b'A MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIEDear New England Village Families & Friends:Its said that beginning each day with a grateful heart can change everything. It opens the door to greater possibilities and happiness. When youre in the business of helping people realize their potential and pursue their dreams, like New England Village (NEV) is, a positive attitude can make all the difference. Thats why we chose gratitude as the theme for this years Annual Report of Giving.The fact is, we have so much for which to be grateful. After three challenging and often scary years, it finally feels like the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us. Our dedicated staff remains committed to our mission, and the individuals we support have proven to be the definition of resiliency. NEV families and friends continue to encourage us as we persist in our quest to deliver the highest quality services to the people we support. And, of course, our donors, including NEVs Family Association, have stood by us and generously supported us and our mission here at NEV. That support allows us to bring new growth and experiences to our community and make a tremendous difference in peoples lives.2022 was a year of celebration as we marked 50 years of service to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In 2023, we will build on those years of experience. Going forward, we are prioritizing getting back to full capacity in our day programs, increasing community access, membership, and inclusion for individuals across all programs, and evaluating our facilities to ensure we can accommodate the changing needs of those we support.Staff recruitment and retention is our greatest challenge in this job market. We will strongly advocate with our legislators for a fair and competitive wage for our essential workers and other benefits that will attract people to seek work in the human services sector.Finally, were going to have some fun this year! Enrichment opportunities for the individuals supported by NEV continue to get back to pre-COVID levels. The Employee Recognition and Engagement Committee has a full calendar of events planned for staff, and new training opportunities will be rolled out this spring.In the following pages, youll read what others are grateful for here at NEV. It is their stories that inspire us every day. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. With gratitude,Stephanie R. CostaCEO3'