Resolution 2022: Envision a brighter future for children and families

It feels like hope is hard to come by these days with the spread of COVID-19 variants, struggles with staffing shortages, a growing need for supportive services and more.

While it can be easy to focus on the challenges of this year, we must not lose sight of what truly matters most as we enter the new year — the power of hope.

To have hope is to believe that something better is possible. Hope cannot only help to make a difficult situation more bearable, it can also improve our lives by enabling us to envision a better future and motivate us to take action.

We cannot let the challenges facing us deter us from hoping for a brighter future for our children. We need to embrace hope and work together to ensure that the most vulnerable members of our community have the supports and resources they need to be successful.

So as we reflect on the many challenges of this year and look ahead to 2022, I encourage you to lean into hope and think about how we can work together to help make a brighter future a reality for the children and families across our community.

Mary Beth O’Neill is president and CEO of Four Oaks.