Help Our Garden Grove Residents Recover from the Heartbreak of Flooding

While our prayers are with the families and first responders impacted by Hurricane Florence, the town of Manhattan, Kansas experienced its own devastating flooding due to recent torrential rains in the region.

Heavy rains caused a creek to burst its banks and flood the Kansas town of Manhattan, forcing more than 300 people to evacuate their homes, including some who were ferried to dry land in boats.

Nearly 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain fell from Sunday night into Monday over Labor Day weekend, causing extensive flooding to National Church Residences Garden Grove senior affordable housing community. All of the residents were evacuated and moved to higher ground as the water on the first floor rose as high as three feet, which resulted in significant loss of personal possessions. It is estimated that it will take weeks to fully restore power to the region – and it could be even longer before these residents can return to their homes.

The average age of the 62 residents at Garden Grove is 70, and all have modest resources. Most are frail and suffer from one or more chronic conditions. They do not have the means to easily replace all that was lost, and insurance will only cover so much. Our residents need your help.

We are asking you to help us “Restock the Fridge” for the residents of Garden Grove. Your donation will provide food and personal care items to these residents once they are able to return to the building.

This simple gesture to restore a basic human need to these residents certainly will ease their worries as they begin to rebuild their lives.

Visit the Garden Grove Flood Relief crowdfunding page to start a fundraising campaign, or give now.

 

 

We want you to be a part of the National Church Residences mission. Feel free to leave a comment, suggest a topic, ask a question, or send an email to communications@nationalchurchresidences.org.

Debunking Affordable Housing

When most people hear the term affordable housing, they think high-rise projects in low income, run-down neighborhoods. There are so many negative stereotypes around what affordable housing is, who affordable housing helps, and if we even need to have affordable housing. At National Church Residences, it’s our goal not only to offer affordable housing, but to educate as many people as possible on what affordable housing is and how to make it a part of as many communities as possible.

Recently, Michelle Norris, National Church Residences Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Strategic Initiatives, sat with Dr. Cody Price, Research Analyst at Office of Housing Policy to discuss the myths surrounding affordable housing and how to overcome them. Take a listen and learn more about what affordable is and what it is not.

 

We want you to be a part of the National Church Residences mission. Feel free to leave a comment, suggest a topic, ask a question, or send an email to communications@nationalchurchresidences.org.

Join Us For Mission Day!

At National Church Residences, our mission is to provide high-quality care, services, and residential communities for all seniors. We are motivated by four core values, one of which is mission: “We are driven by a deep sense that our work should serve God and always produce good for others.” This is why Mission Day is so important to our organization.

Although Mission Day is an event, it is a daily attitude motivated by the culture of National Church Residences. Mission Day benefits the residents of National Church Residences by creating fundraising events and service opportunities. Residents, employees, local businesses and the community all participate in Mission Day, whether through attending events at National Church Residences properties or by serving the community through service projects.

From Detroit to Atlanta and from Columbus to Sacramento, Mission Day fundraising over the past 22 years has made life better for residents in National Church Residences communities – purchasing vans with wheelchair lifts to transport residents where they need to go, adding fitness equipment to keep seniors well, providing workshops and other programming for our residents and much more.

We want you to partner with us and support Mission Day. There are several ways to join us:

Participate in Mission Day activities at your local National Church Residences community

Contact the property manager at your local National Church Residences community and ask about their Mission Day activities. We currently have over 60 properties participating in Mission Day. Although festivities will vary by property, get out to enjoy a variety of fun activities such as games, contests, bake sales, giveaways and more.

Help supply a need for a community by donating to Mission Day 

You can give directly to the Mission Day fundraising campaign. All contributions support the mission and produce good for the residents. Your gift will make a difference in a community by helping to provide activities and things that enhance their experience. Donate online, or you can mail your payment to National Church Residences Attn: Foundation, 2335 North Bank, Columbus Ohio 43220. Anything you donate helps our seniors remain happy and healthy.

Invite your friends, family, and colleagues to produce good for others by creating a fundraising campaign

Invite others to do good with you! When you are passionate about the mission like we are, you’ll want to share it with as many people as possible. Crowdfunding allows you to do just that. Creating a crowdfunding campaign enables your goodwill to multiply by your bringing your circle of family, friends, and colleagues into the mission. Set up your page here and spread it like wildfire!

Share the Mission Day campaign link through an email, text message, or on your social media

Maybe you’re not in a place where you can donate or visit a local community. You can still be a part of and support the mission!  Share this post or the Mission Day campaign link with your friends, family, and colleagues in an email, a text or on your Facebook page. The more people who know about the mission, the more we have an opportunity to support the residents.

