Three words come to mind when I think about the past week: Caring. Commitment. Leadership.

Our CHS Common Bond in action.

When Irma threatened devastation throughout Florida, our CHS team members shared a single goal: to keep kids safe.

Weather predictions grew dire, and our frontline professionals sprang into action to make sure every single child we serve had a safe place for the storm. Our residential homes across the state began preparing – not just for the kids living there but also for the kids in our other homes who needed to evacuate.

Many team members worked around the clock, sacrificing their own hurricane preparation efforts. Sacrificing time with their own families. Riding out the storm with our kids, comforting those who have already been through so much.

But there wasn’t a complaint among them. When we most needed them, they were there.

Team members checked on one another constantly. Leadership throughout the state stepped in wherever they could, welcoming children, families and colleagues to find safety in their communities.

Yes, Irma devastated. There’s no questioning that.

But Irma’s destruction was no match for our Common Bond – the values that bind our CHS team, the values that shone so brightly during a dark storm.

To our entire CHS family, I say thank you. You are the reason we do good. I am incredibly proud of you, and I’m humbled to be part of this incredible team.

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P.S. For a closer look at how our team across the state – especially our residential homes – worked together to keep kids safe during the storm, check out this article from the Tampa Bay Times, published September 8, 2017.