April 8, 2020
When I sent my last Westborough ASP update last week, I said that Walter had indicated that Johnson City had promised to make some decisions by "next week". It's now next week, and they have indeed made a decision: ASP will be closing to volunteers through at least August 1, which means in short that the 2020 summer program is cancelled. You can read the official statement on ASP's website at https://www.asphome.org/blog/2020/03/12/asp-coronavirus-covid-19-update/. It contains a link to an embedded video of Walter explaining the decision, which you can also get to directly at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SklgBWjMtU. We'll be posting both links on www.westboroughasp.org as well.
Believe me, I understand how disappointing this is to all of you. Remember, you're talking to someone that hasn't missed a summer since 1985! But I believe this is the correct decision, and I am thankful that ASP's leadership had the courage to make it. As painful as it is to admit, we're a danger to each other right now, as well as the families we come to serve, with the potential to do much more harm than good. While we hope things will get better by the summer, nobody knows exactly what will happen, and there's just no way for ASP to keep their options open, given the need to setup centers and train staff. (And can you imagine an ASP center in which the sleeping areas allow 6 feet between volunteers? Actually, that sounds kind of nice.) Please remember that the primary impact of this situation isn't to us, nor even close -- it's to those who get sick and those who will not receive home repair services this summer. Please keep all of them in your prayers.
The steering committee will meet this week to determine next steps for our Westborough program, so watch this space for more updates. But, in the meantime, you can cross out July 11-19 on your calendar. Here's hoping you can get out of the house by then and enjoy the free week! If you have any questions or suggestions about what happens next, this email address isn't going anywhere. I'd love to hear from you as we try to work things out.
-- Jonathan and the Westborough ASP Steering Committee
When I sent my last Westborough ASP update last week, I said that Walter had indicated that Johnson City had promised to make some decisions by "next week". It's now next week, and they have indeed made a decision: ASP will be closing to volunteers through at least August 1, which means in short that the 2020 summer program is cancelled. You can read the official statement on ASP's website at https://www.asphome.org/blog/2020/03/12/asp-coronavirus-covid-19-update/. It contains a link to an embedded video of Walter explaining the decision, which you can also get to directly at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SklgBWjMtU. We'll be posting both links on www.westboroughasp.org as well.
Believe me, I understand how disappointing this is to all of you. Remember, you're talking to someone that hasn't missed a summer since 1985! But I believe this is the correct decision, and I am thankful that ASP's leadership had the courage to make it. As painful as it is to admit, we're a danger to each other right now, as well as the families we come to serve, with the potential to do much more harm than good. While we hope things will get better by the summer, nobody knows exactly what will happen, and there's just no way for ASP to keep their options open, given the need to setup centers and train staff. (And can you imagine an ASP center in which the sleeping areas allow 6 feet between volunteers? Actually, that sounds kind of nice.) Please remember that the primary impact of this situation isn't to us, nor even close -- it's to those who get sick and those who will not receive home repair services this summer. Please keep all of them in your prayers.
The steering committee will meet this week to determine next steps for our Westborough program, so watch this space for more updates. But, in the meantime, you can cross out July 11-19 on your calendar. Here's hoping you can get out of the house by then and enjoy the free week! If you have any questions or suggestions about what happens next, this email address isn't going anywhere. I'd love to hear from you as we try to work things out.
-- Jonathan and the Westborough ASP Steering Committee
