The Firs Update - OCTOBER

Hello Friends,

It has been an incredible October here at The Firs. It’s been sunny and warm – which is great for a Southern Californian like me, but I have had enough conversations with locals to know that they are ready for the cool fall and rain. Five months of hardly any rain has been pretty amazing, but it’s in the forecast and we are ready. We’ve had a few smoky days, and I pray that you are all safe. Christa and I have enjoyed a few hikes and the beautiful mountains that we have here.

We have spent the last few weeks evaluating programs and starting to think through next year’s programming. I heard from quite a few of you, so thank you for your input. It really does help to have feedback on programs from you all. Be on the lookout for information where you can get involved. We would love to have you.

If you didn’t get the information on Trick or Trees – we are going to be dressing up a few of the cabins and inviting the community to come out to The Firs to get treats here. We will have it all set up behind Douglas Lodge. If you want to decorate one of the cabins and hand out candy, please let me know and we can get you set up.

Recently, I set up my Amazon account to connect to the AmazonSmile program. Amazon has set up a way for you to shop as you would normally shop and they will give a portion of your purchase to a charitable organization – like The Firs. We also benefit from the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program, which does essentially the same thing with your Fred Meyer Rewards. Both programs still allow you to enjoy the rewards and savings you currently receive, but you will additionally help support us, with a small contribution from your purchases coming to The Firs as a donation.

Don’t get me wrong. Donations directly to The Firs will be tax deductible and we will send you a tax receipt for your donation – just in case you did not know.

We have a few staff changes that I wanted to let you know about. Robb Ellis started this month as our new Operations Director, and Kelly Ellis, his wife, will be my new Executive Assistant. Jen Ryan moved into an HR Manager role here at The Firs. We are excited to have Jen on in that role, as we’ve never had a specific HR position here. We are still looking to fill positions for a Housekeeping Supervisor and housekeeping staff, as well as a new Registrar. We will also be needing to hire a new Maintenance and Projects Director, as Bruce and Barb VanderMeulen will be retiring in December. If you’d like to send an encouraging word or show your appreciation for Bruce and Barb, you have till mid-December to do so. No Parties!!! I told them that I’d honor their request for No Parties – but – we can still show our appreciation. I did not bring that up.

It’s been amazing to meet so many of you out at different churches or places where I have gotten invited to speak and to give an update of The Firs. If you have any other opportunities or would love an update, please let me know.