Purposeful Stuff: Pay attention to moments

Amidst juggling a pandemic in our own homes and in the communities in which we work, we believe it’s important to take note of our daily triumphs, big or small. This installment of Purposeful Stuff gathers some notable moments that have made an impact on our company and in our communities within these past few months.

One:

When Covid-19 hit in March 2020, our Lakes at Centerra team wanted to bring a little cheer in a unique way to the community. We put a request out to the community for  costumes. A father-daughter duo came forward. Four-year-old Addie and her father Ben arrived at The Lake Club in unicorn costumes. Addie, Ben, and our team paraded through our community handing out chalk to the neighbors and encouraging them to write inspirational messages on their driveways. The 7-foot blow up unicorn and his mini unicorn sidekick were the talk of the community for days to come.

“This reminded me that small acts of kindness really do go a long way. The first few weeks of COVID were filled with a lot of trepidation and fear, but our unicorn team was on a mission to spread love and brighten up people’s day!” – Jennifer Hand, Community Engagement Manager, Lakes at Centerra

Two:

When our communities moved into stay-at-home status in the spring 2020, Verrado Community Lifers began roaming princess parades. Snow White, Belle, Jasmine, and Tiana visited our community to create a little bit of joy for our residents. The gratitude from parents and the excitement from kids made the long days worth it. It was just the little slice of fun that our Verrado community needed.

“At the end of the day I am most proud of the way our team pivoted and we continued to say ‘yes’ when so many other communities said ‘no.’ In modeling this for our residents, it set the tone for neighbors to take care of one another. And they did. From toilet paper porch drops to grocery shopping and more, the community responded in a like-minded fashion and also said ‘yes’.” – Kathryn Prusinski, Community Engagement Director, Verrado

Three:

As schools began to shut down in March 2020, so did the long-awaited recognitions of spring 2020 graduates. With only a few weeks to shift gears from our usual plans for a Main Street parade of graduates at Verrado, our team hosted two driving parades of pre-planned routes that drew hundreds of (physically distanced) kids. Community members lined the streets to honor and celebrate these graduates and their accomplishments.

Four:

Easton Park’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt has always been a highly anticipated event. With the pandemic, we needed to be flexible and crafty, to deliver this special tradition. The team  created a Virtual Easter Egg Hunt with a  prize for the household that best documented their hunt with a household sign and photo proof. Easton Park Ambassadors cut and laminated over 100 Easter eggs and placed them all over the community – in trees, under benches, etc. The community had nothing but positive feedback. Some even claimed it was more fun that the traditional egg hunt.

“The Virtual Easter Egg Hunt showed us that it is possible to have great community activities that do not require gathering in one place. It also challenged me and my team to think about all of the events and activities that we do with fresh eyes. Maybe there is more opportunity to create moments that connect people  in different spaces.” – Collette Cosby, Director of Community Engagement, Easton Park

Five:

With health protocols in place, our team had to get creative so we could continue to greet our newest neighbors in all our communities. Our team created an online form and invited new residents to share a little bit about themselves and their experience of choosing our community.  From Eastmark to Verrado to Delta Coves, we started compiling these stories and sharing them community-wide in a monthly round-up in our community e-newsletters.

Six:

“When you ask what moments I am most proud of in the short amount of time I have been with the team, the simple answer is…every…single…moment. There is no one event, or one day, or one class, or one conversation that stands out. It’s all of them. 

At Kissing Tree, our team creates the culture for our residents that makes where they live feel like…home. Every moment is special because it has to be. There are no promises for a tomorrow. There are no guarantees that there will ever be another chance to do something or to make a difference in some way. The little conversations and the time that we make for the residents that live here matter to them and to us. 

At the fitness center, I can celebrate that a resident accomplished just a few sit-ups and THAT sends someone away beaming from ear to ear with excitement and pride. Taking the TIME to make the MOMENTS is what really seems to matter.” – Rebecca Rounds, Fitness Manager, Kissing Tree

Our team receives and shares a lot of good and purposeful stuff.  Through a series we call “Purposeful Stuff,” we are curating these goodies to share more broadly.