Two weeks ago, close to 600 Aunt Martha’s employees joined the Leadership Team and I for the agency’s second Virtual All Staff Holiday Event. That level of engagement is a testament of the commitment our staff have made and kept for one another. Our decision, early in the planning process, to take the event online appears to have been especially prescient given the 87% increase in new coronavirus cases Illinois has experienced since the week following the Thanksgiving holiday. It was a decision we made out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of all our employees.
Out of that same concern, Aunt Martha’s urges everyone to celebrate safely by taking steps to protect yourselves and those around you to prevent the spread of the still deadly coronavirus.
We wish you all the opportunity to bring joy to others this holiday season. Know that Aunt Martha’s is doing its part. In fact, last week Allison Van Gerpen and I joined Malcolm White, Vice President of Aunt Martha’s Board of Directors for the Sauk Village’s annual Shop With A Cop event.
As the Village’s Chief of Police, Malcolm invited Allison and I to be part of the excursion and to meet some of the 60-plus children who benefited from Aunt Martha’s contribution as they enjoyed the experience of a personal shopping spree. This event was particularly important to me personally because of my own roots in south suburban Cook County. It is important that Aunt Martha’s have a presence in community events like this, and I know it is a goal of our leadership team to make sure we are more well-represented in all of the communities we serve. That’s one of the many challenges we’ll tackle together in the new year. For now, however, with my last planned message of the calendar year, I wish you all good health and happiness to those around you. Please enjoy the celebrations of the coming weeks safely, in all ways.
Holiday Season 2021
Shop With A Cop
From left to right: Dr. Donna Leak, Superintendent, Community Consolidated Schools District 168; Raul Garza, Aunt Martha’s President and CEO; Malcolm White, Chief of Police, Sauk Village; Allison Van Gerpen, Senior Executive Administrator, Aunt Martha’s; Sauk Village Mayor Derrick Burgess
