By: Anthony Pantano
As 2022 comes to a close, I invite you to look backward at what this year held for yourself, our community, and those we serve at Best Point. It has truly been a challenging time for many of us as we attempted to find a new normal after two years of the pandemic. At times it has been numbing as the barriers surmounted around all of us from hybrid learning at schools, record inflation, and an ongoing national youth mental health crisis—children and families have had to overcome near-constant adversities. But hard times create opportunities for growth and change, especially when we come together.
At Best Point, we faced a record waitlist for our services, staffing shortages, and other barriers while seeing the rates of mental health and academic challenges rise in those we serve. But this hasn’t stopped us from accomplishing our mission. In the face of those adversities, we merged two legacy agencies, The Children’s Home and St. Aloysius, to become Best Point. As one agency, we served more individuals than ever before, nearing 18,000 in 2022 alone through the collective actions of over 600 dedicated employees. None of this would be possible without the support of our community. Even in the face of economic uncertainties, the generosity we have seen is truly inspiring.
In October, 40 volunteers joined us to provide fundamental financial literacy skills to our clients at an event we call Budget Bootcamp. In November, our community helped us fundraise, purchase, pack, and deliver over 500 holiday gift packages to the children and families we serve so that each child has clean clothing and gifts to enjoy during the holidays. In December, we saw incredible philanthropy from our community, helping us sustain our mission well into the future while supporting our staff who carry out that mission every day.
I ask that we all take a moment to reflect on what this year held for us. What hardships we had to face. How we worked to overcome those hardships. And we can do to make a difference for others as we begin a new year in 2023.
If helping every child in our community overcome the barriers they face to unlock their potential is something you would believe in, consider donating to Best Point this holiday season. If you have already made a donation this year, thank you. Kindness truly is beautiful.
Together, we are stronger. Together, there is hope.
