Ombrelo 18 years – part 8
This is a true story about how we became Ombrelo. First there was an idea. Then one person. Then two. Then a small group who believed in the same direction. It wasn’t clear what this would become. There was only a feeling that things could be done differently—together. This year Ombrelo turns 18. Of age. But this is not a ceremonial speech. This is a 12-part series about how a community is born. How people find each other under the same shelter. How growth is not just about numbers, but about trust. This is our story.
The Pandemic
March 2020 changed everything overnight.
The Finnish Government announced that the country would shut down. Kela, Finland’s Social Insurance Institution, announced that therapy sessions could no longer be carried out face to face. Overnight, the way we had always worked was no longer possible.
At the time, Ombrelo had just over 30 therapists, including independent practitioners working within our network. Only a handful had any experience with remote therapy. For everyone else, it was completely new. Speech and occupational therapy are hands-on professions where personal interaction often plays a crucial role. Remote therapy was not – and still is not – the norm in our field. Until then, especially in speech therapy, the greatest challenge had been the shortage of professionals. None of us had ever imagined a situation where the work itself simply could no longer be carried out.
The Thursday when we sat together in our Vaasa office, silently watching the Government’s press conference, was the moment the seriousness of the situation truly sank in. The following Monday became the hardest day of all. The only option seemed to be temporary lay-offs, so that employees would at least be eligible for unemployment benefits.
But almost everyone chose to stay.
The people at Ombrelo said:
"I want to keep working, even if it's only a little. I want to make sure there's a workplace to come back to when this is over."
Even today, those words are deeply moving.
Everyone began learning remote therapy at the same time—not because they had planned to, but because they had no other choice. Phones rang constantly. Messages kept pouring in. Ideas, materials and practical advice were shared from one colleague to another. How do you engage a client through a screen? How do you do remotely what you have always done face to face?
The sense of community was extraordinary.
In the middle of it all, the founder shared these thoughts on social media:
"Amid all this turmoil, I have experienced something that feels like a miracle. Not a miracle that takes away the worry or the uncertainty, but one that still leaves me speechless and brings tears to my eyes. And, incredibly, many of those tears have been tears of joy."
When the pandemic was over, the company reported a financial loss. Even then, we searched for solutions together. We asked ourselves how to turn the ship around—and together, we did.
Our clients returned, and we welcomed them back with genuine joy.
After all, that is why we exist.