Communities

The Presbyterian Homes wins Excellence in Community Service Award from LeadingAge NC

May 10, 2019

COLFAX, NC–The Presbyterian Homes, Inc. has been named the 2019 recipient of the LeadingAge NC Excellence in Community Service Award for service programs at each of its three continuing care retirement communities in North Carolina.

LeadingAge NC is part of the national LeadingAge organization that focuses on advocacy, education and research for aging matters. The Excellence in Community Service Award recognizes outstanding community service provided by a member facility as an expression of the organization’s commitment to the broader non-profit mission.

The Presbyterian Homes, Inc. communities in North Carolina are Glenaire in Cary, River Landing at Sandy Ridge in Colfax and Scotia Village in Laurinburg. The award is the combined effort for a separate program at each community.

At Glenaire, the residents volunteer to provide tutoring in various subjects for the children of staff members and in some cases, staff members themselves have also requested tutoring. There are currently 35 residents tutoring 70 students and there is a waiting list for the program.

“The program was started by a resident as a way to share her passion for learning with a younger generation,” said Paul Gregg, Executive Director at Glenaire. “Once other residents saw the impact of the program, more and more wanted to be involved. It really speaks to the character of the people that live in our community, how vibrant they are and how they are always willing to help others.”

Residents at Scotia Village have created a formal partnership with students at Sycamore Lane Elementary School, which is across the street from Scotia Village. The program started in 2017 with six residents writing letters to students and now almost all of the approximately 200 residents at the community participate.

“It’s the best of both worlds,” said Sycamore Lane Principal Fannie Mason. ”The students get a variety of experience from the partnership and it’s great for the staff too. We all get to learn from the residents and hear their stories and the residents enjoy telling their stories. It’s a win-win for all of us.”

In order to provide students in High Point University’s Pharmacy School with better communication skills, River Landing at Sandy Ridge established a unique partnership that brings the students to the community for interaction with residents. The 5-semester program now involves 70 students and residents and is designed to provide students with listening and customer service skills that they wouldn’t learn in the classroom.

“It’s important for these students to be able to communicate effectively with seniors,” said Tom Smith, Executive Director for River Landing at Sandy Ridge. “The program provides one-on-one conversations with our residents so the student can get to know each resident’s needs and health history. And the residents love talking to and sharing their lives with the students.”

The award was presented at a special luncheon during LeadingAge North Carolina’s Annual Conference May 8 at the Marriott Resort and Spa at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach, SC. Awards will be presented to each of the communities honored at a later date.

The Presbyterian Homes, Inc. has more than 65 years’ experience as a leader in the senior living field.  The mission of The Presbyterian Homes, Inc (PHI) is to honor God by enriching the lives and touching the hearts of those we serve.  PHI is a non-profit corporation serving approximately 2,000 seniors in North Carolina through three owned and one managed (Friends Homes) continuing care retirement communities and an affordable rental apartment community. PHI is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) through a covenant agreement.

 

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