John Burns on Reaching Out
Hi – I’m John Burns, President and CEO of Westminster Canterbury Richmond, and I’m pleased to be able to share with you an update about an exciting project being led by our workforce.
Last year, Westminster Canterbury Foundation completed a Community Needs Assessment that explored barriers to healthy aging in greater Richmond. We know the needs of our community are many, and as leaders in senior living, we felt compelled to determine how we can help seniors outside our walls.
The four barriers the assessments identified were housing, transportation and walkability, aging in place and access to service, and chronic disease management. We began reaching out to other local organizations who serve seniors to find a way to help.
Our first step has been ramp installation with project:HOMES. Our incredible workforce enjoys volunteering in the community, so we are combining our efforts to make the biggest difference we can. Three groups have installed ramps on homes in Richmond community, changing the outlook for seniors and their loved ones who struggled to leave the house. One of the people helped had a stroke six months ago and wasn’t able to leave home until our staff installed a ramp for them. In May, we are hosting a Ramp Building Blitz our campus onto build ramp components that will be installed later. Our employees are raising $15,000 to support the Blitz.
Westminster Canterbury is grateful to be able to fulfill our vision of improving the lives we serve every day and to channel our energy into the community to serve those beyond our gates. If you’d like to learn more about our Community Needs Assessment and these efforts, visit www.livelifewellrva.org. Enjoy this video that shows our volunteers hard at work on a chilly March morning!