Message from the Chair
By: Randi Glass
My last message to our Trillium family was one of new year’s resolutions and optimistic planning. But no amount of planning prepared me (and many of you, I’m sure) for what is happening now. Most of us are experiencing a new learning curve – various combinations of home office, home schooling, scheduled grocery shopping for parents, Zoom meetings and just getting through the day. A number of our Trillium family members have been laid off or let go, and many of us still employed are struggling to reprofile our organizations in this “new normal”. Kudos to our various levels of government for initiating some relief, and for taking the impact of COVID-19 virus seriously. The overall situation for non-profits and our supportive business partners is hugely challenging.
We’re being inundated with scary headlines and flashes of optimism. I hope everyone of you has developed some personal coping mechanisms as we get through this (and we will!). I’ve chosen to make small efforts every day – like taking a walk, and pretending I want my hair to look the way it does. For those who can, I encourage you to support your local restaurants by ordering take-out on occasion, and tipping well. The quick recovery of our hospitality industry will be so important!
At a recent CSAE webinar on virtual strategies, Cathy Cummings shared an excellent message via Twitter that applies to many of us: “You are not working from home, you are at home, during a crisis, trying to do work.” I agree – we are all being challenged in various ways, so be kind to one another.
Randi
