Heartfelt Gratitude from a CSN client
Read at our donor appreciation event Jan. 27, 2023
Dearest Donors,
Though my three daughters and I could not attend the event, we are honored and elated to give thanks to the amazing staff and supporters of Community Service of Newburyport. For the past several summers, my children (ages 9, 13, and 15) have been gifted with the privilege of attending summer camps in the county. They’ve been blessed to attend a coastal camp (where they went out on a fishing boat every day and learned about the regions waters, wildlife, and islands), theater camps (where they spent weeks making new friends, expanding their boundaries, and eventually performing three shows to the community), and cooking camps (where they grew their culinary skillset, and created tasty masterpieces)!
Without CSN, I wouldn’t have been able to allow my daughters to have a “normal New England” summer. Filled with new experiences, new friends, and excitement. They have grown so much from these amazing camps, still keep in touch with friends they’ve made there, and plan to either attend these camps again, or do something even more unknown because of the bravery they’ve gained from the experiences they’ve had thus far.
My middle daughter is applying to a vocational school for culinary and hospitality. After her camp experiences, she’s certain that she wants to turn her passion for cooking into a career. My youngest daughter has become quite an actor. She was signed by an agency and was in her first feature film last year. My oldest is no longer afraid of performing scripted content, and I am no longer overly concerned that her disabilities will hold her back from being able to enjoy an experience that isn’t run through a therapeutic or special needs agency.
On another note, I’ll never forget the empathy shown to me by the recently retired Patty Freeman-Lynde, about a disconnection I received from a propane company years ago. I remember showing up to CSN holding back tears, because the gas company manager had yelled at me, then referred to us as “you people” insinuating that those on housing assistance were unreliable, and he had refused to show any mercy for our past due bill. Patty allowed me the space to feel frustrated, to vent and to cry. She helped us to get our gas back on, and to pay down the bill. She encouraged me to stay strong and to not allow such instances to break my spirit, or my confidence in trying to succeed.
CSN has helped us with Christmas presents, bills, camps, and general support over the years. I am so incredibly grateful, and I hope that you can all find it in your hearts to donate whenever possible. I cannot wait to have an expendable income, because the only think I can imagine doing with any extra money, is donating to help others who are still struggling, as I have for so long. It may seem like a few dollars here and there won’t help much, but collectively you are helping so many families to succeed. It gives me such joy and hope for this world, when I know we’re a part of something big, something promising, the grassroots work of helping our neighbors, and never giving up on our community.
Thank you all!