ISSUE 6, 2015
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTS BY KEVIN SVAGDIS & JOE GORMAN HOPE FOR HIRE A Personal Account Inspires Community Programming in Alabama SERVING CULTURES AND CELEBRATING TRADITIONS THROUGH FOOD Bateman Santa Clara Celebrates Diverse Seniors A DAWNING OF A NEW DAY Eskaton Opens Its Doors to Varied Partners SHARING FOOD AND THE JOY OF LIVING A Story of Overcoming Challenges to Serve with Compassion
THE POWER OF
COMMUNITY
Community is such a core value to our company that we found it essential to rebrand ourselves around it. Morrison Community Living, Bateman Community Living, CommunityWorks—these titles are a reminder that our best work belongs to those around us. Community is not just about who we serve, but how we continue to enrich the lives of seniors every day and make the most of each relationship. That begins with our internal associate “family” working together and extends to residents, their family members and the greater community outside our physical walls. It’s a win-win when we support uplifting associations that serve children, families, job placement or diverse groups that make each community unique. All of us benefit when we bridge our gaps and work together to make our collective way of life stronger. This is the heart of why diversity and inclusion are important to our company, and why we support positive community partnerships. It is important that all of us, regardless of age or job title, know that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. As a company, we can be greater than the sum of our parts. We invite you to read just a few of the many stories that speak to our commitment to enhance the communities within and beyond our walls.
Kevin Svagdis West Division President
Joseph Gorman East Division President
HOPE FOR HIRE A Personal Account Inspires Community Programming in Alabama
Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) are often seeking entry-level associates and for Westminster Village in Spanish Fort, Ala., they are looking to their immediate surrounding community to grow their team.
management. “My final project for ADAPT needed to be an idea that would support the company’s initiatives and help financially,” Maxwell said. “That’s when I had the vision for Hope for Hire and the vision that there is nothing more important in life than helping others.”
Director of Dining Services Jason Maxwell established Hope for Hire (hopeforhire.org) as a way to provide training and job placement in dining services and housekeeping to people with special needs. This project goes beyond his responsibilities for 700 meals a day served to Westminster residents and delivered to seniors in the community and comes from his passion for helping others.
Hope for Hire was inspired by a special person— Maxwell’s son Skyler, 10, who has autism. Parenting a special needs child can be isolating and Maxwell and his wife Kristy rarely found community support for Skyler’s needs. Maxwell saw an opportunity to fill a void and create resources that would provide support for years to come.
The idea was born in 2014 when Maxwell participated in ADAPT (Advanced Development and Planned Transition), a tool designed to develop a roster of Compass Group USA managers consistent with the growth of the business and multiple site
Through Hope for Hire, local organizations that serve people with special needs take a field trip to Westminster Village and individuals interested in employment can return for training and internships. Westminster has three persons with disabilities
Jason and Skyler take a selfie together working in the dining room today and expects to continue this hiring path. Other CCRCs have contacted Maxwell about setting up similar programs and learning best practices.
Hope for Hire will provide; likewise, there is a heightened awareness and attention brought to these incredible organizations by engaging partners outside their core user-group.
“When Westminster Village is associated with other complementary services, it reflects positively on Westminster Village as a responsible corporate citizen of the local community,” said Westminster Village executive director Robert Rouse, who serves on the Hope for Hire board. “It seems to me that all CCRCs could utilize associates like those
“Empowering a person with special needs is helping us and helping them,” he added. “associates who feared no one would ever give them a chance to show what they could do are motivated to be at work on time, everyday, and show you that they too can make a valuable contribution to the enterprise.”
FOR A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY, JASON MAXWELL SUGGESTS: • Create a positive encouraging environment in which your team honestly wants to help train and employ those with special needs. This is accomplished through a generosity of spirit and grateful attitude. • For example, reach out to a local organization that helps individuals with autism or another cause that is important to the community. Arrange a field trip in which you spend a couple of hours explaining opportunities. Unpaid internships can provide a tryout to see if the individual matches well to the job responsibilities.
EMPOWERING A PERSON WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IS HELPING US AND HELPING THEM. Director of Dining Services - Jason Maxwell -
• The need for jobs is great in the special needs community. As soon as you reach out, the word will spread to families who are looking for help and hope.
WHAT ARE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, developmental disabilities are a diverse group of severe chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments. People with developmental disabilities have problems with major life activities such as language, mobility, learning, self-help and independent living. Developmental disabilities begin anytime during development up to 22 years of age and usually last throughout a person’s lifetime.