Mission Day is an integral part of what we do at National Church Residences. We couldn’t do everything we do without your support. Join us in our mission to keep seniors home for life. Become a part of Mission Day! 

We want you to be a part of the National Church Residences mission. Feel free to leave a comment, suggest a topic, ask a question, or send an email to communications@nationalchurchresidences.org.

Helping Formerly Homeless Find Employment

One of the main hindrances to the formerly homeless finding success is that they lack the training they need to find and keep employment. Our employees recognized this issue and created the Right Track program.

This program was designed to assist residents of our Permanent Supportive Housing Communities in vocational education training, giving them the tools they need to be successful and gain additional independence. We found that other programs that were offered were too long and didn’t provide the essentials that these residents need to make the proper next steps. Right Track is a five-day program with critical information that changes the lives of those who attend.

In the program, there are three days of work readiness training. In these three days, the trainers teach a variety of hands-on skills including mock interviews, communication skills, financial literacy, and stress management. Residents who successfully complete the training attend a graduation where many of them invite their family and friends to help them celebrate their accomplishment.

After completing the program, the residents are given a four-week training experience where they work directly with our maintenance staff in National Church Residences communities and other community partners, gaining on the job training. These residents enjoy the opportunity to gain work experience and additional money to supplement their social security income. Each resident employee’s caseworker helps them through this process, checking up on them and making sure that they arrive to work on time.

This program has made a difference in the lives of several of our residents. Since the beginning of the program
186 residents enrolled
106 completed supportive employment experience
53% of those who have graduated are employed

This program is making a difference in the lives of those who otherwise would have little to no options. We are proud of this program and look forward to expanding it further.

 

We want you to be a part of the National Church Residences mission. Feel free to leave a comment, suggest a topic, ask a question, or send an email to communications@nationalchurchresidences.org.

Program brings food to central Ohio seniors in need

Residents at Meadowview Village Apartments in Mount Sterling, Ohio, sort through donated food last week. Each resident that signs up can walk through and pick up groceries.

By LANCE CRANMER                                                          LCranmer@NationalChurchResidences.org

COLUMBUS – April Huber watched as her residents filed in to the community room five at a time holding bags and baskets, waiting their turn to walk through and collect their supply of donated food.

“It doesn’t matter if we have one thing to give or 1,000 things … everything helps,” said April, the Senior Property Manager at National Church Residences Lincoln Gardens.

Three years ago, April secured a monthly food donation from the Mid-Ohio Food Bank to benefit the 100 low-income seniors who live at Lincoln Gardens.

“For some of them, as little as $343 is their monthly income. Some only get $16 to $32 a month in food stamps,” April said. “Having this food, especially at the end of the month, is such a help. This means a lot to them.”

April said she initially got the property on a waiting list with Mid-Ohio Food Bank, a non-profit that has served Central Ohio on the mission to end hunger since 1980, before becoming a regular once-a-month stop.

Seeking to help another National Church Residences property that was in great need, April made an additional request to Mid-Ohio to see if the organization could help Meadowview Village, located roughly 25 miles away in rural Mt. Sterling, Ohio.

“When we asked Mid-Ohio Food Bank if we could take food down there, even though it is in Madison County, they said sure,” April said.

Tammy Justice began her career at National Church Residences working under April at Lincoln Gardens. A year ago she made the transition to becoming the Property Manager at Meadowview.

“April recruited me,” Tammy said. “She knew this property and she knew the needs of the community. Now that we are at full occupancy, there’s an even bigger need.”

Nearly two years ago the only grocery store in Mt. Sterling, a community with a population of less than 1,800, closed down leaving Meadowview residents without a nearby place to get groceries.

“A lot of our residents don’t drive,” Tammy said. “The nearest store is probably in Washington Court House, which is about 20 minutes away.”

Tammy said when Meadowview residents are able to make grocery runs, they make sure to take care of each other.

“If one is going to the grocery store and they have a neighbor who doesn’t have a car,” she said, “they knock on their door and ask if they need anything or if they want to go with them.”

Having the food brought straight to their building, however, is a Godsend.

“They get a 5- or 10-pound bag of potatoes, some onions, fruit, milk – they get between $50 to $80 worth of groceries,” Tammy said. “For one person who lives alone, that’s pretty good.”

Since she arrived at Meadowview, Tammy has helped multiple formerly homeless into the building. She said, at first, getting them back on their feet is a challenge.

“They don’t have money for things like groceries,” she said. “The donations we get from Mid-Ohio Food bank are such a big help for them.”

According to information released by the Mayo Clinic, currently 10 million Americans aged 50 or older are considered “food insecure,” meaning that they do not have reliable access to food.

