Heartbreaking Note Taped to Closed Hudson Valley Business

A note has been left to the former customers of a recently closed Hudson Valley business that will tug at your heartstrings.

Sadly, we've been reporting on many long-time Hudson Valley businesses that have recently closed down. What many people don't realize is that even when these businesses are franchises or national chains, there are still local people who work there and wind up forming strong bonds with their customers.

Recently, it was announced that several chain stores would be shutting down in the area. Among the most recent are Bed, Bath & Beyond and Jenny Craig, who's been helping Hudson Valley residents stay healthy for four decades. Two weeks ago, employees received a note from the corporate offices that said all of the company's weight loss centers would be shutting down "due to its inability to secure additional financing."

Up until this month, there were 25 Jenny Craig locations in New York, including popular centers in Middletown and Wappingers Falls. After abruptly shutting their doors, customers who relied on the support of their diet and fitness coaches were left to fend for themselves.

It's bad enough when a popular store closes and customers are forced to find somewhere else to shop, but when you rely on a business to help you stay on a healthy path and reach important physical goals, it can be devastating to suddenly find yourself without any help.

It appears that the former staff at the Wappingers Falls Jenny Craig completely understand this and decided to leave some encouraging words for their former customers on the vacant business' front door.

The sign apologizes for closing unexpectedly and urges members to stay healthy, even though the Jenny Craig staff won't be there to guide them.

Don't let this be the reason you stop taking care of you!

These simple words of encouragement, written when employees were faced with suddenly losing their jobs, show just how dedicated they were to their customers' well-being. Here's hoping that the former Wappingers Falls clients find someone else who truly cares as much about their health as their local Jenny Craig team did, and apparently still does.

UPDATE: After the publishing of this article Michele Sinclair, the former manager of the Wappingers Falls Jenny Craig, reached out to let us know that she was the one that left the inspirational message for her former customers.

I wish more people understood the relationships built between a coach and a client…. They become like family…. the process and the importance of their health.

Sinclair says she has since stayed in touch with many of her clients and didn't mince words when describing how Jenny Craig handled the massive closures. The former manager says she is "embarrassed" by her former company's decision to shut down so suddenly.