Dear Friends,
Welcome to a new year! I hope you celebrated the holidays safely and in good spirits with family and friends.
As we step into this new year, we reflect on the strength, resilience, and determination of the individuals and families in our community.
BEST is stronger than ever because of your participation. I am deeply appreciative for everyone who participated in our programs, support groups, Dungeons & Dragons games, and attended our presentations. Thank you.
Because of your support, we are increasingly engaged with activities and events across organizations and geographic boundaries with the power of technology. Because of you, I am encouraged for the coming year.
This year, we will focus on enhancing your experience with BEST programs, optimizing our resources, and continue supporting safe online spaces for our members. We believe that we can unlock our full potential together by empowering you and providing you with the necessary resources.
BEST launched our first Self-Care 7-day Challenge: our 7-day Stress Reduction Challenge. We’ll share one 7-day challenge each month. Join us and then extend that challenge with simple things for the rest of that month. You can start with our January 7-day Stress Reduction Challenge.
I want to encourage you to consider doing one, yes, just one thing each month for your self-care and well-being. The monthly challenges will help you stay focused and achieve some important self-care goals. You can look forward to a variety of seven-day challenges, including challenges for Sleep, Habits, Mindfulness, Immune Boosting, Gratitude, and even a Digital Detox Challenge.
Based on the success of our Mindful Meditation sessions in Second Life we’re creating guided meditations that will be available on our website in the coming months. We’re also expanding our course selections, worksheets and resource collection, and starting all new D&D games for 2025.Â
And that’s just the beginning. Join us. Become a member. There’s so much more to explore, learn, and enjoy because we all know, membership has its perks. Your support helps us provide outreach and support for individuals and families within our neurodiverse community. Together, we’ll celebrate milestones, tackle challenges, and create a brighter, more inclusive future.
Thank you for being part of our community and for trusting us to be part of your story. Your courage inspires us every day, and we remain committed to walking alongside you on your journey toward healing, hope, and progress.
May the new year bring us all happiness, health, and success.
G Kraegel, Executive Director
7 January 2025
