2021 Reflection:
2021 is almost finished. Wow. It’s honestly been a hard year to sit and reflect on. In many ways, it feels like so much has happened and that the year was over before it really started. And yet it also feels like many of the hopes and hard we were holding this time last year are still being clutched in our hands and hearts. That’s the paradox of life, isn’t it? Rarely do we experience one emotion independently. Most of life is a mix, and oftentimes we hold opposing emotions.
The biggest and best part of all of this though is that we don’t do it alone. We are here as a team of people dedicated to our mission of community, a practice that not only includes our team, but our guests. If you are new to our journey and family, welcome. Our big, messy, wonderful hearts are happy to have you here! If you have been with us for a while now, our hands are raised in applause and our hearts bow in honor. You have sustained and carried us in a myriad of ways, and we continue to hold gratitude and respect for you.
So, as we approach the close of one year and the launch of another, we pause to remember both our strength and tenderness and we recommit to grow, to learn, to change, to cry, to laugh, and to press forward. We invite and welcome you to join us.
2022 Hope:
Happy New Year, friends! We celebrate the concept of “new” here on an almost daily basis. “New beginnings” is our identity and deeply woven into the fabric of our lives and foundation. We adapt and change regularly to meet the needs of our team, business, and guests. This isn’t an easy life or choice, but it is a rich and full one. We have many hopes & goals for next year, but one intention is to step more fully into who we are. Chez Genèse was created with the following goals:
Facilitate community, both inside and outside our walls
Help fill the void of unemployed adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Provide a basic introduction/understanding to the general public for those living with IDD
Affirm the worth our team and cultivate a sense of pride in how and where they work
Slow down and enjoy the process of both meal preparation and consumption
Remember hospitality is a gift and to give it freely
Become a culture that serves
We hope that whether you engage with us in person or online, that you feel and experience who we are and the heart that we have for you and for each other. We are eager for you to fall in love with our team and our food and hope you feel at home with us.
So… 2021: we are thankful to have survived & semi-thrived through you. 2022: Hi, we are Chez Genèse: the place of new beginnings.
It’s nice to meet you.
