BRATTLEBORO — I am submitting the following letter at the request of, and on behalf of, the family of the resident referenced in the front-page article on July 25 in the Brattleboro Reformer, “Residential facilities correct their wrongs.”
The article begins with a detailed accounting of contributions to Holton Home over a five-year period by a resident there.
The resident's family wishes to remain anonymous; their letter follows:
“We wish to express our dismay and sense of violation when we read the article which ran on the front page of the Reformer about our aunt, a Holton Home resident, and Cindy Jerome [then-executive director and now a candidate for the state Legislature].
“Our aunt, always generous to family, friends, and charities, was happy at Holton Home and, therefore, pleased to have the means to make improvements to the home to the benefit of all of the residents.
“From the beginning our aunt, and Cindy Jerome, made us aware of the donations to Holton Home. We were extremely grateful for Cindy's assistance in writing checks for our aunt's signature and help with balancing our aunt's checkbook. We reviewed the checkbook, bank, and financial statements on a regular basis, with no findings of impropriety at any time.
“Cindy Jerome treated the residents of Holton Home with love, compassion, and respect. She always did her best to accommodate their wishes and to make Holton Home their home.
“It is unfortunate that her efforts were so misconstrued. We have the utmost respect for Cindy Jerome's integrity and sincerity, and we greatly appreciate all she has done for our family.”