In the late ’80s to the mid ’90s I had the honor of serving as executive director of Addison County Hospice (which then became Addison Volunteer Services which has recently joined with ARCH to become End of Life Services). In my position, I frequently related professionally with the staff of the then called Addison County Home Health (which is now Addison County Home Health and Hospice) who helped to train our hospice volunteers.
To say that the staff and director of Home Health were devoted, kind, skilled, resourceful, honest and underpaid is an understatement. They put their hearts into building a non-profit agency every person in Addison County knew they could depend on for the highest level of care and respect. Until now working people of our county were eager to work for this outstanding agency.
Most managers of non-profits around here understand that their staff is their most valuable resource. The only authentic way for the board of Addison County Home Health and Hospice to begin to make up for this experiential brain drain and hurt feelings of long devoted staff is to take immediate action.
Barbara Deal
Bristol