CHIP Annual Report

15 THOUGHTS FROM CHIP’S CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

We couldn’t do it without YOU!

What an incredible year it has been! 2022-2023 was packed full of many amazing memories for staff, enrolled families, Board members, and more. We could not have done this without the generous support of our community.

The Roanoke Valley rallied around the organization during our re-launch of Breakfast with Santa, which had not been held in the traditional capacity since 2019. The 21st annual Breakfast with Santa was held on December 3, 2022, and was the largest Breakfast with Santa event held, breaking attendance and financial records. We are sincerely grateful for every one of our donors who helped make an impact for our families. Every single dollar truly adds up and DOES in fact make a difference for families across the Roanoke Valley and beyond. Warm Regards, Autumn Lavering, Chief Operating Officer

Inside a home visit by a CHIP team I visit a family where the parents of an almost one-year old are older in age — the mom is almost 43 and the dad is in his 60s. This family is open to new things and really loves when CHIP comes to visit. At a recent visit, mom mentioned that the child is getting harder to change; he wiggles around, rolls over, etc. Mom noticed that she was getting frustrated due to this behavior. We decided to discuss a frustration plan plan right then and there. We discussed things mom can do to soothe her child and herself. It started further discussion about how self care is so important for parents. We were also able to discuss with dad how he handles frustrations. At the next home visit, mom brought up how she has been using the techniques we discussed when she begins to feel herself getting frustrated. This inspires me because we work with families of varying ages, not just young moms or first-time moms. All parents need support because parenting is hard, especially with a toddler! — DM, CHIP staff member

CHIP staff: always hydrated and ready to serve!