Recently, Chief Program Officer, Jason Hyatt and I had the honor of being presented with the Patriot Award by Lisa Moon and Nate Ferrance. The Patriot Award is given by an employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve. The award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide-range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed.
Captain Lisa Moon was deployed to NYC during the pandemic. During her deployment, Lisa supported the mental health needs of medical providers, as well as military and nonmilitary personnel on the frontlines of the pandemic. Her deployment happened very quickly but I did not think twice about supporting her; it’s what we do at Sound Community Services. She was away serving others for an extended period of time and I know it was not easy.
Captain Nate Farrence was deployed to set up temporary field hospitals in various locations, as well as to distribute personal protective equipment within the State of Connecticut during a time when state agencies could not figure out how to distribute the PPE. I knew he would be the perfect person to get the job done!
While my heart is filled with joy knowing that our actions had an impact on Lisa and Nate, I have to say that they are the ones that deserve to be recognized. They are the ones who made the sacrifice to be away from their families and to serve our country during historical times. They are the ones who also bring their ingrained commitment to service to their work at Sound Community Services. They are the heroes; they inspire us!
On behalf of myself and Jason, we thank Lisa and Nate for their commitment to the agency and our country. It takes commitment and courage to do what they do and we are honored to say that we have the privilege of working with them. Speaking for the two of us, we will hold this recognition in a very special place.
Gino DeMaio
Chief Executive Officer
Jason Hyatt
Chief Program Officer
