Hi all.
As you know, the last several months in “COVID” world have been unique and difficult, to say the least.The Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective and our clients have not been immune to the impact. We have had to adapt, and then adapt again, and again, to redevelop our service and programs for the community. Everyone was, and is, doing the best we can to serve the community and keep those on the front lines safe.
For those of you who have read our newsletters and emails, along with our Facebook posts and other updates, you know that we never fully closed our doors. Yes, we significantly limited our in-person availability of services, consistent with pretty much every other medical, dental and social services provider. That was a difficult, yet necessary decision in light of all that we knew, and did not know, about COVID this past March, which continues even now. But through these past several months, we have responded to phone calls, emails, social media posts, and messages.
We know there are some Facebook posts indicating the opposite. While we are sorry to see such misinformation out there, people have their opinions.
We have been working diligently to continually increase our service delivery over the last several months. We want our services to be as safe as possible for our clients and our staff. Our resources have been many, including the American Dental Association, State of CT Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control, our Medical Director who is a specialist in infectious disease, and many, many more.
The excitement on the part of the staff and volunteers to have more and more clients come into our offices is palpable. We are all smiling behind our masks, when we see a client in the waiting room. Clients are happy and appreciative to be able to get services again. Please contact us! We will continue to navigate in this crazy, unpredictable COVID world. The Health Collective is in the business of saving lives; the decisions we have made have been informed by this perspective.Thank you for your support.
Linda Estabrook, MPH
Executive Director