Showing Respect.
Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, rallied her fanbase and the Nation every time she performed her signature song
R E S P E C T. It had special meaning to her, as it does to Community Homes. Respect is one of our core values and the topic for this edition of Charlie’s Corner.
I promise not to sing, but I will share some thoughts about why we include this special word, respect, as a Core Value.
According to Vocabulary.com, “Respect is a noun that means an attitude of admiration or esteem.” In our case the admiration and esteem is directed toward our residents. We respect the fact that these people come from diverse backgrounds, and have served others throughout their lives as heads of household, breadwinners, working professionals, and community citizens. They have earned our respect.
We are pleased that, at this stage of their lives, we can provide safe, affordable housing for them in a community of peers’ environment. Showing respect for the residents and doing what we can for them is a pledge and a way of life for our Community Homes family – management, staff, and maintenance team, and our Board of Directors. Positive feedback from the resident community confirms this.
There is another respect-related issue that contributes to this special relationship. It is self-respect. Yourdictionary.com describes self-respect as “holding yourself in esteem, and that you are good and worthy of being treated well.” Bottom line – mutual respect carries the day. Or in the words of Confucius “Respect yourself and others will respect you.”
CORE VALUE IN ACTION
We make it a point to get to know our residents as individuals and to do what we can to help them celebrate special personal occasions. A recent example – Irene Wike, a Poplar Terrace resident, reached a milestone 10tth birthday. Our staff helped coordinate a very special 100th birthday party for Irene. Family from different parts of the county were there, joined by residents and friends in the Popular Terrace Community Room. Social distancing guidelines were followed as Irene had a wonderful time, even dancing the polka to the stains of live and lively piano music by recording artist Karl Hausman, who also played at Hershey Park for Irene’s 90th birthday in 2011.