Inniswood Village residents move into their new home with the help of National Church Residences volunteers

Posted on by
Reply

By Elizabeth Randolph

Erandolph@nationalresidences.org

move in 3

Move-ins started on August 15 and now the first wave of new residents can call Inniswood Village home!

Volunteers from both National Church Residences and Downsize with a Heart, a program through Furniture Bank of Ohio, were in attendance to assist the residents with bringing in furniture, clothing and other items. A lemonade stand was also available to refresh volunteers in the almost 90-degree weather.

The community is adjacent to the peaceful and serene Inniswood Metro Gardens and offers residents a carefree and maintenance-free lifestyle. Amenities include a chapel, library, bistro, club room, wellness center, guest suite and community room.  “There are 40 senior living apartments in this building,” said Tiffany Affolter, Corporate Marketing Director in the Senior Living division. “It’s a two-story building and has a [underground] parking garage.”

For some residents, moving into Inniswood Village is the first time they’ve had to downsize from a family home to an apartment. This is the reality for Bette Coles, one of Inniswood Village’s firstresidents.  “Before I moved here I had a six-bedroom house,” said Coles. “At first I thought ‘this isn’t enough room’ but I’m really looking forward to not having to do any repairs because it was an old house.”

Coles, who is from North Columbus, says the decision to move to Inniswood Village seemed like something she was destined to do. “My husband passed away last July and he loved Inniswood Metro Gardens,” said Coles. “He worked as a bus driver in Westerville for years. Inniswood Village just seemed like the perfect place for me.”

While she says moving can be stressful, Coles is happy to be in her new home. “I’m looking forward to meeting everyone,” she said. “Once I get everything situated it’s going to be great.”

Inniswood Village is set to have approximately 15 new residents by August 18.

 

bette 3

Bette Coles in her apartment 

291

Coles with her nephew in her apartment

move in 1

Volunteers from “Downsize with a heart” with a new Inniswood resident

move in 2

Doug Himes, VP of Operations for Residential Services is working hard in an Inniswood Village apartment. 

bette 2

Items provided by Inniswood Village staff to residents

lemonade

Lemonade stand to refresh volunteers

National Church Residences’ Atlanta Resident Naomi Barber King Opens Her Home, History and Heart

Posted on by
Reply

 

thumbnail_Naomi King_Photo (1)

King sitting in her living room at a National Church Residences property

By Sojourner Marable Grimmett

“Everyone has a story and if you don’t tell your story then it might not ever get told.” – Naomi Barber King
 
A black and silver butterfly burette rested perfectly in her snow white colored hair. She proudly stood in her living room, wearing a white sweater-set with black trimming, black pants. I was greeted with a bright, big smile, as I entered the home of Mrs. Naomi Barber King, located at a National Church Residences’ property just about 15 minutes southwest of Atlanta, Georgia. I extended my hand and she leaned in for a hug.
 
She led me by the hand, as together we circled the space, both admiring her numerous photographs and precious memories on the walls. The feeling of African American history and pride was overwhelming. I pictured myself living as her in her prime in the 1960’s, rallying for civil rights and “justice for all.” Old photos adorned the walls of her late husband Rev. Alfred Daniel “A.D.” King, brother-in-law Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and sister-in-law Coretta Scott King. Mrs. King picked up a celebratory card off of her maple coffee table and placed it in my hands. I opened the card and read it to myself quietly and then spoke the final words aloud, “Signed, Sister Coretta.”
 
Mrs. King was born in Dothan, Alabama in 1931, and was raised an only child to Bessie May Barber. At the age of 5 years old, her mother decided to relocate them from Dothan to Atlanta, Georgia to live with her brother. We sat down across from each other on comfortable flower patterned beige cushions as Mrs. King reflected on her childhood. “All of the memories of my childhood are based on the things that children do and enjoy. I had a wonderful childhood. I did well in school and took piano lessons. I was very well loved and protected.”
 
 “What was your most fond memory as a child?” I asked.  Her voice changed and the gaze in her eyes became cloudy as they watered a bit. She replied, “I met my beloved husband when we were 12 and 13 years old at the YMCA. We became friends and you might say that our puppy love evolved. As my boyfriend he gave me all of the attention that any girl needed, leaving no stones unturned. My most fond memory was when I turned 16, and he surprised me with a Sweet 16 birthday party.”
 
