Happy holiday season! When COVID-19 first hit this area in March, who would have expected that at the end of this year, we are still not able to see each other. Despite of the physical distance we had with each other, we have been through an extraordinary year and achieved so much together.
Eileen started to volunteer with us in 2017, and is one of our 2020 Volunteer of the Year awardees. “When I first found out about LCNV’s mission and volunteer opportunities,” shared Eileen, “I felt the calling as I love teaching and am eager to help those in need of a ‘foot up’ in their ability to communicate functionally and effectively.” At LCNV, Eileen enjoys her conversations with students, and is always amazed at the students’ determination and warmth. During this time of the holiday season of love, and togetherness, she shares her thoughts and hopes for the upcoming year:
As we quickly come to the end of a quite unusual year, I would like to share a few well wishes and expectations for both students, staff, teachers, and aides as we move forward.
1. Health – Above all, my hope is that we remain safe and healthy as we celebrate our culture and our holidays. Share the joy of being alive! Too many of us, myself included, have experienced the death of one or more loved ones this year.
2. Connection – I look forward to that first hug with one of my brothers, sisters, grandchildren, children, and friends. In the meantime, it’s always good to hear a voice on the phone or even better, Zoom or Facetime. I know we all look forward to having our in-person classes with fewer blips from inconsistent technology!
3. School – Just as all the adults anticipate being person-to-person, we look forward to having our children return to in-person learning. I look forward to seeing the FLP program up and running with children benefitting along with their parents from this vibrant LCNV program.
4. Hope – This, above all, we can all hold on to, as the anticipation of a vaccine looms large on the horizon. We have hope for even better days! And with those better days, LCNV carries on enthusiastically and joyously!
We cannot emphasis enough that we are truly grateful for the resilience, support, and courage shown by our community this year. During the classes, one of our students commented that, “you light our path of darkness”. But we’d like to say that it is the diligence of our students, dedication of our volunteers and instructors, and support of our donors that formed the light, and lit our path through this special year. As we set sail into the up-coming year, we look forward to being able to see everyone in-person soon, and create more memories with you.
Happy Holidays, LCNV community!