I hope that this message finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. The past two years have been difficult for so many, and I am grateful for our dedicated team of service coordinators, project managers, multi-cultural specialists, and interpreters, who have met the language access needs of our community under nearly impossible conditions.
As we start the New Year, we are keenly aware of the enormous challenges faced by our clients in the healthcare, education, social services, and legal communities. We acknowledge their resiliency as we weather this storm together. Early in the pandemic, our healthcare provider partners prioritized language support for limited and non-English speaking patients, and included interpreters in essential, frontline staff vaccinations. We pivoted from face-to-face interpreting to phone and video platforms to meet the needs of the moment. As conditions allow, we continue to return to the preferred, gold standard of in-person interpreting. We stand in grateful solidarity for the efforts and sacrifices healthcare workers make every day.
Schools and social service agencies have also faced incredible challenges. Teachers, staff, school administrators, and social service providers within and outside of school environments have continued to address the needs of their limited-English speaking student populations. Our interpreters continue to provide language services both in-person and remotely. We commend all educators and social service providers for their commitment to the safety and wellbeing of students, families, and clients.
Language access remains an essential component of the judicial process. The state of Minnesota allows limited and non-English speaking parties the right to a court-appointed interpreter.
In the last quarter of 2021, we saw the arrival of refugees from Afghanistan and began a new phase of service with state and local governments and resettlement agencies. We are honored to be part of this unprecedented, multi-agency effort.
We look forward to 2022 and the hope and possibilities the New Year offers to all of us. Our commitment to providing exceptional language services to our clients remains constant, and we are ready to be of service.
Best wishes,
Karen