“Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?”
“Newer” Neighbors Encouraged to Dive Right in at Someren Glen
There are woodworkers, knitters, singers, librarians, gift shop organizers, game players, gardeners, and philanthropists, just to name a few of the resident groups making up our thriving and vibrant community. Getting to know everyone and figuring out how to fit in can be a little overwhelming. To make it a little easier, Someren Glen’s philanthropy committee planned a great way to help “newer” residents dive right in to community life.
While the coffee and donuts were a big draw, it was the opportunity to meet new neighbors that recently brought more than a dozen of Someren Glen’s newer neighbors (those who have moved in since January) to a coffee chat sponsored by the community’s philanthropy committee.
It was a neighborly way to hear about some of the amazing resident-led community groups. “We used to sing in parts, but now we sing all together,” shared Jean Todd, the leader of the Someren Glen choir. Jan Hastings, who leads the resident sharing committee, explained, “We encourage people to share more about themselves, their personal interests and passions, and we encourage people to get involved.” When describing the resident-led library, Glenda Prosser proudly stated, “The library is free to use, and we want everyone to get involved with it.”
The time together wrapped up with everyone, newer neighbor or long-time friend, sharing who they are, where they hail from, and what drew them to Someren Glen. Some shared that it was to be closer to family, while for others it is the smaller neighborhood feel of the community that made them want to call Someren Glen home. Two women even found out they both previously lived in the northwestern part of the United States!
The idea for the “newer” neighbors’ event blossomed during a philanthropy committee meeting. The committee strives to create a culture of philanthropy at Someren Glen, encouraging residents, team members, and families to give of their time, talents, and treasures for the betterment of the community and each other. “How can we create a culture of philanthropy if people don’t know how to get involved or feel welcomed? I moved in recently, and it is overwhelming, but finding a way to get to know people and then to give back, like I do at the gift shop, has helped tremendously,” shares Barbara Lusk, a philanthropy committee member.
The committee plans to host the “newer” neighbor coffee chat twice a year to further support Someren Glen’s welcoming efforts, which, you guessed it, is another resident-led group, the welcoming committee!
Does a simple coffee chat make a difference in facilitating connection and community? The philanthropy committee thinks so, pointing to how a table full of newer and longer-term residents kept right on chatting, long past the end of the event and almost through the lunch hour!
Someren Glen is a continuing care retirement community in Centennial. We are the second longest operating campus in the Christian Living Communities (CLC) family, which includes nine other communities throughout the state and a home care agency.
The resident-led groups here at Someren Glen exemplify CLC’s Citizenship Model approach to community life. The Citizenship Model encourages everyone who lives and works in a community to have influence, responsibilities, and to contribute to and be empowered to create the community culture. This approach has proven to bring more meaningful purpose, belonging, growth and learning, and creates a more age-positive environment where people can thrive.
Donations from kind and generous mission partners help support the resident groups. Funds have helped with the purchase of new books and library equipment, essential equipment for operating the woodshop, and new display materials for the gift shop, just to name a few recent community enrichments made possible through philanthropy. Visit CLC’s Support Our Mission page to learn more, donations may be designated for Someren Glen.
