Thank You!

For those who may not know, I was on medical leave off and on from Sept. 1, 2021 until June 6 this year. Thankfully, I have been back in the office the last two months, and back on the road to recovery. I want to thank the many people who reached out to me and my family during my illness. If you want to know what it has meant to me, it’s meant more than you will ever know. These well wishes and prayers sustained me through multiple surgeries and during my long recuperation. I don’t know where I would be without the love and dedication of my family, my wife Hilari, son Sean, daughter, Rachel, son-in-law Scott, and our newest family addition, our grandson Milo.

At the Federation, there are far too many people to thank for “holding down the fort,” but I do want to express my appreciation to our three interim CEO’s: Bonnie Burdman, Lisa Long, and Dave Stauffer. These professionals handled many of my responsibilities in addition to their own workloads, to continue to fulfill the mission of the Federation and its agencies in serving the community. The staff and volunteers, led by my President Suzyn Schwebel Epstein, are incredible. Next month be sure to read the 2021 Annual Report in The Jewish Journal Monthly Magazine for highlights over the past year.

Throughout my journey over the past year, I met four health care professionals who were all connected to our Federation. When I first began radiation treatments last fall, the technician who assisted me each day only had fantastic things to say about Heritage Manor after her mother no longer could be safely cared for at home. Next, before one of my surgeries, a nurse was telling me that she drove 30 minutes once a week to have her child swim in our JCC pool. Her son has autism and participated in the JCC’s PALS program, People with Autism that Love to Swim. When my recovery continued with physical therapy at home, a therapist told me his daughter, a YSU student at the time, was a JCC lifeguard and when we shut down for two and a half months, she was still able to make money for her school expenses by delivering Mobile Meals, a program of the Jewish Community Center and Jewish Family & Community Services, which to-date has distributed over 250,000 meals to those in need in the community. The last health care professional I met was my radiation oncology specialist at the JCC Suzi Solomon Golf Classic held this past June, a record-breaking event in terms of funds raised to help fund scholarships and programs at the JCC.

Over the past 37 years in Youngstown, the Federation has been my family. It was extremely comforting that, as I was going through many of the ups and downs of my illness and recuperation, the Federation was with me all the time.

To the many volunteers, staff, and friends in the community, who reached out in person, by phone, text, cards, or prepared meals, thank you again for your prayers and well wishes.

Stay safe as COVID continues to see an increase in cases. Enjoy the rest of the summer.

Andy
Andrew Lipkin, Federation CEO