us to become an organization of great influence & means within our community. If you have a need, we are confident that we can help in some way if you give us the opportunity. If you know of a way that you could assist others in need, please let us know & we will help connect your resources to their needs. To express us a need or offer your help, please reach out to Judi, Jacob, or I.
As with everything we have accomplished as an organization, we are in this together & I know that we will get through this because of the combined compassion & commitment of our volunteers. I have never been prouder than to serve as one of the leaders of our organization.
Please stay safe & stay connected with us.
Jonathan