When asked to discuss my twenty years of membership on the Board of Home and Community Options, I jumped at the opportunity to share how the experience has contributed to so many elements of my own personal life, as well as ways to influence both the HCO agency and Winona community.
On a personal level, board membership has provided the opportunity to contribute my parental and community member perspective to the agency which has provided services to one of our sons over those same 20 years, as well as to so many other folks with a diversity of developmental disabilities. My experiences as a parent, as a teacher, in social services and emergency medical services were accepted and encouraged. Over the years, the board experience provided me the opportunity to play an active role in using my history and skills to contribute to the team decision-making process of providing stable, fiscally wise management of the services to our individual consumers and their families. The opportunity also allowed me to see first-hand how such agency support allowed one of our sons to transition from our home as a young adult to living more independently in a supported, safe environment.
The HCO board, each member chosen to intentionally balance age and gender, also recruits folks with personal connections and personal history to support the disability community. Individuals with backgrounds such as family relationships to those served or in the worlds of education, law, medicine, social services and business bring expertise to provide guidance for wise, insightful organizational decision-making by this caring, diverse group of people which supports efficient functioning of the staff and administration of the agency. I find it joyful to share the responsibility with such a diverse, knowledgeable, thoughtful, caring group which shares a personal passion for the services and care provided. For all these twenty years I have known only members who contribute their skills with mission-driven enthusiasm. All make an effort to recognize and listen to agency needs, then to reach out to address them with adaptive, creative solutions.
HCO affects, not only the lives of those we serve, but also the wider community. The ongoing determination of providing quality service in an ever-changing financial and political environment continues to inventively maintain an agency which provides employment to hundreds of employees. That large employment base provides a strong tax base for the community. The agency, as well as its employee base, supports local businesses and financial institutions when purchasing homes, vehicles, groceries, insurance, and investments. We utilize community businesses to maintain agency needs such as construction and renovation. We offer internship opportunities for students from local educational facilities, along with multiple volunteer opportunities for community members. The community is a wiser, more aware place due to the presence of HCO’s ongoing efforts to integrate those we serve into community experiences. Local citizens gain understanding of the value and strengths this resource of hard working, creative, talented people bring to the community table, both staff and those served.
To summarize, HCO board membership offers a life-enhancing opportunity to serve, influence, and contribute to the community, as well as to learn from the powerful community of consumers the agency serves. Such impact from a personal, agency and consumer perspective, as well as from a community perspective looms large as I look back over the past 20 years. If an invitation to get involved and share your insights as a board member comes your way, I encourage all to consider accepting the opportunity. For further information on how you could volunteer and make a positive impact, contact our Executive Director, Suzanne Horstman. No matter your walk of life or life background and whether you choose a short involvement or a longer one, I assure you that you will gain personal benefits beyond measure if you decide to join the HCO adventure.
