From the Desk of Claudia Aguirre: Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the victims of Uvalde

BakerRipley internal communications, May 25, 2022 https://mailchi.mp/b ... 372-929376

BakerRipley Family,

Today we mourn the loss of 19 children and two adults, stolen from us by a senseless act of violence in Uvalde. Our hearts are shattered.

A community of neighbors, similar to our own, is struggling to make sense of what occurred yesterday in their small town. We are, too. It will take time and faith to heal from such an atrocious event.

So many of us at BakerRipley are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and educators. Watching the news unfold yesterday—and less than two weeks ago in Buffalo, New York, when more innocent lives were lost to senseless gun violence—was jarring. We struggle to make sense of what has happened.

Please know that this Agency cares about you and your well-being. If you need support or time to grieve, let us know. Remember, BakerRipley offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) from ComPysch that includes free counseling sessions for you and your family members (Use web ID: GEN311 or call 1-800-311-4327). Please take care of yourselves and take advantage of our EAP services.

My thoughts and prayers for Uvalde are underpinned with an unwavering commitment to work as hard as I can to connect our communities, support our families, and embrace and protect our children. Tragedies like this one are all too prevalent in our society. We must do everything that we can to keep our children, our loved ones, and our neighbors safe in the places where we congregate and live our daily lives.

Claudia Aguirre,

President and CEO