I want to end this very strange year by expressing my deep appreciation for everyone involved with Animal House Project dba Chester County Pet Food Pantry’s Community. And I wanted to share a little bit of my perspective on the year.
Nine months ago, we were only beginning to grasp how much the pandemic was about to change the world, and while we can turn the page on 2020 tomorrow, we are all still making our way through an uncertain and difficult time. Like many of you, we have had to completely change the way we approach our work and learn new ways of doing things as we go.
I am so truly grateful that we were able to stay in close contact with so many and to adapt and respond at what life was throwing our way. We have been incredibly fortunate that most of what we do has continued when it comes to running the Pantry and donations and we did manage to squeak in our 2nd Annual Golf Tournament at Honeybrook Golf Club. I am keenly aware that this is only true because our community – of volunteers and donors, our Board of Directors and Board of Advisors – stayed connected and engaged in our mission all year.
This year is mostly characterized by what we have lost, and it will be some time before we can gather freely to take stock and adequately honor this collective experience. While we wait for that return to normalcy, I want to focus on making sure that some of the gains we have made become permanent. Emerging from the chaos of the early part of the year, the clear connection between keeping the pantry running and helping as many families as we could while at the same time protecting our Volunteers was a balancing act.
We have really missed seeing everyone face to face and cannot wait to do it again soon. But we have also found that our community can be bigger with remote events. We are thinking a lot about how to integrate the positives of virtual gathering and information sharing with the irreplaceable value of human connection when meeting in person. As always, I would love to hear your perspective as we plan the year ahead.
I am so grateful to everyone who has supported our work during such a difficult year. I want to especially acknowledge our incredible volunteers for their creativity, patience, and persistence, our current Board of Directors and Board of Advisors for their calm and careful leadership.
So, thank you so much again for being part of Animal House Project dba Chester County Pet Food Pantry’s community. As a small nonprofit organization, we really do run on the generosity of our volunteers, donors, and broader community of stakeholders.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed already, and please consider an end of the year today if you are able to do so.
Thank you.
MaryBeth Yannessa
Board President