A 2014 study conducted by Feeding America found that seniors who suffer from being food insecure are at higher risk for chronic health conditions and depression. Food insecurity has been found to be a strong predictor of health problems in seniors as it leads to reduced muscle mass, lower bone density, poor vision and an increased likelihood to report heart problems.

April said the monthly food delivery to Lincoln Gardens has been very important to her residents.

“These are the people programs like this are meant to benefit,” she said.

“You’ve got people who will come up to you two or three days from now and just say, ‘thank you for the food,’” added Tammy. “I think it’s a big help.”

Food from the Mid-Ohio Food Bank is first delivered to Lincoln Gardens (pictured here) and the surplus is later driven south to Meadowview.

The Happiest Place in Housing! Dayton’s Lyons Place II

By LANCE CRANMER                                                                 lcranmer@nationalchurchresidences.org

DAYTON, Ohio — Walt Disney may not appreciate calling it, “The Happiest Place on Earth,” but it is certainly the most satisfied spot in all of National Church Residences.

Lyons Place II, a 55-unit affordable senior housing facility managed by National Church Residences located on the campus of the Dayton (Ohio) VA Hospital, celebrated its first anniversary in April with the knowledge that it has the highest overall customer satisfaction rating in all of the organization’s properties.

“Imagine that,” said Francis Jensen, a Navy veteran and the very first resident of Lyons Place II.  “This is a wonderful place to live. From the get-go it’s been a Godsend. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

A nationwide survey based on nine components – readiness to solve problems, responsiveness, property appearance/condition, quality of management services, quality of leasing services, quality of maintenance service, property rating, relationship rating and renewal intention – gave Lyons Place II an overall satisfaction percentage of 97.1 percent.

“This translates to happy residents and speaks clearly to our Mission,” said Pam Monroe, National Church Residences Vice President of Property Management. “This quality and level of service is a key factor in building customer loyalty and keep them at the property.”

Shari Hoosier was hired in February 2015 to become the Property Manager at Lyons Place II – bringing with her 17 years of experience in the housing field.

“My philosophy is to try to make it a place where I would want to live,” Shari said. “I wanted a place with a great quality of life and a peaceful environment where people get along and they help each other.”

Being located on the grounds of a VA hospital, Lyons Place II naturally attracted several military veterans to become residents.

“I came for an appointment at the VA and I saw they were building here,” said Melvin Garland, a Marine veteran who moved in last April. “I checked into it at the VA and they got me hooked up. It’s a good location. It’s a safe building. We look out for each other and we have a good time.”

Shari said that several of her residents had struggled with homelessness or had lived in places where they weren’t free to live the way they wanted.

“They did not have their independence,” she said. “This building gave them their independence back. It’s theirs. And it’s an independent environment.”

“The word ‘independent,’ that is a blessing. They don’t hover over you. They’re a helping hand when you need it,” said Harold Owens, Sr., who moved in shortly after the building opened.  “You can go to bed a 9 if you want. You don’t have to turn the TV off. I can watch SportsCenter as much as I want to. I do whatever I want to. For a few years you can say I’m doing it my way!”

Charles Wright, a retired business owner who just turned 80, said that he’d lived in other facilities in Dayton, but he never felt at home until he arrived at Lyons Place II in July.

“I couldn’t get acquainted with others (at the other buildings). I came here and within a week’s time I had the whole building around me,” he said. “My kids told me, ‘Dad, it’s really nice to see you happy again.’”

Shari said that a big part of what she and the rest of the staff at Lyons Place II try to do every day is to let the residents know they’re cared for.

“Showing love. Just the act of kindness. Asking how they’re doing. Asking if they need any help,” she said. “If they feel loved, they show love to each other.”

“I’ve been half-way around the world and that’s the one thing that is world-renowned: kindness,” Harold said. “One morning I was depressed and I was coming out of my apartment and I passed by the maintenance guy and he just said something nice to me. It uplifted me. I told him thank you. He didn’t even know why.”

Charles agreed that the staff at Lyons Place II makes all the difference.

“The staff here, no way in the world you could beat this staff. No good reason to even try,” he said. “If you have a problem, they’re on it like stink on a skunk.”

Shari said that when she accepted the position at Lyons Place II she prayed that the people who needed this positive environment the most would find it.

“I got the unique opportunity to meet every resident as they applied. I prayed that God send the people who truly need to be here,” she said. “Since we’ve been here, every service that we’ve needed we’ve gotten. People have donated clothes, food. Every need has been met. That’s a blessing.”

Thinking about the last year he’s spent at Lyons Place II, Francis had one final thought.

“I ain’t going nowhere else but here,” he said. “I’m home. That’s it.”

