At the end of October, Harvard Council on Aging Director Debbie Thompson was named director of the year—along with the directors of 111 other community councils from across the state. In response to the award, Town Administrator Tim Bragan wrote, “This is a wonderful recognition of COA directors and Debbie in particular for the work they do and she does on behalf of her ‘seniors’ and our town, especially during these difficult times.”
Debbie Thompson speaks at the June 2020 Town Meeting. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The award announcement was made at the Massachusetts Councils on Aging virtual fall conference by MCOA Board President Becky Moriarty. “It was an easy decision,” she said. “There was no way to choose just one.” She went on to say that every one of the directors had done an amazing job of continuing to provide services during the pandemic. “You stopped at nothing to see that the needs of seniors were met,” she told them. “You learned a lot about things we never thought we’d need to know.”
Last March, when the state put the brakes on everything and most senior centers across the state closed, “That did not stop this network from providing services,” Moriarty said. Directors had to think outside the box to find new ways to deliver programs and distribute food. And they did. Proof of Moriarty’s praise was evidenced by a slideshow set to music, comprising pictures 111 COA directors had sent to her.
The slides showed seniors from the many different towns doing activities outside: tai chi and other exercise programs, art class, a concert in the garden, a cookout. Pictures captured seniors picking up grab-and-go meals, and having soup, meals, and groceries delivered. Directors had to learn new technology and set people up with Zoom so they could attend recreational, cultural, and educational programs online. One town set up a drive-thru flu clinic, another set up a large tent for bingo, another delivered flowers.
Moriarty said that although it was easy to decide the award had to go to all directors, it was harder to capture all of the qualities that “Director of the Year” is recognizing. She said the recipient has to be a strong leader, a team player, a role model, an advocate for seniors; he or she has to demonstrate the ability to be adaptable, to make quick decisions, and to express empathy. All of the directors receiving the award continued to make wellness-check phone calls, to write grants for supplies, to encourage their colleagues, to share ideas—all while dealing with their personal lives in extraordinary times. Moriarty said she kept hearing good-news stories from across the state.
Moriarty praised the staff members who, along with the directors, ensured that seniors’ needs were met, and all the volunteers who helped in so many ways.
Here in Harvard, although Hildreth House was closed, Thompson and her staff kept working, making themselves available to anyone who needed help. They were quick to set up Zoom for the weekly men’s coffee, for exercise programs, for educational programs, and a monthly story slam. They provided grab-and-go meals, and volunteers delivered groceries and Chef Paul’s soup. They also delivered Tuesday and Thursday lunches to those who attended them before the shutdown. In a recent email, Thompson said that gradually men’s and women’s groups have been meeting on the porch at Hildreth House. Since she wanted to keep the van drivers employed, they have been picking up groceries from Loaves & Fishes food pantry for other members of the community, not just older adults.
In the same email Thompson said, “I’m very proud of the staff here: administrative assistant and van dispatch Lisa Rosen; outreach coordinators Maria Holland and Charlotte Winchell; program coordinator Jennifer Schoenberg. Our van drivers are Scott Dinsmore, Pete Tenneson, Pam McInnis, David Burney, and Julio Valladares.”
“It takes a village,” she ended.