SERVING CULTURES AND
CELEBRATING
TRADITIONS THROUGH FOOD
Bateman Santa Clara Celebrates Diverse Seniors To serve 1,300 seniors across one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the United States, Lisa Jackson and her team at Bateman Santa Clara must please a variety of palates: Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, Portuguese and more. They serve continental and vegetarian fare, always mindful that their audience is just as diverse in their lifestyles choices.
But the food chain from chef to seniors in Santa Clara means more than simply meeting taste and nutritional demands. Jackson and her Bateman Santa Clara team seek out opportunities to go above and beyond to celebrate their diverse clients with special meals and events that include culturally inspired decorations, attire, music, dancing or special speakers.
This fall at Chavez Hall at the Mayfair Community Center, the Bateman Santa Clara team put on Viva Mexico, La Fiesta de Independicia de Mexico (Mexican Independence Day). Along with a menu of birria, Spanish rice, pinto beans, fiesta vegetables and cantaloupe, the daylong celebration included folklorico dancers and mariachis. “It is so very, very rewarding,” said Jackson, who is also in charge of meals on wheels to another 925 seniors each week. “To make a program like this work, it takes an open mind and creativity. Our staff is so diverse and bring so many ideas to the table to meet the different needs for our seniors every day.” The seniors are from so many cultures that the program’s annual customer satisfaction survey is translated into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Vietnamese. Across those groups, the service is getting great reviews. In 2013-2014, the seniors surveyed reported a 96 percent satisfaction rate with the meals cooked on site. Behind the scenes, the 55 Bateman associates who prepare the 11 menus for 11 community centers represent most of the cultures that the seniors are from, and bring their cooking techniques and skills to the authentic preparation of the meals. The team embraces the multicultural challenge as part of Bateman’s corporate mission to mix compassion with healthful meals by directly reflecting the communities and individuals who are served. At the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center, Jackson’s team supports the twice-weekly “vintage lunches” that have been going strong for more than a dozen years. These gatherings are often followed by programming such as legal and financial seminars, diabetes education and screening, medical benefits workshops, memoir writing, travel slideshows, art exhibits, movies or trips.
OTHER EXAMPLES OF SPECIAL CULTURAL AND FOOD PROGRAMMING INCLUDE: • Oktoberfest at Almaden Community Center: pretzels, bratwurst and other sausages, German potato salad, red cabbage sauerkraut and apple strudel • Dios de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) at Mayfair Community Center: Carne en su jugo, corn tortillas, pinto beans, spinach/ cranberry salad and oranges • Harvest Moon Festival at Seven Trees Community Center: Asian pork tenderloin, pineapple brown rice, stir fry vegetables, salad and fresh fruit • Juneteenth Event at Seven Trees Community Center: barbecue chicken, cornbread, collard greens, salad and watermelon
The Bateman Santa Clara team has worked above and beyond to meet the diverse needs of the clients we serve. They have become part of our center's operations and it reflects the strong partnership we have formed.
- Tracey Gott, recreation supervisor for the City of San Jose Senior Services Program
DIVERSITY IN THE DETAILS
Bateman Santa Clara general manager Lisa Jackson says successful food services for multicultural seniors depends on authentic preparation, timing and ingredients.
• Carrots are handled differently across cuisines. They are sliced in chunks for continental offerings such as beef stew and cut thinly on the diagonal or julienned for Asian dishes.
• Chicken, beef and pork are the standard proteins across the Santa Clara program, but in the weeks leading up to Easter, some centers will offer more fish, a tradition during Lent.
• The centers that serve Hispanic seniors will serve tamales made from scratch during the winter holidays, in keeping with tradition.
• Ingredients include quinoa (a vegetarian protein), tandoori spice and miso paste.
A DAWNING OF
A NEW DAY
Eskaton Opens Its Doors to Varied Partners At Eskaton, a variety of unexpected community partners help create high levels of social engagement with residents. On any given day, residents can interact with children, high school students and younger adults from a variety of backgrounds. Eskaton’s hospitality aligns with Morrison Community Living’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and dining services is the point of entry for the high school and adult community programs. Eskaton’s Kids Connections program brings in kindergarteners to eighth graders to become buddies with residents, building relationship skills including letter writing and reading aloud and Skype through tablets provided by Eskaton. Other partners include high school students with learning disabilities from San Juan Unified Schools and Sacramento County; interns from Deseret Industries who are trying to gain a footing in the job market; adults with developmental disabilities from Pride Industries; and people who are transitioning from homelessness through the Lazarus House.
“Staying socially engaged as you age adds to life expectancy.” - Betsy Donovan, chief operating officer for Eskaton, the largest nonprofit community-based organization serving seniors in Sacramento (nearly 12,000 individuals a year).
