2020 Annual Report

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Members of the Bittersweet Farms Community, 

When we chose our Core Value of “Learn and Grow” for our 2020 theme, we could not have imagined just how fitting it would be in what turned out to be a most remarkable and trying year for all. 

The pandemic brought new and serious challenges, and many continue to evolve and unfold today. At each turn, we have had to focus our efforts in diverse ways in order to ensure health and safety for our participants, staff, and community. This has required a tremendous amount of quick learning and mobilization, and unfortunately, many difficult but necessary decisions that have caused disruption and demanded a lot of understanding, patience, and adaptability from all.

Our fantastic team of employees has responded in every way needed, reflecting the tremendous dedication they have to our participants and their well being. As our staff has learned to adjust to wearing masks, physically distancing, and many other measures adopted to keep one another safe, they have learned new ways to connect and foster engagement with our participants. They have also stepped up as needed to fill open shifts, work longer hours, and take on new responsibilities, while remaining eager to learn more about our participants, their strengths and needs, and the best ways to support them. 

In turn, participants and their families have all done an amazing job adapting to the abrupt and long-term changes thrust upon them, especially in the face of our necessary program suspensions. Despite the limitations of virtual platforms and restricted physical engagement, the participants learned new and meaningful skills and continued to grow over the past year. Although we are keenly aware of the hardships they have experienced through the pandemic, we are continually in awe of how well they have been able to cope with it all. 

As always, we could not have made it through the last year without the generous support of the community. From donating critically needed personal protective equipment in the early weeks (even making us an abundance of fabric masks by hand), to the crucial financial support we received from our kind grantors and donors, the heartfelt response to help us in our time of need has been incredible, and so very much appreciated. 

In the face of many difficult and often frightful knowns and unknowns, the Bittersweet community has again persevered to ensure the continued fulfillment of our mission to positively impact the lives of people with autism and those whose lives they touch. It has always been in the face of adversity that the light of this community shines most bright, and this year, it has been radiant. As we work to return together to our normal services and routines with emerging advancements in the battle against COVID-19, we are empowered and comforted to have such an amazing group of people to help us along the way. 

Thank you for all you do to support Bittersweet Farms and the wonderful people we serve. We are so fortunate to have you on our team! 

Sincerely, 

Dustin Wakins
Executive Director