Org Updates, August Summer Reset, and more!
Dear Side by Side Community,
As I reflect on the past six months, my heart swells with gratitude and love for each and every one of you. Your unwavering support, dedication, and belief in our mission have not only sustained us but have also propelled us toward the new chapter Side by Side has entered. It is your collective spirit that has made our journey so remarkable, and for that, I am profoundly grateful.
To the parents of our youth, your love, trust, and unwavering belief in us has also been the building blocks for our path forward. Your involvement and advocacy are not only seen but deeply felt. Thank you for sharing your remarkable children with us and for standing by our side with such passion and commitment.
To our extraordinary staff both past and present, words cannot express the depth of my gratitude. Your dedication, hard work, and boundless commitment to our youth and our mission are the heartbeat of Side by Side. Over the past six months, we have faced numerous challenges, but your resilience has turned obstacles into opportunities and dreams into realities.
We have spent majority of the last six months prioritizing operational and administrative tasks. Together, we have made incredible strides in improving our financial standing. By reviewing and re-developing our bylaws and creating a comprehensive new policy manual, we continue to strengthen our organizational structure and governance. The completion of an HR audit reflects our deep commitment to creating a positive, supportive, and empowering work environment for our staff.
I believe I can speak for my Board of Directors as well as myself, that as we look to the future, our hearts are full of hope and excitement. As we move forward, we are ready to shift our focus to programmatic development and I am excited to announce our month-long Summer Reset in August. This period will focus on much-needed rest for our staff, as well as training and development for everyone in our organization.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your unwavering love and support. It is because of each of you that Side by Side will continue to grow and thrive, and it is your collective spirit that will carry us forward.
With all my love and gratitude,
Marquis D. Mapp, Executive Director
August Summer Reset
Side by Side will be holding a Summer Reset for the organization during which time groups will be closed for the month of August. This period will focus on a much-needed reset for our staff, as well as training and development for everyone in our organization. There will also be an organization-wide meeting to facilitate a Q&A session with all staff, volunteers, and board members.
Following this meeting, we will be working with facilitators to co-create a youth curriculum to help support youth, including the introduction of a conflict resolution model and the establishment of a new Youth Leadership Council. Once completed and we return to groups, we will spend the first few weeks implementing the youth curriculum and begin building out our Youth Leadership Council!
Thank You!
We would not have been able to reach this point without the incredible outpouring of support from those that answered the call when we needed it most. We want to specifically name some of these individuals and organizations and offer our deep, heartfelt gratitude:
Allianz Partners, Capital One - Out Front RVA, Cathy Davis, CenterLink, Chris Svoboda, Diversity Richmond and Rev. Dr. Lacette Cross, Dominion Energy LGBTQ+ Resource Group, Enterprise Mobility, Joseph Papa and JS Fauquet, Sarah Milston and the Spark Mill, Stacie Walls - LGBT Life Center, Virginia Anti Violence Project, and so many more.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your time spent thinking and working with us has been the essence of our success. Each of you has brought unique gifts to our partnership, and together, we are all the better for it.