After graduating from high school, Mrs. King enrolled in Spelman College in 1949 and left school after her first year to marry A.D. King in 1950. Rev. A.D. King stayed in school and graduated from Morehouse College, soon after beginning his pastoral career.
 
Mrs. King’s bright smile turned into a worrisome frown when I asked the question “Can you talk to me about the day your home was bombed in Birmingham on May 11, 1963?”
 
“Everyone has a story and if you don’t tell your story then it might not ever get told,” she said. Her voice became soft as she cleared her throat and spoke:
 
“On a Saturday night before Mother’s Day it was around 11 o’clock in the evening and I was in the dining room area preparing the table decorations for Mother’s Day. My husband was in the bedroom working on his sermon, and our five beautiful children; Alveda, Alfred II, Derek I, Darlene, and Vernon were in their rooms. After I finished decorating the table, I sat in the living room area. I noticed that the picture window began to crack, and I shrugged my shoulders as if it was nothing, and continued to decorate the table.
 
The Lord would have it that my husband came to the front of the home and he went to the front door, opened it, and looked up and down the street. He said to me, “Naomi let’s get out of here.” It was so quiet you could hear a cotton ball fall on the carpet. By the time we got to the center of our home that was when the first bomb went off and then a second bomb exploded and the front of the house was blown away. I believe the bombs caused me to have permanent hearing loss in one of my ears. By God’s grace all 7 of us were able to go out of the back of the home, and that no one was hurt. God has a time planned for everybody and a purpose for everybody. It was our time at that time to bring focus to the world on what was happening in Birmingham.”
 
This wouldn’t be their last encounter with a bomb. When Rev. A.D. King pastored a church in Louisville, Kentucky, the church was also bombed. And tragically just one year after the assassination of his beloved brother in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968, Rev. A.D. King was found dead at his home, lying in the family swimming pool.
 
To suggest that the King family has had more than their share of heartbreaks, does not begin to touch upon the trauma and devastation they have endured. Mrs. King has always relied on her faith. She reminds herself often to “fear not for God is with us always.” With all that she has been through, Mrs. King remains optimistic about Atlanta, and current conditions in the surrounding world. She believes that “there is good in people and that all problems can be worked out if we just sit down and talk to one another.”
 
We shared a warm smile of appreciation with each other when the interview concluded. Before leaving her home, Mrs. King pointed to a picture of Rev. A.D. King in her bedroom. She reflected on a time when her late husband asked a violinist to play a song while they were eating dinner at a restaurant. “That’s why I loved him so much. He was so thoughtful.” A true love story cut short too soon. Her life story is a testament of love, hope, and triumph.
 
Mrs. King continues to share her husband’s contributions and legacy as an activist and minister. She is a beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and bright light to those in the church and communities she serves.
 
Author’s Note: Thank you to Dr. Babs Onabanjo, Co-Founder and CEO of the A.D. King Foundation for arranging the interview. More information can be found about Rev. Alfred Daniel “A.D.” King and Naomi Barber King at www.adkingfoundation.com.
 

Ohio State University partnership creates geriatric residency program at National Church Residences

Posted on by
1
Sarah Kidd horiz

Sarah Kidd, a recent graduate of Ohio State University with a doctorate in physical therapy, is the first-ever resident specializing in geriatrics in a new partnership program between Ohio State and National Church Residences. Here she provides physical therapy to a resident at First Community Village.

By LANCE CRANMER                                                    lcranmer@nationalchurchresidences.org

COLUMBUS – Last summer National Church Residences began a partnership with Ohio State University to create a geriatric physical therapy residency program.

“Ohio State needed a partner for the geriatric residency so they asked us if we would partner with them,” said Sarah Dalton Ortlieb, National Church Residences Vice President of Rehabilitation Services. “We get to cultivate an expert in the field.”

The first resident in the program is Sarah Kidd, who began the program at First Community Village in July 2016.

“They’re helping me prepare to be a credited specialist,” said Kidd, whose residency program runs through July 2017. “I get to experience the geriatric spectrum in one year.”

“This residency is a geriatric specialization,” said Ortlieb. “Sarah, our resident, is a licensed physical therapist who has graduated with her doctorate from Ohio State. This program is an extra year, similar to what a physician would do. She’s elected to do this residency to become a specialist in geriatrics.”

Kidd’s year-long learning experience is a rarity in her field.

“Most physical therapists who are working in geriatrics don’t have this kind of specialization,” Ortlieb said. “There aren’t many opportunities around the country for people to go through geriatric residency.”

