Recently, I spent quite a bit of time in airplanes flying from our offices in Connecticut across country to California (for the 2001 conference kick-off meeting) and Arizona (for CdLS Connections preparations). The close quarters of my coach airline seat gave me a unique perspective of the American landscape, and time to think about the future of this Foundation. It was great trip. It reaffirmed the values and visions of our organization and demonstrated the benefits of moving forward on building a CdLS Foundation for the United States.
In less than three months since being charged by our board of directors, we have taken great strides toward realizing our future as a U.S. foundation. Some rather large advances were made possible through generous donations of time, talents, and technology. These contributions have allowed us to begin the process of developing our newest meeting (called CdLS Connections), redesigning our web site, and changing the way our office communicates.
Even more so, my travels (as well as the attendance of our Family Service Coordinators at U.S. family gatherings) have strengthened the Foundations' ties and commitment to our American community. Meeting and listening to the people of California and Arizona verified, to me, that the time is right to bring our programs and services closer to where our members live, while supporting CdLS organizations from outside the United States to do the same.
As we continue the task of revisiting and reviewing our organizational structure, policies, and procedures, we shall not lose sight of the fact there is still much work to be done if we are to live in the world we envision.
A world where...
...a newborn with CdLS can be seen in a clinic by a knowledgeable team of doctors within a month of their birth.
...accurate, up-to-date information about the syndrome is available to anyone, any time, any place and in any language.
...opportunities for meeting others at the local level is available to all who share common concerns.
...people with CdLS are recognized for the invaluable contribution they make to their family, their community, and their world.
Follow our journey and you will learn, as I did during my travels, it's the ride of a lifetime.