February 23rd, 2023
As February comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on how much love I have witnessed in these first two months of the New Year! Our expansion is open and serving our guest families in new and innovative ways, which is so exciting. After years of dreaming and imagining what our bigger House would look like and how it would serve our mission, we now have a front row seat to witness the magic in motion.
Imagine my delight seeing two of our young guests holding hands and skipping – yes, skipping – to our new Tree Fort room. They could barely contain their excitement about playing together in this light filled space that was designed to inspire creative play and allow them to be kids! Want to run? You can do that in this new play area! Want to slide? You can do that too! Want to pretend in one of the three tree houses? Please have fun! The mural on the walls creates the perfect backdrop, even on the cloudiest days. The 14 ft. LiteZilla- think LiteBrite only bigger and better – is over the top and providing hours of creative play for all of our guest family members (and maybe a few staff members too).
There is love all around thanks to the many hearts and hands that said yes to our invitation to make this expansion a reality. I cannot wait for spring and the promise of outdoor play in our big backyard filled with open spaces to run, a multi-ability play area and sport court. Memories will be made in our new green space and in our Secret Garden for years to come!
Love is in the air and it smells delicious! Our Family Meal Program is back and dinner is being served Monday through Thursday. We missed all of our meal group friends and are so happy to welcome them back to the House. We love the gift of family dinners we are enjoying once again as a community.
Valentine’s Day allowed us to show our families some extra love. There were decorations, delicious treats and a catered dinner served by staff! I was so honored to participate in such a special evening. The fun doesn’t end there! Sawdust the Therapy Pony visited for a special story time with families. We also had our first movie night in the new Community Room! Bean bag chairs, snacks and snuggles were enjoyed by all.
There have been so many moments filled with love thanks to our beautiful community of support and a team that gives 150% every day to make our “House That Love Built®” 39 years ago a home.
It’s going to be a big year and I couldn’t be more excited!
-Bridget Kesner, Director of Philanthropy