Board of Directors Updates

February 9, 2023

Dear Shepherd Home Volunteers, Founders, and Supporters,

On behalf of the Board of Directors, we regret to inform you that Lori LaSalle resigned from her role as Director of Business Operations effective February 6^th, 2023. We thank Lori for all that she contributed to the home in this new role and wish her much success in her future endeavors.

The Board will begin a search for a new Director of Business Operations immediately. During this search, Debbie, Traci, and Karen will oversee the day-to-day functions of the home and continue to provide the quality, compassionate care to families that Shepherd Home is known for. Both the Board and staff remain committed to ensuring Shepherd Home’s longevity and standing in our community.

The Board will provide updates as we work towards identifying a new Director of Business Operations. Please do not hesitate to contact the Board with questions or concerns.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Shepherd Home.

Sincerely,

Shepherd Home Board of Directors

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July 27, 2022

Dear Shepherd Home Volunteers, Founders and Supporters,

Thank you for your continued support over the past few weeks as we work towards identifying a new Executive Director of Shepherd Home. We would like to take this opportunity to provide a few updates regarding the transition of leadership.

Jen Modzel’s last official day as Director will be 7/31. Jen, her staff, and the Board have already been working to bring candidates in to interview for the Director position. In the meantime, it has been decided that the home will remain open throughout the duration of the search and the onboarding process.

With that said, we know the end of July is around the corner and we want to make sure we are diligent and deliberate in who we hire into this position. Jen has come up with a plan to make sure the remaining staff at the home are equipped with the knowledge and skill set to carry the responsibilities of her role if a replacement has not been identified by 7/31. Jen’s impact on the home over the last year + cannot be overstated. She is leaving the home in a financially stable position, which is just one example of her many accomplishments in her time as Executive Director. She will be continuing to serve the home on a volunteer basis and was also unanimously voted into a seat on the Board of Directors. While Jen’s role might be in a different capacity going forward, she will be a great contributor of the home for years to come.

The Board of Directors mission is to make sure Shepherd Home is able to provide families the same quality care that it has for the last 17 years and to be a part of the Penfield and surrounding communities for many years to come.

Please watch for additional updates and thank you again for everyone’s ongoing support.

Sincerely,

Shepherd Home Board of Directors

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July 27, 2021

Dear Shepherd Home Volunteers, Founders and Supporters,

We are excited to share that Kathy Gleason has accepted the role of Interim Executive Director for Shepherd Home.

Many of you know Kathy from her many years of supporting Shepherd Home as a consultant and then as a part-time Program Assistant.

Shepherd Home is dear to Kathy and she will guide us through re-opening, while the Board continues our search for the next Executive Director.

Kathy has already started and you can look forward to hearing from her soon.

Welcome, Kathy!

Sincerely,

Shepherd Home Board of Directors

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July 15, 2021

Dear Shepherd Home Volunteers, Founders and Supporters,

Thank you for your patience, support, ideas and assistance over the past month as we work towards identifying a new Executive Director and re-opening Shepherd Home.

With Ashley’s last day on June 30th, 2021, the members of the Board have been busy making sure the house is being looked after and tending to the administrative needs of the house.

We wanted to take this opportunity to provide an update on the current status of reopening and identifying a new Executive Director:

– We are actively interviewing/searching for the role of Executive Director and our hope is to have someone in place by mid August

– Prior to Ashley’s resignation, we were planning to re-open the home in late summer / early fall and are still targeting early fall (September)

Please watch for additional updates and thank you again for everyone’s ongoing support.

Below you will find the original communication from the Board sent on June 15th, for those who may not have seen it.

Sincerely,

Shepherd Home Board of Directors

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June 15, 2021

On behalf of the Shepherd Home Board of Directors, we hope this email finds you safe and well. This past year has presented us with challenges we never could have anticipated. As Shepherd Home continues to navigate these unprecedented times, the Board of Directors are committed to ensuring the home’s mission remains our top priority, both in the short and long-term. We have recently been faced with yet another unfortunate circumstance, as Ashley Tack has informed the board of her resignation from the position of Executive Director of Shepherd Home. While we are disappointed to see Ashley transition away from Shepherd Home, we fully respect her decision and wish her the best.

With that said, the Board of Directors has already begun the process of searching for the next leader of Shepherd Home. This person will be tasked with creating the organizational structure for the home, all while leading the organization out of the pandemic. We fully recognize the importance of Shepherd Home to the surrounding community, which is why we will make sure our search is exhaustive and deliberate.

We would like to reiterate from our most recent update, that we fully anticipate Shepherd Home to reopen its doors to residents during 2021. The leadership over the last 15+ years has allowed the home to withstand turbulent times, while keeping the future of Shepherd Home bright.

