April 30, 2020
Traci Hjelt Sullivan, Interim Executive Director
Dear Friends of Pendle Hill,
It’s a sad week at Pendle Hill. If you read my April 22 letter, you know Pendle Hill has recently accepted that we cannot re-open campus to paying guests until the coronavirus is contained, and certainly no earlier than October 2, 2020. This means that we have had to let go of half of our staff.
If you’ve been to Pendle Hill in the last few years, you know our amazing our staff. They make your bed before you arrive, they cook tasty and healthy food, they manage your reservations, and they come in the middle of the night when you accidentally lock yourself out of your room. The Pendle Hill campus experience has benefitted from the care each one of them has taken to provide warm hospitality to each guest that arrived.
The staff who remain are adjusting to a different rhythm of the week and changed responsibilities. Lloyd Guindon has agreed to manage our Buildings and Grounds team, which now includes Jamaal Williams. Eric Evans brings his institutional knowledge and great customer service skills to the registration office which is now our administrative hub. The Education team has developed new online programs that can accommodate more people at a very affordable price – and they are working on more.
And our Advancement Team is grateful for every single gift Pendle Hill receives. Even with large cuts in payroll, COVID-19 remains financially worrisome for Pendle Hill. If you haven’t made a gift recently, please consider making a contribution today.
The biggest adjustment for those of us who remain is the absence of our friends and colleagues.
We miss you, too! It is spring, and the campus is no less beautiful because there are only a handful of people to appreciate it. Thanks to our hardworking Buildings and Grounds crew, it will be beautiful when you return. Meanwhile, we are pleased to continue to serve you with online programs, Pendle Hill pamphlets, and the daily morning worship (open to all via Zoom).
Bless you and stay safe,
Traci
Traci Hjelt Sullivan
Interim Executive Director
