The fresh blanket of snow that recently covered the fields created the perfect backdrop of thinking about a clean slate for a new year. What will this year hold? We don’t yet know, but just like a new blank notebook on the first day of school, there’s a promise that the story of this coming year will be a good one for our community.
As I think about the new story to be written for this year, I envision a community where we are emerging even stronger than before, having weathered this storm of COVID together. And while the storm has lingered much longer and returned with more waves than we would have ever thought possible, I believe as Annie sings in her beloved musical, “the sun will come out tomorrow.”
When tomorrow comes, I envision that:
- We will be a stronger community because we are each more appreciative of our own health and have been reminded of the precarious nature of life.
- We will be a stronger community because we are more appreciative of our medical community, and all those that have served valiantly to take care of our loved ones and our own health needs during this storm.
- We will be a stronger community because we are more appreciative of our small businesses and restaurants that have weathered the storm. The opportunity to sit down inside a restaurant and speak to a friend you haven’t seen in a while is part of the beauty of living in the Kingsport community.
- We will be a stronger community because we have reassessed almost everything we do. Every organization that has survived has become more purposeful, more focused, and more resolute to provide a high level of efficient service while showing increased compassion and flexibility to those who work there.
- And lastly, we will be a stronger community, because we have continued to improve how we serve our most vulnerable citizens through this crisis, the homeless in our community.
United We’re Strong!
Danelle Glasscock
Executive Director
