Making Fabric

Last week we concluded another orientation session for our newly hired staff. Over the years our investment in time, knowledge and training has paid dividends as we introduce our employees to the mission of Latham Centers and prepare them with the resources and information they will need to begin working successfully with our students and adults. There is much to cover in a relatively short period of time.

Frankly, I could spend the two weeks just going over the history of Latham.  I often reflect back on my tenure here. I’m told that happens a lot as you age. I started in the “main house” as a substitute in 1982. Back then, everything was in the main house—residence and school. Last night, as I sat at our annual golf tournament fundraiser, I gazed out and saw families whose children I worked with in the 1980’s. I hugged a former program director whose guidance and coaching instilled in me a desire to learn more about this field.

I realized that my bond to this agency is made up of many individual threads woven together over time. Separately, these threads are rather fragile but as they attach to each other they become bonded and with that bonding, strong. I think this same process helps our students and individuals on their own personal journey.  I believe this is a foundational piece of our work, both to those we support  and employ. To borrow a tag line from the cotton industry, Latham helps make the fabric of our lives.

Submitted By:
Chris Gallant

Related Posts:
Connections to Community
A Fish out of Water
Leadership at Latham

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to 

everything else in the Universe."

~John Muir