Special Message from the Chief Executive Officer.

To:               EOC Network     

From:          Iris A. Johnson, Chief Executive Officer  

Date:          December 22, 2020

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

As we approach the end of the year 2020, I would like to take this time to personally thank you for your continuous hard work and dedication. This was not an easy year for us, as we were faced with a Global health pandemic that not only changed the way we work and service individuals, children and families in need, this year changed the way we live.

The health and safety of our staff and community has always been our top priority. As a team we instituted changes consistent with the times that we are living in, however we never skipped a beat in serving the most vulnerable populations in our communities.

Our Community Action Programs have continued to provide services in the areas of unemployment assistance, food insecurity, housing assistance through our Emergency Food and Shelter Program, Immigration and Youth services. Our Maternal Infant and Children Health Collaborative Program (MICHC) continues to serve over 44 clients throughout Nassau County providing formula, diapers, cribs and car seats. Our Head Start Programs continue to provide child development education to over 500 children on a daily basis. Our Head Start Supervisors seamlessly provided grab and go food services through this pandemic ensuring that the children and families were still provided with healthy and nutritious meals. Our Displaced Homemakers Program continued to provide virtual training and classes, assisting Displaced Homemakers and those out of work throughout Nassau County. Our Fiscal team continued to meet tough deadlines ensuring our finances remained in order and that employees continued to be paid on time while managing budgets and reporting. Our YECTI program continues to provide advocacy, counseling and employment services to the youth in our communities and our Soccer Program continues to flourish with over 150 participants. Our Executive Leadership team and COVID19 task force met frequently ensuring that the agency remained in compliance with standards set forth by the CDC and that our staff work in a safe environment and our clients are serviced the same.

We have had and will continue to host live and virtual forums for our communities. The way we meet the needs of our communities may have changed, but our end goal will always remain the same helping people and changing lives.

During this Holiday season and because of your dedication and hard work The EOC Agency will be closed on Thursday December 24, 2020 for Christmas Eve. Take this time to enjoy this Holiday season with your loved ones.  I encourage you to celebrate; keeping you and your loved ones’ health and safety as a priority. Should you travel out of state or out of the country, please contact the Human Resources Director upon your return.

According to the Mayo Clinic, below are some very important safety tips for you to consider as you gather with friends, family and loved ones.
 

Celebration considerations

When planning how to celebrate the holidays, consider that celebrating virtually or with members of your own household who are consistently following safety measures poses the lowest risk.

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If you are organizing or considering attending a holiday gathering, make sure you check any state or local health and safety laws, rules, and regulations that might apply. It's also important to consider the unique risks posed by each in-person event. To determine the level of risk involved, ask these questions:

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• What are the current levels of COVID-19? Check the number and rate of COVID-19 cases in your community, in the community where the event is being held and in the community where guests are coming from. The greater the numbers and rates, the greater the risk of infection and spread among guests.
   

• Where is the event being held? Outdoor gatherings are safest. If weather permits, celebrate in your backyard or in a park. For indoor gatherings, opening windows and doors can ensure proper ventilation and help lower the risk. Indoor gatherings with poor ventilation pose the greatest risk.
   

• How long is the event? Longer gatherings pose a greater risk than shorter gatherings. Keep your event short.
   

• How many people will attend? The greater the number of guests, the greater the risk. Keep the guest list small and make sure there is enough room to enable guests from different households to stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart. It's safest to only gather with people who live in your household.
   

• Are the guests traveling? Spending time in airports, train stations, bus stations, rest stops and gas stations can expose guests to the virus that causes COVID-19.
   

• Do the guests follow safety measures? Gatherings with guests who don't follow safety measures before or during the event pose a greater risk. Safety measures include avoiding close contact (within about 6 feet, or 2 meters) with others, wearing masks and washing hands. Use of alcohol can affect judgment and make it difficult to follow safety measures.

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If you aren't comfortable with the level of risk involved, consider canceling, postponing or not attending the event. If you do plan to host or attend an event, have a conversation ahead of time with those involved to set expectations for how you'll celebrate together.

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On behalf of the Board of Directors, Brian G. Staley Chairperson, we want to sincerely thank you for an amazing year. Sending our Christmas wishes to you and your family at this time. Have a great and exciting holiday.

Sincerely,

Iris A. Johnson

Chief Executive Officer

The Economic Opportunity Commission of Nassau County, Inc. is the designated anti-poverty agency in Nassau County. We are an innovative community action agency devoted to facilitating and strengthening basic social relationships between individuals, families and social organizations.

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Our commitment has been demonstrated through activities that have resulted in changing Nassau County institutions to be more responsive in establishing new institutions and program initiatives that improve the quality of life for people who live in poverty target communities in the county.