These outsiders become insiders at Eskaton in different ways, making the retirement center an important learning environment for job and life skills, and even a fresh perspective on work and life. They bring a vibrancy to Eskaton, which means “the dawning of a new day.” “For instance, when the high school students don’t show up, both associates and residents notice and miss the engagement,” said Glen Blackwell, dining services director for Eskaton Village Carmichael. “I’ve had probably 500 residents share praise for how valuable our partners are to creating a definite part of the community fabric. When one of our community partners take pride in sorting silverware, that helps motivate our regular staff, too. They realize they are able to give back, too.”
Here’s how some of the programs work.
• The high schoolers, who range from age 15 to 19, learn to set tables and kitchen basics with the help of an Eskaton associate who provides job coaching. They acquire skills that can help them get hired and live in a more independent manner. • The 15 Deseret trainees who made it through a recent tryout period now work at Eskaton in the campus patrol, janitorial staff and as floor techs; one past trainee worked from dishwasher to prep cook to cook. • Adults from Pride Industries come to Eskaton with an interest or experience in food service. “They work hands-on in the kitchen with the wonderful chefs and staff Eskaton has employed,” said Wendy Covell of PRIDE. “We often hire individuals after performing their on-the-job assessments. This is PRIDE’s mission, to create jobs for people with disabilities. We highly recommend Eskaton as a community partnership to other businesses, family members and also friends.”
A success story
A word from Glen
The Lazarus Project’s slogan is “restoring lives in our community,” and that’s one outcome of the partnership with Eskaton. Douglas Floodman, a formerly homeless man, came through Lazarus to Eskaton. He worked his way through the maintenance ranks at Eskaton Village Carmichael and now supervises five associates and
A CCRC can really gain a lot
almost 40 acres of living quarters, common areas and landscaping.
feel is their home. They need
He also serves on the board of the Lazarus Project, reaching out to people whose stories are much like his. Floodman represents the inspirational living that Eskaton promises its residents, because he has experienced a powerful personal “dawning of a new day.”
from community partners. You will get out of the relationship what you put into it. These are people who want to be part of the community, in a place they to have a voice, and if you do that, they will go on to be valuable and well received members of your team. Dining Services Director Eskaton Village Carmichael - Glen Blackwell -
SHARING FOOD AND
THE JOY OF LIVING
A Story of Overcoming Challenges to Serve with Compassion Fred Orton’s relentless positive attitude and energy produce far more than the best 800 meals his team can make and deliver each day to seniors in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. and Dutchess County.
As the onsite food service director for Bateman Community Living, Orton has fostered the true meaning of “serving the community” through partnerships with developmentally disabled students, a job training program, a food bank, teaching garden, local farm tours, community picnics and pop-up kitchen, free cooking and shopping demos, and more. He’s been keeping busy. “We have gained about 100 meals because people started talking about our program, not just about our food but the time we put into the community,” he said. “When I started, Bateman was new to this area. Now when
people see our vans they wave. You don’t see the whole of what we do immediately, but when you do, it is above and beyond what people expect. We are doing what we truly want to do—it’s not a ‘have to.’” One partner since 2012 is YSSE, an agency that works with public school students who have developmental disabilities to help them acquire interpersonal and job skills. “Mr. Orton took time to organize and teach our interns how to handle food safely, to assemble tools and work stations for tasks, and to achieve work goals timely and efficiently through time management techniques,” said YSSE
vocational coordinator Emanuel Cordero. “He values upholding a student’s strongest abilities and giving our students a feeling of accomplishment. This dedication of the human spirit has helped two of our students to obtain employment in food preparation.” Orton, who received his training at the Culinary Institute of America in nearby Hyde Park, started out with personal connections to the area he serves. His grandmother, Sophie Orton, was among his first customers, and learned to text him about how the meals taste and what adjustments to consider. Fresh herb garnishes, for instance, were very effective for sparking food memories. Another reason for Orton to reach out to the community through food is that the food industry has reached out and made such a difference to him. As a teenaged father, he found work at a Morrison’s Cafeteria. “My income helped support my daughter, and that gratification—like food—was immediate,” he said. “I wasn’t sure where that and my passion for people would take me, but that immediate gratification that I see in my work really keeps me going.” He gained greater perspective after a car accident in 1998 that nearly killed him. He spent three months paralyzed and nine months in a halo neck brace. “Today I’m so happy to be alive, and I know many of our seniors feel that way too,” he said. Orton also serves as Bateman’s culinary support specialist for 14 Northeast states and as safety champion for 21 Bateman units. “Connections like this are important because this community and Bateman share the same values,” he said. “Creative planning can not only achieve company goals, but help us become a valuable part of the community beyond senior meals.”
“With everything I do, I want to bring more to the community.” -Fred Orton
STAY CONNECTED TO SEE HOW
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