Kindness & Compassion Come in Many Forms
/Armstrong retirement home overwhelmed with kindness amid COVID-19
Kindness and compassion come in many different forms. Making room in your heart and your life for a new friend, doing something nice for someone without being asked, taking time to listen to someone who may need to vent, and acknowledging another’s efforts or accomplishments are all acts that Carrie O’Neill, Resident Relations Coordinator sees on a daily basis. Studies show that being kind and even observing kindness can create a ripple effect of happiness. Most recently, we have witnessed a ‘snowball’ effect of kind acts pouring in from the community and surrounding areas.
On Thursday, May 14th, an email came in from Brendan Shykora from the Vernon Morning Star. Brendan was the young man who went above and beyond to have our 3 World War 2 Veterans voices’ heard this past November through sharing their stories. This is where the first act of kindness started and little did we know that it would snowball into many acts of kindness. Brendan was inquiring into how our residents were doing during these COVID times and wondered if there was anything we needed. I simply replied that we are looking for masks for all of our seniors to have as we slowly transition into a ‘new normal’, says Carrie O’Neill.
By the end of the day, I received a phone call from a lady in Summerland that informed me she saw our ad that we were looking for masks and she was a part of a quilters club and would be putting 35 masks into the mail immediately! “I had no idea that Brendan had put a shout out with the Vernon Morning Star on behalf of Heaton Place!” Since then, the phones have been ringing and the masks are pouring in! There are angels among us! Summerland, Kamloops, Vernon, Armstrong are but a few places that these angels live. Many thanks to you all!
Despite the challenges that have come from COVID-19, there have been many positives. As we begin to slowly transition to open things up, we are now able to do tours and have those who wish to move in to do so with strict protocols in place. We recently have been given the gift of a moving company working closely and solely with Heaton Place – Sherlock Moving has been outstanding in adhering to strict protocols, while at the same time bringing their compassionate and humorous personalities into the facility while conducting quick and effective work.
The Armstrong community continues to show up in anonymous ways. We have painted rocks with hearts and positive quotes all around our building. Our Heaton hair stylists, despite not being able to work, came by with a banner saying ‘we love you’, and the families of our residents are stopping by to say thank you with chocolates.
The work we do here at Heaton Place is a gift to each of us. What we give to our residents always comes back in abundance. Maya Angelou says it best, “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver”.