A letter from the Executive Director
Happy Holidays
From the Desk of the Executive Director
We are fast approaching the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. You may be involved in family gatherings, shopping for friends, traveling to spend time with those who live far away or maybe you are planning a quiet holiday season at home. Whatever your plans on behalf of all of us at Martin House residents, and employees, we wish you a healthy and happy holiday season.
We are fortunate to live in a community that cares about each other and those that are experiencing hard times, whether it be over a long period of time or because of some life changing event. How fortunate we are to have a safe place to live, healthy food to eat and people to spend time with who make us feel loved and give us a feeling of purpose. Martin House residents wake up each day knowing they will have all this and more.
This season I would like to discuss specific acts of kindness.
Research by The Mental Health Foundation states that it shows that helping others can be good for our mental health. It reduces stress, improves our emotional well-being and even benefits our physical health. In short, doing good does you good. It’s essential to look out for each other in and around our communities. This is how we protect and maintain good mental health for all. If you do nothing else today, this holiday season keep an eye out for an opportunity to help someone with a random act of kindness or hold onto that warm feeling when someone helps you.
Acts of Kindness have so many benefits.
It creates a sense of belonging and reduces isolation. Helping others is thought to be one of the ways that people create, maintain, and strengthen their social connections. This may also encourage others to repeat the good deeds they’ve experienced themselves – contributing to a more positive community. Kindness means to stretch your arms wide open and embrace people from all sorts of backgrounds. To make others feel important regardless of their color, and creed. To help others with an open heart, expecting nothing in return.
It’s heartwarming to see how the little things you do can affect the lives of others in such a great way and how kindness begets kindness.
Being here on our web site is your personal act of kindness, a gift to a cause that is important to you shows your gratitude for the vital work we are doing. Martin House helps build a happier and healthier world by improving the quality of life for those around us. When you give you also inspire others to give. One way to inspire your friends and family to support us is to start at home, with your work, friends and colleagues.
At Martin House we strive to foster belonging through the creation of a safe and nurturing space built on strong partnerships and collaboration with the community.
We couldn’t survive and do the work we do without (your acts of true kindness)
I hope you are inspired to join us on our journey.
Thank you to each one of you for being active participants in your community and wish y
Everone at Martin House wishs you a warm and kind holiday season,
Best
Jon
More About Jon
Jon has over 25 years of working in the non-profit sector. Earlier in his career, he worked at a fatherhood outreach program where he received an award from the CT Children's Trust fund in recognition of outstanding leadership in assisting single fathers and young dads to be able to be a larger part of their child’s lives. Later, he received a citation from a non-profit that supported people with disabilities. As the farm program manager, he assisted in making it possible for the agency to provide therapeutic horseback riding and organic farm-to-table gardening. From there he went on to partner with another non-profit serving adults with disabilities, and as the Employment Director, he helped to create an Employment Transition Center for people with disabilities.
These are only a few of the work experiences where Jon’s passion for developing new opportunities and creating new programs from the ground up, was revealed.
Promoting a person-directed approach to obtaining services, which in turn empowers everyone, is at the core of what Jon exemplifies.
The most rewarding aspect of Jon’s current position, as Executive Director of Martin House, is building relationships, working with a diverse array of community
providers, and advocating for others, all while keeping the goal in mind of enhancing opportunities for all individuals with all abilities.