This is a difficult message to write, and it’s been years in the making. I want to share with you my future plans and the promising future of Places for People.

Almost three years ago, I set a date to retire—August 30, 2011. At the time, it seemed a long way off, but now it seems to be just around the corner.

This is a bittersweet message for me personally. I have loved, absolutely loved, being a part of Places for People these past 34 years. As much as I have helped form the agency, the agency and the people here have formed me, and I know I am a better, kinder, more compassionate person for having worked here. Every day I learn something new. Every day I am reminded of people’s boundless capacity for forgiveness, growth, renewal, and generosity. It has been a humbling experience to work with the staff, board, and clients here.

When I met with the leadership of the Board of Places for People to tell them of my plans, the Board immediately established an “Exploration Committee” to review how we should approach the future leadership of Places for People. Early in this process, we began looking at the possibility of a merger with another similarly sized, mission-driven organization. The reason for this is probably pretty apparent. In the current challenging economic environment, any efficiencies that can be found through merging administrative functions only make sense. Beyond that, however, the staff of PfP has been talking for some time about the increasing complexity of the issues with which our clients are dealing. We have gradually added new services and approaches. We believe that our model, which has worked wonderfully for so many for so long, may not be the only model—there may be additional ways to help move people into recovery and there may be different but equally vulnerable groups of people we should be assisting.

With all this in mind, the PfP exploration committee, having reviewed potential partners in the region, approached the leadership of Community Alternatives. We have just completed an 18-month process of due diligence on the part of both Boards (Places for People and Community Alternatives) and in February, 2010, both boards passed resolutions to begin the process of integration leading to a merger that is targeted to be completed by December 31, 2010.

This newsletter discusses the merger and introduces you to Community Alternatives, an excellent agency with expertise that will complement ours. Additional information can be found on our website and on Community Alternative’s.

I also want to assure you that this organization, its mission, and our clients mean the world to me, and I would never, ever willingly leave unless I knew beyond a doubt that my Board and the new leadership shared the same vision and belief in the worth and potential of every human being, the vision that has guided us all these years.

In closing, I want to thank you again for believing in our mission and the people we serve, people who otherwise might have been left behind.

I will also be asking that you continue to support Places for People as your help is needed more than ever. I am not gone yet. We have lots of work to do around integration. I have a building on Page we still need to develop into supported housing, and I have promised I would not leave town until that is finished. There will be additional information in the coming months, as well as events and opportunities to celebrate this important moment in Places for People’s history. For now, I just want to say, “Thank you,” and ask you to stay strong in your support of Places for People for those people who have nowhere else to turn.

Francie Broderick

P.S. If you want to see where I will be spending more time in the future, check out www.marathontexas.com.