Blog
State of the Community
This wonderful piece (included in this month’s Edentimes) was written by our recently inaugurated Resident’s Association president, Kitty Allen.
When I was a newspaper editor in college, I wrote a weekly column called “Chit Chat with Kit Kat.” I became the Residents’ Association President at a most challenging time for us at Edenwald, indeed for the world, and all of the traditional things that presidents are expected to do have been affected. Before all of this, I wrote what I thought might be a ”State of the Community” report that I intended to give at my first RA meeting, one that will not be held in traditional fashion, so I am sharing it as a “Chit Chat” column with you now in this special issue of Edentimes.
Last month Mark invited Sally and me to join several of Edenwald’s leadership in attending the 3rd annual Towson Chamber of Commerce’s Toast of the Town event at the Stanley Black & Decker headquarters on Joppa Road. This “Celebration of Towson” event was a time when nine prominent businesses were being honored, recognized for their contributions to the vitality and growth of Towson. Among other honorees were the Baltimore County Public Library, Nordstrom, Patient First, Sheppard Pratt Health System, and St. Joseph Medical Center.
In the program for the evening it said “Edenwald Senior Living is a dynamic community serving seniors 62 and older. Founded in 1881 in Baltimore, Edenwald relocated to Towson in the 1980’s, emerging as a premier Life Plan Community, providing exceptional care and hospitality to over 400 residents on a daily basis. Edenwald offers countless programs and activities on and off campus, taking advantage of the amazing restaurants, shopping and attractions in Towson and the surrounding area. Edenwald employs over 400 people and generates close to $30M in the Towson community. Through resident donations, Edenwald staff receive over $125,000 annually in scholarship awards to advance their education and careers, continuing to give back to Towson and the surrounding communities.”
When Mark was introduced to accept the award for Edenwald, I felt immensely proud to have been asked to represent this wonderful community and bask in the enthusiastic recognition from so many others. You, too, should be proud that you have chosen Edenwald as your home.
The past two weeks have certainly doubled that impression for all of us at Edenwald. There is no end in sight for the end of this pandemic, but how comforting to know that we are being fed, well cared for, protected, and while spending lots of time in our apartments respecting the social separation guidelines, we are a part of a larger family. No hugs, no face-to-face, but we can greet each other with a phone call, an email, a nice note, a smile in passing, six feet a part!
On behalf of us all, I extend sincere appreciation to Mark for the responsible, thoughtful, well-informed decisions he and the leadership team are making on our behalf to keep us well, active, informed. The efforts of the whole staff are so appreciated as they adjust to changing conditions, regulations and suggestions from the federal and state governments and health organizations, sometimes even hourly, to increase the levels of protection and security, limiting the access of those who might be virus carriers, known and unknown. We are all aware that conditions do not allow for life as usual or desired, but this global crisis is not about us as individuals, but about all of us. The whole is the sum of its parts, one whole for us at Edenwald being this community where everyone in the administration and on the staff is working every minute of every day to keep us safe and cared for. And isn’t that why you chose to come here?
As your president, and for the Executive Committee, I hope we can count on your support and enthusiasm as we work together with the administration, the staff, and the other residents in validating our decision to join such a loving community and to share in keeping it a such special place to live, as we all look forward to a return to the more normal. The word of the day is PATIENCE!