Today, Mark and Margaret sent the following email to staff celebrating Michele Waldner’s Twenty-Fifth Anniversary at CHC:

Dear CHC of Middletown and Clinton staff,

On this beautiful summer day, we want to share with everyone an appreciation , and offer congratulations, to one of our CHC staff—Michele Waldner.

Twenty five years ago—25 years! – On July 18th, 1988, a young, bright, enthusiastic Michele Waldner joined the CHC of Middletown dental practice as our dental office manager.

Michele did a great job as dental office manager, but it was soon clear that her interest and passion lay with the work of our domestic violence unit. After a few years she transitioned to a role as Advocate in that unit, then Battered Women’s Shelter Manager, and since 2007 she has served as the Director of the entire New Horizons program. She leads CHC’s only 24/7 residential service, responds to crises every day of the year, conducts endless community education—especially in the schools—makes sure that every victim has an advocate in court—teaches all of us at CHC about domestic violence—and has trained generations of police officers and first responders. In addition she ensures that support groups are available to women in the community.

It is hard to communicate just how tough the job that Michele and her staff do. It is often heartbreaking. As hard as Michele and her team work on prevention, and on safety planning and crisis intervention, the reality is that the outcome is sometimes fatal, and not every victim is ready and willing to take advantage of the help that New Horizons offers.

That makes it all the more remarkable that for 25 years, Michele has never lost that big smile, “can do” attitude, and belief that she can save the world, one woman at a time, and is ready to welcome a woman into shelter any hour of the day or night.

Please join us in a heartfelt congratulations and thank you to Michele on the occasion of her 25th anniversary at the Community Health Center.
Mark and Margaret