We will continue to provide periodic updates, as necessary. Please reach out anytime with questions or concerns. Thank you for your continued support and loyalty to Shepherd Home. We look forward to connecting soon!

Sincerely,

Steve Delucia

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December 2020

Dear Shepherd Home Volunteers and Supporters,

As we at Shepherd Home continue to navigate the ever-changing and unpredictable COVID-19 crisis, we remain committed to keeping you all informed and up to date on the organizational status of Shepherd Home.

We continue to evaluate the potential for reopening on an ongoing basis as new key information becomes available. We do so with the health and safety of potential residents, our staff and volunteers as the top priority. We want to ensure that our message with respect to reopening the home remains consistent and clean. It is the belief of our management team and our board of directors that until there is a COVID-19 vaccine, we cannot safely reopen while ensuring that we can safely provide the exceptional care that Shepherd Home has become known for over the years.

I have been a member of the board for nearly three years and in that time I have seen time and again just how amazing the work done by our team of employees and volunteers is and how it impacts not only residents during their stay but also how it impacts families within our community in a meaningful and lasting way. While the continued execution of this mission is so important, we must also remember that the safety and well-being of those we touch is paramount.

We appreciate the continued support that has been shown by our volunteers and supporters during this difficult time shared by all. Shepherd Home has been able to maintain a relatively stable financial position during the COVID-19 crisis due to the actions of our staff in obtaining government relief and taking measures to reduce costs. As we look forward to 2021 continuing in this environment with no additional government relief packages on the horizon, we urge our supporters to keep Shepherd Home in your thoughts when giving. Shepherd Home continues to be wholly funded through fundraising and charitable giving which can create a significant disadvantage during this crisis which makes it difficult to put on the usual annual fundraising events.

Management and the board of directors continue to think outside the box for creative ways to continue to raise funds while keeping the community engaged and safe at the same time. We ask that you keep Shepherd Home in your thoughts and continue to look for communications of opportunities to participate and show your support.

Please direct any questions or concerns you have to either Ashley or the Board. We serve you, our community, and are happy to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Semmler, CPA

Treasurer

October 2020

Dear Shepherd Home Volunteers and Supporters,

As a board member at Shepherd Home for seven years, our mission in providing comfort care is near and dear to my heart. It never ceases to amaze me the incredible, quality service we provide with a 100% grassroots model. Most of our donations are individual donors who were personally touched by Shepherd Home’s end of life care.

The COVID-19 crisis is a challenge everywhere. Whether we are directly or indirectly affected, it’s a year like no other. The leadership at Shepherd Home were forced to test our commitment to mission-based management. We make our decisions based on our values. The decisions to pause resident admissions was the hardest decision we ever had to make. Ultimately, the health and safety of our volunteers rises above all other desires.

We make decisions toward reopening in 3-month increments, with a realistic appreciation of the fact that it might be a full year before we accept another resident. We must be transparent about our intentions. Until there is a vaccine and/or cure, we cannot safely care for residents. Ashley is currently working on tentative plans for the possibility of accepting a resident in either 3, 6, or 12 months. As a Board of Directors, we actively address the fundraising impacts of each plan.

The cost of maintaining the home is lessened while we are closed to residents. We are incredibly blessed to have the foresight of the founders who created the Endowment at the Rochester Community Foundation should be need our “rainy day” fund. Due to pandemic funding and the PPP, we did not need to access those funds for 2020. We are financially sound, with much of this attributed to Ashley Tack’s sound financial oversight.

Please direct any questions or concerns you have to either Ashley or the Board. We serve you, our community, and are happy to hear from you.

In service,

Lizz Ortolani, LAH, LMSW

Vice Chair

September 2020

Dear Shepherd Home Volunteers and Supporters,

My name is Mary Drechsler and I am a past family member of a resident, a hands-on volunteer and the current Board Chair of Shepherd Home.

I have had the joy of meeting many of you at various Shepherd Home sponsored events or working side by side with you as a volunteer.

I am reaching out on behalf of the Board of Directors regarding the current status of Shepherd Home. During these unusual times of a global pandemic, Shepherd Home has had to make difficult decisions to ensure the safety of residents, their families, staff and volunteers.

In consultation with Ashley, the Board of Directors met on Monday, August 17th to discuss re-opening Shepherd Home in the fall of 2020. The board voted unanimously that Shepherd Home remain unavailable to welcome residents through the remainder of 2020. I chose these words specifically, because Shepherd Home is still “open” and providing community support. We all believe that keeping residents, their families, our staff and our volunteers safe, is the most important action we can take to ensure that Shepherd Home will be in our community for many years to come. We are currently planning to start welcoming residents sometime in January of 2021. Ashley will continue to keep everyone up to date on the plans.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Shepherd Home

Sincerely,
Mary Drechsler
Board Chair