By Hubbard House CEO Gail Patin
As I look back over my first 10 days as the new CEO of Hubbard House, I am so very grateful for the phenomenal Hubbard House team of staff, volunteers and board members. Their dedication to our vision of “every relationship violence free” is unparalleled. I am also incredibly, deeply grateful for the community’s support of the Hubbard House organization.
This community wraps its arms around the work we do through volunteering, advocating for survivors and by supporting Hubbard House financially. Volunteers answer our hotline, clean and paint our facility, throw parties for our residential children, organize food drives and the list goes on and on. Supporters invite us to speak in the community, allowing us to create greater awareness of domestic violence. And our donors, well, they give in many ways, such as by sponsoring our events and giving financial gifts.
I am also grateful for our retired CEO, Ellen Siler. Ellen is a remarkable woman who left a legacy of sound business practices and empowerment-based services for survivors. However, I believe it is her no-holds-barred compassion that is legendary. Whether she was advocating for survivors, listening to a staff member experiencing a personal crisis or helping a woman tell her story of courage, Ellen’s heart was and is wide open. When I think of Ellen, I think of a cross-stitched saying my mother has displayed in her home, “She gives so much and knows not that she gives at all.” I am grateful for having her in my life as a leader, a mentor and a friend.
Last but certainly not least, I am grateful for survivors of domestic violence. Over the past 20 years, I have had the privilege of meeting and getting to know the many women, children and men that come through our doors. Every day they teach me the meaning of courage and strength. They are the reason for everything I do, everything we do together, and it’s an honor to be a part of their stories.
So, as we move into the future, my heart is full of gratitude for the wonderful support this organization and community has for survivors and their families and for the survivors themselves. I look forward to continuing to work with the community to create a safer city for all of us.