I’ve never had a propensity for forecasting the year ahead. I’ve alway preferred to read the prognostications from columnists and experts, however, rather than making my own predictions of what’s to come. And yet, against my better nature, I had written a draft to appear in this space forecasting 2020 for human services–and for all of us at HSC.

But with my 10-week-old son sprawled across my lap, I’m imbued with more optimism than my original draft would have suggested. I’m happy to discard it accordingly in lieu of something that I hope is far more valuable: I’m going to tell you how our sector, and how we at HSC, are going to pursue our goals in 2020 instead.

The how is straightforward enough, but in a time when our country needs good examples to follow, I’m grateful that we have 80 agencies setting an incredible tone for our community:

• The front lines of our agencies will continue working purposefully and passionately for every single person that seeks services. And each person who seeks those services will be treated with dignity and humanity while in our agencies’ care. As the husband of a proud social worker, I know first-hand how genuinely and how deeply the case workers and social workers feel for the people putting their trust in them at some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.

• The executive offices at our agencies will continue innovating and strategizing to ensure service delivery is accessible and sustainable, with the same scrutiny and scrupulousness as the CEOs of our community’s biggest corporations.

• Our agencies will continue to persevere. Despite receding federal dollars and regressive federal policy, despite rising automation and increasing population; despite surging costs of living and stagnant wages–our agencies will find a way to serve our community even as the obstacles seem to be proliferating with every passing day.

At HSC, we will emulate the example our members set. Indeed, we will do all we can to provide an informed and unwavering and bipartisan voice to say what needs to be said; we will support and connect our members with one another and across sectors in our community; and we will continue advocating a vision for the Columbus Region that not only includes, but features the human and social services sector and the people it serves.

I don’t know what 2020 has in store for any of us–six days in, and it’s already been far more turbulent than anyone expected.

But I do know our sector will be the steadying and stabilizing force our community needs, and I’m as grateful as ever that we have the chance to help the helpers, come what may.