Live Update to Residents-December 8, 2020
Today’s Live Update on our in-house TV970 was a special celebration of the Employee Christmas Fund at Westminster Canterbury Richmond! It featured updates from John Burns, President and CEO; and Vanessa Perry, Pastoral Care Administrator. The Employee Christmas Fund Committee presentation featured Beverly Beck, Chair; and residents Nancy Bain, Bill Blake, Scott Boyer and Jean Reid. The next Live Update will be Thursday, December 10.
The following updates were shared.
John Burns
COVID-19 Updates
Thankfully, the number of cases of COVID-19 at Westminster Canterbury has stabilized. There have been no new cases for more than a week. The number of positive resident cases of COVID-19 continues to decline. Sadly, a Parsons Health Center resident who tested positive for COVID-19 passed away over the weekend. Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers. Seven residents are currently infected. Four are being cared for in the hospital. Three remain in quarantine in their Independent Living apartments. There are no positive residents in Parsons Health Center. Many are nearing the end of their quarantine period and should be considered recovered soon.
Eight employees remain off campus recovering in quarantine. Several have returned to work in the past week. More are scheduled to return later this week.
Thank you for being diligent in following the necessary guidelines to stay safe and healthy. We expect that we will continue to see cases and a possible spike after the holidays, but we remain hopeful.
Members of the Westminster Canterbury team have met with CVS to begin planning COVID-19 vaccination for our community. We will share more details with you in the coming days.
Reminders
Residents have expressed concern about their neighbors coming out of their apartments while not wearing a mask. Masks are required everywhere on campus when you are around other people. Residents have shared tips for having a mask with you. Keep one in your rollator or hang it on the back of your door so you do not forget it as you leave.
Thursday’s Live Update will include Windley Gravatt and Debra Jacobsen, among others.
Employee Christmas Fund
Today Westminster Canterbury celebrates the culmination of our annual resident-run Employee Christmas Fund (ECF) efforts. Thank you to the committee for their hard work and dedication this year. They prepared a special presentation since we are unable to gather in person to celebrate this year. The presentation featured video from today and from last year’s celebration. Beverly Beck, the ECF Chair, announced the results. The Employee Christmas Fund Committee raised a record-breaking $657,051 in appreciation for our employees. On behalf of the employees, thank you to all residents for their incredible generosity!
Thank you to residents Nancy Bain, Bill Blake, Scott Boyer and Jean Reid who were featured in today’s announcement. Watch the video for the full presentation.
Vanessa Perry
Pastoral Care Updates
Join us Thursday, December 10, at 10:30 a.m. for the worship service on TV970. Rev. Jenny te Velde will be the preacher. Zach Townsend will be the musician.
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” William Arthur Ward
“When we become more fully aware that our success is due in large measure to the loyalty, helpfulness, and encouragement we have received from others, our desire grows to pass on similar gifts. Gratitude spurs us on to prove ourselves worthy of what others have done for us. The spirit of gratitude is a powerful energizer.” Wilferd A. Peterson
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come to you first to thank you for being present. We see you in the eyes and hearts of each member of the Employee Christmas Fund, the residents who gave, and the residents who may have wanted to give but could not. We thank you for their unselfish gift of love throughout this very difficult, unsettling and unpredictable year. For we could not have imagined in January what extraordinary days we all would be living through in December. But you were and are right there with us – leading and guiding us. And we thank you.
We thank you for the “hard push” that each committee member made and for the sacrifice by each resident in bearing with staff and management as we all work in uncertain times. We thank you for showing us the true spirit of what being a Westminster Canterbury family means. We thank you for your words of encouragement and your concerns for us and our families. This year has not been easy, and there are residents and staff who are no longer with us, but we all worked hard together. We tried to show residents and other staff members that we truly care and that, no matter what, we were going to still “show up” each and every day we could.
I ask that you continue to bless everyone under the sound of my voice. It is in your name that I pray, Amen.
To each resident, thank you. This tangible display of generosity means so much to staff as well as their families, and we will forever be grateful.