On-site health care helps save resident’s life at Avondale

By LANCE CRANMER                                           lcranmer@nationalchurchresidences.org

DUBLIN, Ohio — Offering health care options inside senior apartment homes facilities is an attractive amenity when looking for a retirement community.

Sometimes, though, having a health care provider on-site can not only enrich lives, but save them as well.

Julie Sofranko is the Care Coordinator at National Church Residences Avondale, a senior apartment homes community in Dublin, Ohio, that offers access to skilled nursing, rehabilitative therapies and a full range of Home and Community Services.

For Julie, a registered nurse with a background in public health, knowing her residents and providing them general health care services is her daily responsibility.

“(Avondale) is a unique property,” she said. “I’m hoping we continue to expand health care services here. I really believe it is what’s going to keep people healthy.”

As part of her job at Avondale, Julie conducts several wellness sessions and health screenings for her residents to help them stay on top of their own personal wellbeing.

“With the seniors it’s blood pressure and hypertension, heart disease, lung disease … anybody who identifies these disorders, we’re giving them information to try to help them understand what’s going on with their bodies. We are giving them enough knowledge and education that they want to step up and take personal responsibility,” she said. “When we do wellness sessions here, they all show up. I’ll have 40 or 50 people in a room when we do wellness instruction and education. That’s half my population.”

During these health education programs, Julie is frequently joined by Chris Brown, a Nurse Liaison with National Church Residences Home and Community Services.

“Julie and I focus many of our monthly wellness and educational programs around the promotion of wellness as well as chronic disease management in order to help keep these residents as healthy as possible,” Chris said. “Having a nurse on-site is a wonderful benefit for Avondale residents.”

Earlier this summer, an interaction Julie and Chris had with a resident during one of these sessions helped save the resident’s life.

“I have a resident that is 79-years-old. I was leading an activity session and she just didn’t look right. I said, ‘You look tired today.’ I looked at her and saw her ankles were swollen,” Julie said. “She said, ‘I’ve gained 30 pounds and I can’t figure out how I did it. My belly and ankles are swollen, I’m very tired and I can’t breathe.’”

Julie and Chris quickly ran some tests on the resident and found some serious problems.

“When we checked her oxygen saturation it was very low,” Chris said. “Both Julie and I recognized these signs as possible congestive heart failure.”

Normal blood saturation is 95-to-100. Tests showed that the resident’s was dangerously low at 81.

Paramedics were called and the resident was admitted into the hospital, where she stayed for several days.

“She went right into intensive care from the ER,” Julie said. “They told her if she had gone to sleep that night, she would not have woken up.”

Now, weeks later, the resident is back home at Avondale and her condition is being monitored regularly.

“She is home now, doing well and her congestive heart failure is being controlled with medication and lifestyle changes,” said Chris. “Julie will continue to monitor this resident through Care Guide, and we will hopefully prevent future hospitalizations through education and early recognition of symptoms.”

Multiple National Church Residences sites in Ohio and Florida offer on-site health care at senior apartment homes facilities, with an eye on expansion into other markets in the future.

“That little incident was evidence of how important it is to have health care present so you can identify concerns right away and get them addressed,” Julie said. “We saved her life that day.”

(Cranmer is the Media/Public Relations Specialist for National Church Residences. Do you have a great story to tell? Contact Lance at lcranmer@nationalchurchresidences.org)

Growing Our Presence in Atlanta: Introducing Health Care Outside of Ohio

National Church Residences broke ground this week on its sixth Atlanta-area property, Panola Gardens, located in DeKalb County, Ga.

During the ground-breaking ceremony, Michelle Norris, senior vice president of business development and public policy, said, “A project really needs believers and we are so grateful to partner with so many of them.”

Panola Gardens, an affordable senior housing community, will offer on-site health care. We are partnering with DeKalb Medical Center, whose Hillandale campus is near the site, to offer medical services onsite for residents.

“We are very excited about this collaboration because it marks the first time that National Church Residences is offering health care in a community outside of Ohio,” said Ms. Norris.

Housing with health care services is National Church Residences’ vision to allow seniors to remain in their homes longer and age in place.

When completed, it will offer 84 one-bedroom apartments for low-income seniors. The building is expected to be completed in August 2014.

From left: National Church Residences Senior Vice President Michelle Norris; Lou Walker Senior Center Director Darryl Blackwell; DeKalb Medical at Hillandale Administrator Susan Harris; Georgia Department of Community Affairs Office Director Laurel Hart; NorSouth President Dave Dixon; National Church Residences Project Leader Sarah-Elizabeth Langford; National Board Residences board member Eric Borders; Foley Design CEO Bill Foley