I’m extremely proud to announce that we reached a safety goal that we’ve never before achieved, a goal that is extremely hard to accomplish. We have now worked over 730 days – 2 years – without a safety incident! This is always a highly elusive goal to achieve. Especially given that we are operating with reduced staff due to the pandemic, this achievement is even more admirable. We currently allow about 25% of regularly scheduled staff to be onsite, while the remainder of our staff are working remotely. Though this isn’t the most effective mode of operation, we continue to function in a safe and healthy manner. Staff members who are working remotely have experienced no safety incidents while at home. Yet another testament to the safety culture we have built at SVCW.

I’m writing this article on Monday, January 18, the day we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King (his actual birthday was January 15, 1929). Given the current state of our nation, the messages that Dr. King espoused ring particularly poignant and relevant. I encourage us all to remember the fundamental responsibilities we have as a people living together in society. Not only do we have responsibility to ourselves and our immediate family and friends, but to those we don’t know, those who think differently than we do, those who act in ways that we judge. One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King is:

“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.”

I hope that we can all find a way to heal our divided nation. Thank you and please be safe and remain healthy.