2024 Annual Report - Report - Page 5
MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT AND BOARD CHAIR
Dear Friends,
In 2024, the hard work of our dedicated team at Abbott House brought significant advancements to our mission. We
strengthened our reputation as a leading human service organization and reaffirmed our commitment to caring for the
people who rely on our life-changing programs.
In January, we unveiled an art exhibit entitled “Open Hand: Offering and Receiving,” an inspiring initiative created by
youth in foster care, unaccompanied minors, men and women with disabilities and staff. The open hand is a metaphor
that embodies the spirit of mutual support, reflecting the potential we each possess to make a positive impact on one
another’s lives.
No one at Abbott House is ever alone on their journey because of you!
With your support, Abbott House provided compassionate, quality care to 2,900 people last year. We earned the
prestigious CARF accreditation, underscoring our dedication to the highest standards of quality, ethics, accountability,
and transparency. We committed to implementing the Sanctuary Model, an evidence-based, trauma-informed
framework that will shape how we work with both clients and each other. We also launched a Staff Wellness Initiative
to promote a healthier, more balanced work environment for our greatest strength – our employees!
Abbott House was featured on an episode of the Viewpoint Project with Dennis Quaid, which highlighted our work
with children and families, as well as our expertise in caring for people with developmental disabilities. Our Music
Program celebrated its one-year milestone, and our weekly Art Therapy Initiative expanded to include people with
developmental disabilities.
In collaboration with the Executive Team and the Strategic Planning Committee of the Board of Directors,
we affirmed a set of strategic priorities to guide us through the next three years:
1.
Expand Access and Engage Partners: Lift and empower people we serve through activities
and initiatives with the help of volunteers and community members.
2. Foster Excellence: Enhance staff development and education to ensure top-quality care and
distinction as a trauma and prevention-focused practice for complex care.
3. Drive Innovation: Diversify our programs and services to care for even more people and
solidify the agency’s financial stability while maintaining a culture of inclusion, compassion,
and wellness for those in care as well as staff.
4. Protect Programs: Advocate for legislative policies that promote healthier families and
communities. By doing so, we ensure that Abbott House continues to stand as a beacon of
hope to deliver life-changing care to vulnerable populations.
We will continue to live up to these priorities together in a variety of ways. It will never be easy, but it will always be
possible with your support.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stirred the hearts of many at our inaugural dinner when he invoked the story of The Good
Samaritan—a parable of an unlikely passerby who offers help to a stranger in need. In the pages ahead, we invite you
to celebrate the ways you, too, have been a Good Samaritan, supporting the men, women, and children in care at
Abbott House, and turning the transformative power of kindness into hope.
Thank you for walking hand in hand with us on this journey.
With Gratitude,
Justine Christakos, LMSW
Walter Montgomery, Ph.D.
President and CEO
Board Chairman
2024 Annual Report
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