Deaconess Community,

Practicing gratitude brings joy. As we are wrapping up 2022, with deep gratitude we are reflecting on our connections with our community, neighbors, partners, and one another. Though the year has not been without hardship, the blessings are abundant. We are grateful for the in-person reunions and convenings that 2022 brought us as Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being hosted more in-person gatherings and welcomed the return of young scholars to our CDF Freedom Schools program site. The children’s laughter, song, and dance filled the halls and our hearts with joy.

We celebrate the expansion and growth of our Deaconess team and family this year. We welcomed three new full-time team members to join us in realizing our vision. We are grateful for each of them, their talents, and life experiences and the added capacity to connect with our community and partners in greater depth.

As a community, we cared for one another and united in times of devastation as historic flooding claimed lives, displaced families, and caused extensive damage just a few months before the heartbreaking tragedy at Central Visual Performing Arts High School (CVPA) and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience (CSMB). We are grateful for our partners’ rapid response to crises that thoughtfully and holistically centers the needs of the people directly and indirectly impacted. This work is endless, and we are greater as a community when we compassionately care for one another at all times.

In this season, may you find time to rest and reflect on that which brings you joy. We look forward to being in community with you in the year ahead.

In service to the mission,

Deaconess Team

To read the rest of our December newsletter click here.