2022 Annual Impact Report - 15

An absence of light
by Shelby Hardy
economic climate. To that end, we almost
exclusively engage in executive searches
in South Central Pennsylvania, as we
are familiar with and ingrained into the
community. We have a unique knowledge
and awareness of the needs of the
community and businesses, in addition
to many helpful local relationships
including previous projects working with
organizations' leadership and teams.
The organization should also look for
a firm that is an advocate for the client,
as well as the candidate, so that the
process is timely, transparent and fair.
This ensures at the end of the day that the
best qualified candidate is selected and
transitioned successfully into the CEO
role.
Finally, since stewardship is important,
the organization can take comfort that the
funds provided for the executive search
go to support the mission of our parent
organization, Samaritan Counseling
Center, in building healthy minds
and strong communities by subsidizing
counseling fees for those with limited
financial resources. The client receives
expert consultants to successfully execute
the project/search, the consultant is
rewarded appropriately for their time
and efforts, and through your support,
the mental health and wellness needs
of the community continue to thrive
successfully.
O ur experienced consultants based in
South Central Pennsylvania handle the dayto-day
tasks involved in an executive-level
search from start to finish, helping you find
just the right candidate to serve as a leader
in your organization. Every step of the
way, our team is there to make the process
as simple and painless as possible.
Interested in learning more? Reach out to
Scott Snyder, Director of Consulting at
ssnyder@samaritanlancaster.org.
You wouldn't know him if you met him on the street,
shook his hand, heard his story.
The fi rst time you meet he can be charming,
fl atter your senses,
convince you to trust him, to lower defenses
and listen
to all of the truths that he's spewing
about you, others, the world,
slowly chewing up and spitting out
your beliefs,
what you trust and love
in yourself, neighbors, the fates up above;
leaving residue doubt,
a silent cry,
Who are you now
i f you can't get by the obstacles
he's throwing up in your path?
Watching you struggle, he lets out a laugh,
" I told you so " he says and
you believe that he's right.
You believe now in monsters that bump in the night
and nighttime is here; he's blocked out the light.
Legs wide, chest large,
he takes up more space.
Darkness descends until there is
no trace of light.
It's hard to see
yourself, each other,
the way things might be
beyond his shadow.
You may even forget that
you have your own light inside of your chest,
your values, your passions,
what you know to be best in the world,
what's true;
but fueling that light is up to you.
Remember how to breathe, put your attention inside;
resist the urge to run and hide.
Starting to glow means you might be found
confused and unsure
before standing your ground
somewhere solid,
where you can see
a return to how you want to be.
You'll have to risk the unknown
to discover in struggle
that you are not alone,
that this darkness is not your home,
that this bully is nothing without your fear,
that, together, many points of light make him
disappear.
In the end, it comes down to you,
to willingness, what you dare to do.
Whether he lives in your home, school, or head,
a bully is someone we all know and dread.
Whether he shows up with a sonic boom,
or when no one is looking sneaks into the room,
the shadow he casts is just the absence of light.
Nothing eternal, not an incurable blight,
but something to counter, something to face,
to open a window and leave in his place
You. All of You.
Not without shadow, not without doubt,
but with enough room to fi gure it out.
To fi nd your voice, to fi nd your song,
the one you were singing before he came along.
It may start as a whisper, but then it will grow,
a chorus of light within and between
a You that is stronger than it may now seem.
15
2022 Annual Impact Report

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