Dear Friends,

In just the last week, the public health crisis has changed dramatically for all of us, so we wanted to provide a few updates on how Avenue is supporting the needs of our clients, our employees, and the community. First and foremost, I want to express our concern and gratitude for you during this challenging time. I hope all of you are doing what you can to protect yourself, your family, friends and your community. All of our supporters are part of our Avenue family, and your health and well-being matter to us.

Like many other businesses and organizations, we have taken important steps to safeguard our employees and our supporters, including closing our offices to visitors and transitioning to telecommuting for all of our staff. We are encouraging and educating our workforce on how to stay safe, and connecting virtually for meetings and information sharing. While some programs are being suspended for safety reasons, our staff has identified virtual options to combat social isolation and deliver support and services. We are being flexible and creative in our commitment to limit service disruptions.

While these necessary decisions will inevitably impact fundraising, we have a deep commitment to our communities and to all of you to do what we can to slow the spread of this virus. During these uncertain times, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you do to support Avenue, and for all you are doing to support your communities as we face this unprecedented moment in our lifetimes. A full explanation of departmental service disruptions and updates can be found on the Avenue website HERE. The Go Neighborhoods email with resources and information for our Near Northside and Northline communities can be found HERE.

We will continue to communicate on the Avenue website and social media channels as updates arise. Thank you for your continued support for our mission and our work.

Sincerely,

Mary Lawler
Executive Director