In this program, Kidd will get to experience multiple facets of geriatric care specializations, allowing her to obtain experience in all areas of the field.

“This is great for my development,” Kidd said. “There are various geriatric settings. This allows me to figure out where I do thrive and what I struggle with. Every day and every week is different.”

Last summer Kidd spent most of her time at First Community Village, while also doing lab work and student teaching at Ohio State. In early 2017 she began moving into work with a greater focus on Home Health.

“She’ll be there for a few months learning that type of practice,” said Ortlieb. “The last couple months of her residency will be geared toward outpatient care at First Community and wellness at our Centers for Senior Health.”

The residency program also includes mentoring opportunities, didactic (specific education content) work, and a researched case study that will likely be published in medical journals.

“Its wonderful training and career development in one year,” Kidd said. “I just love that the residency gives me mentoring opportunities. I have these experts around me that I can discuss things with.”

When Kidd’s residency is complete it is possible that she could come to work for National Church Residences full-time.
“If they would hire me, I would want to,” she said.

Ortlieb said that in the long term it is her goal to be able to recruit the people who go through the residency – which is limited to one per year – to join the organization.

“We’re doing great things for our mission of helping seniors and for us, we want to be able to cultivate a long-term potential recruiting pool,” she said.

Care Coordination reaches seniors’ mind, body and soul at Atlanta’s Panola Gardens

Posted on by
Reply
Panola - Sharon Dawson Reid

Care Coordinator Sharon Dawson Reid, center, with two residents before a play at Panola Gardens.

By LANCE CRANMER                                                                lcranmer@nationalchurchresidences.org

Before it even opened its doors, the vision for Panola Gardens was a community where housing and health care services came together under one roof. But to make that vision a reality, National Church Residences needed to find the right person.

“When the state agency awarded the important tax credits to National Church Residences to build Panola Gardens, they took a leap of faith that we would commit to an enriched service environment for our residents once we built the building,” said Michelle Norris, National Church Residences’ Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Strategic Initiatives. “That vision does not come to fruition without dedication and leadership of someone on the ground once the building opened.”

The organization found that leadership in Sharon Dawson Reid, Panola Gardens’ Care Coordinator.

“Sharon is an exceptional Service Coordinator,” said Terry Allton, National Church Residences Senior Vice President of Home and Community Services. “We are blessed to have her leading this effort!”

Sharon has been a member of the staff at Panola Gardens since the facility opened its doors in March 2015.

“As a Care Coordinator what I really do is work with the residents’ mind, body and soul,” Sharon said. “It’s a person-centered approach. It’s service coordination with care coordination laid on top of it.”

Using the concept of layering the two approaches has worked well for Sharon, especially when it comes to making partnerships and getting much-needed grants to fund projects.

“I have applied for several grants through Horizon Housing Foundation and they have been most kind to Panola Gardens,” she said, noting that over $16,500 has been awarded to her building. “They provide a lot of these classes for the residents that are free because of the type of grant that I applied for. I composed the grant and layered it with what I wanted to bring to the residents.”

Sharon found funding for Tai Chi classes which provide both mental relaxation and physical exercise.

She also brought in live musicians who provide entertainment, and also a form of music therapy.

“The way I proposed that grant is that (the music) stimulated the mind. They talk about the songs and who the musician was and where they were when they remember that song,” she said. “I’m always layering. It’s multifaceted.”

Other projects Sharon secured grant money for include art classes, live plays, free dental clinics, on-site physical therapists and chiropractors, and regular visits from a registered nurse to do health screenings and personal coaching for chronic diseases and medication questions.

“Built into those grants as well, even though they’re giving us all that money, I like to ask for even more money,” she said. “I have been given a lot of gift cards randomly given to residents for participating in at least one of these services. The residents are taking their time to come.”

As part of her job requirements Sharon hosts at least two educational wellness events per month. She is also required to plan at least 12 socialization events per year – but last year she held 91 of them.

“It engages their mind. Their thinking. It gets them walking. Gets them moving,” she said. “Every time a resident is in front of me I’m giving them something that is person centered. Something for the mind, body and soul. I go overboard trying to make sure these residents are well-rounded.”

Recently, she brought in retired NBA great Terry Cummings to speak to the residents.

“The focus of his speech was hope. It leaned on the spiritual side. Where the residents are in their lives. It is so this vulnerable population does not feel lost,” Sharon said. “It helps them transition through that period, if they are a widow or widower, or if they’re transitioning from a single dwelling or from living with family. Aging is a part of life and there’s a productive way to age.”

