A season change, an upcoming event

Dear Community,

As October unfolds and the days start to grow shorter, I am aware of that we are transitioning to a new season. We cleared our gardens this past weekend and planted some bulbs. We are shifting from an abundance of light, and our energy flows into a new rhythm – one that inevitably requires, in many ways, a new approach. Like the squirrels and the blue jays that are fast and focused outside my window, life benefits from preparing. Whether or not we respond to the impulse, we all benefit from preparing – from noticing and tending to what needs care and preparation.

Walk-In is entering its own shift in seasons. As we move towards the end of the year, we’re preparing for a new budget, which for many mission-driven organizations means we are beginning a new chapter. At first, it’s a process about dreaming of what’s possible and what’s needed, then it’s about level-setting and making difficult choices around where we focus resources and set or strengthen limits. As we cycle towards a new year, we prepare and shape our priorities. 

My first months at Walk-In have been revealing: I’m learning our strengths,  sensing and seeing our needs, and beginning to understand the layers of depth and complexity that come from such a long history and a powerful network. Walk-In has been responding to the needs of our community for over 56 years. We have weathered many harsh winters, collected evidence-based wisdom, and have been building a skillful practice. We have benefitted from seasons of tremendous abundance thanks to the extraordinary investments of our community. Like so many of our own stories, this organization owns experience of remarkable perseverance and resilience, alongside challenges that continue to persist, demand attention, and deserve investments. Though we have a lot of work ahead to plug the holes of faltering systems, we are so well positioned. 

Gratitude for All Who Show Up

Here’s the truth about budgeting in our work: no budget could fully support the needs that are present and anticipated. The demand for accessible mental health far exceeds our resources. Budgeting, then, requires something beyond spreadsheets—it requires a belief in the possibility that a community, when it is committed to the work of caring for all, especially during moments or seasons when we find ourselves most vulnerable, can rise up and respond. It’s like planting bulbs in the fall: an investment that we make now, trusting that they’ll burst into life come spring. I’m so grateful to be doing this work alongside people, our staff and volunteers, who share that commitment.

Thank you to those who have shown up over these past weeks – in ways both big and small. Thank you for covering shifts, painting window panes, cleaning unspeakable things from closets and carpets, pulling invasive weeds – all with a smile, even laughter – and for those who joined us at outreach events to spread the word about our mission. 

It has been a privilege getting to know many of you—volunteers who give their evenings and weekends, donors who invest in our vision, and new faces eager to join what we’re building. You’ve shared stories that illuminate our legacy and inspire our future. You’ve also shared concerns and frustrations from a place of genuine care—and I’m grateful for that too. This honesty makes us stronger.

The Work Ahead

And so, we set off to plant bulbs with the knowledge that we can’t plant them everywhere. We want to be mindful and balanced, but we do so with the hopeful belief that we’ll be here to witness and a desire to plant them even if we’re not. 

We move toward our budget season, and the reality of our limitations begin to shift into focus with increasing pace, just like the falling leaves. Together, we’ll ask necessary questions: What do we need? What do we want? What becomes possible when a community commits to accessible, immediate mental health supports? This is season during which we craft clarity around our mission and become more strategic about our impact. I will look to all of you to help inform what’s ahead for all of us.

In the month ahead, we’re offering an event designed to gather us as a community, help clarify our mission, and shape our shared vision. On November 16, we will host a community conversation, “Resilient We Rise,” to explore how personal healing creates collective transformation – the heart of what we believe about this work – as we begin to shift collective transformation into action. To RSVP, click here. This isn’t just an event – it’s an invitation to join the conversation about who we are and where we’re going, together. 

Onward we go

Walk-In’s strengths have always been rooted in community. Building and preparing for the season ahead, we know that the needs will be big and the length of our seasons are increasingly unpredictable. What we also know and trust is that the investments of our community – of time, resources, energy, and belief – have always been and will continue to be what makes our work possible. 

Thank you for being a part of what we are doing. 

In partnership,

Kate Fischer, LICSW
Director ejecutivo
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