Howard Brown's casualties
Dear Editor:
In light of the tragic situation facing the Howard Brown Health Center ( HBHC ) , let's take a moment to focus on the amazing group of professionals who are employed there. With most of the focus on the departed senior staff and the crisis ( certainly important ) it is also important to remember all those who provide the amazing services at HBHC.
It is the HBHC staff who likely make the small salaries, receive few benefits and dedicate hours and hours of their time to care for their community. Many who have no choice but to live from paycheck to paycheck will experience the greatest loss if they lose their jobs. Unlike senior staff who are now gone, they don't have any 401Ks, investments or property to sell if they need cash.
I have been active with HBHC for more than 26 years. I sit on the HBHC Community Advisory Board ( CAB ) and the MACS CAB and spoke for the HBHC in Washington, D.C., for the MACS Study's 25th anniversary. For more than a quarter century, thousands of others have been greeted, scheduled, examined, counseled, cared for and treated with respect ( and lives have been saved! ) by an amazing group of professional employees from Howard Brown.
They are the true heroes of the organization, and they are forced to sit quietly by the sidelines for fear of losing their jobs and learn of their possible fates either from the media or just before it hits the press. Unfortunately, they are the ones who may suffer the greatest loss. Let's not forget this amazing group of individuals who all deserve a whole lot more than they got.
Sincerely yours,
Danny Kopelson
Chicago
Board must go
Dear Editor:
I was glad to read in your recent article "Howard Brown in Crisis" that the board of directors is done pointing fingers and finally taking some responsibility for this disastrous fiscal fiasco. Having attended several Howard Brown fundraisers over the years, I am shocked at how my and other donors' money was terribly mismanaged.
If Howard Brown is truly interested in a fresh start, then every current board member should resign. The existing board is clearly either lazy, incompetent or possibly complicit. For example, how is it that this board is now only forming a compliance committee? How does a competent board suddenly realize that it needs $1,000,000 for the facility to keep its doors open?? Also, hiring more lawyers as managers or board members is not the answer. Howard Brown needs people with operating experience, as well as individuals with finance and accounting backgrounds.
Having served on numerous corporate boards, I know a good board from a bad one. This is a bad one. Personally, I would never recommend that anyone donate one dime to Howard Brown if members of the existing board remain. Fool me once, shame on youfool me twice, shame on me.
Mark D. Schindel
Chicago