Molina Healthcare brings cooking club to Champion

Posted on by
Reply
066

Molina Healthcare’s Dr. Cleo poses for a picture with the children at Champion Intergenerational Enrichment and Education Center in Columbus.

By LANCE CRANMER                                                                     lcranmer@nationalchurchresidences.org

COLUMBUS – Dr. Cleo made his first house call to the Champion Intergenerational Enrichment and Education Center in Columbus last week to introduce healthier eating habits for children and seniors.

“This was an event to introduce Molina Healthcare here in the community,” said TaKeysha Sheppard Cheney, the Director of Community Engagement for Molina. “It was a great opportunity to connect with seniors and with kids at a very young age and to be able to educate the public about healthy eating habits.”

Dr. Cleo, Molina’s furry cat doctor mascot, hosts Dr. Cleo’s Cooking Club at various events around the country. His visit to Champion was his first-ever visit to Columbus.

A pair of dieticians presented healthy eating options to the seniors and children, who then, with the help of volunteers from The Ohio State University, got to build their own healthy lunch out of whole grain tortillas, hummus, veggies and turkey.

“The cooking club appeals to both kids and adults,” Cheney said. “The dieticians are Molina employees. And it was great to have volunteers here with us from Ohio State.

“Partnering with National Church Residences is a great opportunity. That collaboration is really important.”

Cheney added that in a time where health care concerns are a hot topic it is important for Molina Healthcare – one of Ohio’s five Medicaid providers – to connect directly with the public.

“People need to know what their options are and what programs they can take advantage of,” she said. “We want to help them better understand health insurance benefits. It can be very difficult for the average customer to understand. We want to try to answer questions and establish that relationship with the community. We want to communicate and build trust.”

The cooking club was well-attended by both the seniors and children who attend Champion, an intergenerational day care center where senior citizens and young children interact on a daily basis through learning programs designed by Ohio State University, Columbus Early Learning Centers and National Church Residences.

(Have a story to share with National Church Residences? Contact Lance Cranmer at 614-273-3809 or e-mail lcranmer@nationalchurchresidences.org.)

077

Molina Healthcare’s Dr. Cleo meets with seniors at Champion.

057

A dietician with Molina Healthcare speaks with children at Champion Intergenerational Enrichment and Education Center about healthy eating habits.

068

Permanent Supportive Housing to experience transition, growth in 2017

Posted on by
Reply
casc

An architect rendering of the Commons at South Cumminsville, a National Church Residences Permanent Supportive Housing community that will break ground in Cincinnati later this year.

By LANCE CRANMER                                                               lcranmer@nationalchurchresidences.org

National Church Residences’ Permanent Supportive Housing portfolio is set to experience both transition and growth in 2017.

With the retirement of Dave Kayuha, the organization’s longtime Chief Administrative Officer who has overseen PSH since its inception in 2003, a plan was put in place to transition the portfolio into Affordable Housing under the direction of Steve Bodkin.

“I’m proud to be part of Permanent Supportive Housing, a mission that serves such a critically vulnerable population,” said Steve, who is the Chief Operating Officer of National Church Residences Housing Division. “I look forward to working with this dedicated, talented, and caring staff to continue driving mission impact.”

Since the Commons at Grant became National Church Residences’ first Permanent Supportive Housing community, the portfolio has expanded to nine PSH communities with a total of 885 units in Columbus, Toledo and Atlanta.

In 2017 the program will expand yet again when Cincinnati’s Commons at South Cumminsville breaks ground.

“Commons at South Cumminsville is the result of a long history of National Church Residences trying to build Permanent Supportive Housing in Cincinnati. It dates back to 2008,” said Amy Rosenthal, National Church Residences Senior Project Leader. “We’ve had our struggles and hiccups, but now we have a home in a community that has welcomed us.”

Commons at South Cumminsville will house 80 PSH units in a building located on Herron Avenue in the northern Cincinnati neighborhood.

“We have a non-profit, Working in Neighborhoods, that has been a great help to us,” Amy said. “Now we have this welcoming community that sees the need for supportive housing in Cincinnati and see that this project will put a positive spotlight on their community, too. They really understand how our supportive housing communities change people’s lives.”

The $15 million new construction project is expected to break ground sometime in late 2017.

