A Message from the Rediscovering You Executive Director: A Reflection on 2021
As 2021 ends, I have spent quite a bit of time reflecting on what the year had in store for the Rediscovering You nonprofit. The words adversity, hardship, overcoming, victory, hope, faith, and grace immediately come to mind. It has been a year filled with mountains and valleys.
The start of 2021 brought with it great difficulty. Whether it be difficulty from the pandemic or obtaining funding to sustain programming to support the community, Rediscovering You faced a great deal of hardship and adversity in the first six months of the year. As a result, as many of you are likely aware, the nonprofit closed its doors on July 1st, 2021, as a result of what we had been facing. Our ability to financially meet the needs of the community became more than we could sustain in that moment.
The months following were met with a great deal of grief and loss of the nonprofit for myself and our team. Being closed didn’t feel right. We felt like we were letting the community down who needed support now more than ever. No longer could we sit in our feelings and not take action. In October 2021, with the support of our former Board of Directors and Rediscovering You team, Rediscovering You reopened our doors. Since our reopening, the words overcoming, victory, hope, faith, and grace come to mind. Not only have we survived, but we have thrived. We have leaned into the adversity and worked our way through it. We may not be where we want to be yet, but we are so much closer. This is all thanks to each and every one of you.
In 2021, Rediscovering You has been committed to our mission of building a mentally healthy and supported community through our three main goals. These goals include:
Improving and assisting with access to mental health care for those who are uninsured and underinsured.
Supporting those who have lost a loved one to suicide or overdose.
Supporting those in recovery from any mental illness and their loved ones.
Whether we have provided support through recovery groups, Grief Care Kits for those who have lost loved ones to suicide or overdose, providing financial assistance for mental health care to those who are uninsured and underinsured, or coming alongside other amazing organizations in the community, we have been beyond blessed, humbled, and proud to help serve the Greater Kansas City community.
The 2022 year is quickly approaching. While we may find ourselves in a similar situation as a community as we have in 2021, I look forward to the new year that is upon us. My word for Rediscovering You in 2022 is BELIEF.
Belief in change.
Belief in hope.
Belief in grace.
Belief in overcoming and triumphing.
Belief we can come together with others to build a mentally healthy community.
Belief that we will not just survive but thrive into the new year.
Belief that things will be okay.
As you reflect on what the new year will bring for you, what word(s) will you carry with you? What brings you purpose, meaning, and passion that you want to lean into and chase after? You deserve health, happiness, and to reach for your goals. Let this new year be a time of rejuvenation, hope, and excitement. Let’s come together to support ourselves and our community in the best way we can. When we come together, we can be so much stronger and do so much more.
May this new year be filled with hope, grace, love, hope, and happiness. We continue to think of you and wish nothing but the best for you!
Best,
Katherine
Founder and Executive Director
Rediscovering You
