As part of its 35th anniversary celebration, Fidelity House Human Services held an agency picnic on Saturday, September 15th from 12:00-4:00pm at the Rolling Ridge Retreat Center in North Andover. About 350 people attended, including people receiving services, family members, friends, colleagues and community supporters. It was an afternoon filled with fun, food, music, dancing, and time to just relax and hang out with friends and family. A variety of fun activities were offered including volleyball, games, crafts and weaving lessons by Journeyman Weaver Barbara Provest of the Weaver’s Guild of Boston.

This event was also the kick-off for the Fidelity House Thread Project. In the words of executive director, Yvonne Allard, “In celebration of our 35th anniversary of service to the community, we wanted to do something truly special to honor our history and the many people who have contributed to our success over the years. We are asking everyone with a connection to the agency – now or over the past 35 years, to give us a ‘thread’. All of the threads will then be woven into a wall-hanging that will be unveiled at a special event and then displayed proudly in our office.”

Invited to participate are people receiving services, family members, employees, board and Corporation members, founders, donors, colleagues, community groups and local and state officials – anyone who has been part of our agency in some way. The cloth will represent the people of Fidelity House, all of the “strands” that when woven together make us what we are today.

Fidelity House Human Services is a private, non-profit agency that provides residential and support services for over 600 people with developmental disabilities and their families in the Merrimack Valley area.