National Church Residences’ Dallas keeping people mobile – and laughing

Posted on by
Reply
judy-2

National Church Residences Transportation Manager Judy Dallas performs stand-up comedy at the Columbus Funny Bone comedy club.

By LANCE CRANMER                                                               lcranmer@nationalchurchresidences.org

COLUMBUS — Whether it’s driving a Greyhound bus or coordinating a fleet of busses to transport seniors, Judy Dallas knows that some things are universal.

“In transportation it’s all the same,” she said. “It’s people. They have to trust you. It’s different and it’s the same.”

Years back when Judy drove a Greyhound for a living, she made frequent short trips that kept her relatively close to her home and her daughter.

“You can only drive for 10 hours. I could get as far as 10 hours would take me,” she said. “Columbus to St. Louis and then go to bed. Tennessee, Chicago, Pittsburgh. I really stayed Midwest. I had a child at home.”

Today, with her daughter grown up (and also a National Church Residences employee), Judy said that it would be a different story.

“I’d be going to California, Florida, anywhere!” she said. “Once you get to a place you can just hang out there and make your way back home. But then there’s the whole thing of living out of a suitcase, literally.”

To make a little bit of extra money back in those days, Judy worked nights as a stand-up comedienne.

“I used to do comedy in the 90s with people like Sinbad and Cedric the Entertainer. We were just doing local clubs,” she said. “I was just a single parent doing it for the extra money. They wanted me to go on the road with them, but I had to stay home and be responsible.”

Eventually Judy owned her own transportation business. But when it fell on hard times she came to work for National Church Residences.

Judy initially joined the organization to drive one of the busses that serve the clients of National Church Residences Center for Senior Health.

Today, as the Transportation Manager, she is driving the efforts of the whole transportation department as it moves toward expanding its services to a wider group.

“We are now fundraising,” Judy said.

Beginning in the New Year, the transportation team in central Ohio will start fundraising with the goal of amassing $10,000 to go toward providing more transportation options for seniors.

“We want to be able to provide transportation to, not only our buildings, although they will be the main recipients, but to other apartments as well,” Judy said. “We will be doing different types of fundraising. Our drivers will be doing payroll deductions. We want to do a (fundraiser) later in the year. We have some vendors and corporate sponsors that will help.”

Judy estimated that a trip using a bus that holds 14 people costs around $170 each way.

“They send us a request and they can use the funds from our foundation to provide transportation for that group,” she said. “If a building wants to do more transportation, they can hold a fundraiser. If they can raise at least $100, we will match it and provide the transportation.”

Donations to help fund the transportation services can be sent to the attention of Van Ambrose, Vice President of National Church Residences Foundations, at the home office with the specification that it is for “CSH Transportation.”

Judy said that in Columbus and Franklin County, National Church Residences currently has the area’s largest transportation fleet – next to COTA (Central Ohio Transit Authority).

“Currently we have 30 vehicles,” she said. “We’ve always had more, but some of them were older. We had to retire faster than we could acquire. But we have 23 busses right now along with seven other vehicles. And one-third of our fleet runs on propane, which makes us certified as a ‘Green Fleet.’”

Where the larger busses get about 8 mpg, Judy said that some of the newer, smaller, vehicles get as many as 22 mpg.

“We have a diversified fleet and we’ve gone with more economical vehicles,” she said.

Having as large of an impact on transportation needs as National Church Residences does, Judy joined forces with the Ohio Transportation Equity Coalition in December to ask Ohio Governor John Kasich, “to increase Ohio’s investment in accessible, affordable and sustainable transportation options.”

In the letter sent to the Governor’s office, it is highlighted that Ohio currently ranks 47th nationally in its commitment to public transportation and cites a study from the Ohio Department of Transportation that said Ohio needs $192.4 million in capital and $96.7 million in operating funds to meet existing needs.

“We’re part of a movement and trying to make a difference in the state of Ohio,” Judy said.

A little more than a year ago, Judy returned to the stand-up comedy stage as well – this time as a gospel comedienne who tells clean jokes only.

“I had lost my business and my home and my fiancée died. I turned to my faith,” she said. “God spoke to me. I wanted to teach Sunday school or something. God spoke to me and said to go back to stand-up comedy. I was like, no, this isn’t funny.”

Over the past few months Judy has been booked to perform  around 15 shows – including at the Columbus Funny Bone – and she’s done it all without trying to promote herself.

“It’s all been word of mouth,” she said. “I like to say that God is my promoter.”