Dec. 19, 2007

One of my Jewish colleagues, Lauren Shaham, recently sent me a column entitled "Doing God's Work in the World" from a periodical called "Weekly Jewish Wisdom." In it, Barry Shrage, the president of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Federation poses a great question that is particularly powerful for the Chanukah and Christmas seasons:

"Is the purpose of this enterprise to survive? Or is the purpose to do God's work in the world and to create meaningful communities for human beings?"

Mr. Shrage prompts me to ask of us what our ultimate responsibility is to the people and neighborhoods we serve and our responsibility to each other as colleagues, teammates, friends and family in this time we have together on this planet.

Here is what I think the answer is: "To create community for, by and with each other!"

Without community, people get sick and die. Our streets, jails, detention centers, abuse shelters, detox centers – even apartment buildings, trailer parks and neighborhoods – are filled with people who have no community – whose problems produced an isolated existence. An unwed mother without support. A depressed adolescent who believes he or she is the only person who suffers pains of youth. An elderly person trapped in a home without transportation or companionship. Anyone who turns to alcohol or drugs to relieve pain.

Such ills know no social boundaries. I remember visiting in the upscale town home of a wealthy elderly woman recuperating from illness and loss. I asked her if she was to participate in the church activities that were so important to her. She paused, sighed sadly and said "No...the church doesn't know whether or not I am dead or alive anymore." She had lost her community and much of her will.

Community is as essential to our health as water, nourishment and air. Community creates the dynamics of respect for each other. It generates self-respect: "others think I am important, therefore, I am somebody!"

Community empowers any of us to face the most complex challenges the world will inevitably throw at us – when we know we aren't alone.

Our work in aging services is the creation of community. Community can be a big thing or a small thing. We know intuitively and through experiences validated by management science that community produces better care and better lives.

Community is created when we talk with nursing home residents about their families or favorite holiday tradition while we help them eat, bathe or re-learn to walk.

Community is possible when we empower care teams or embrace consistent assignment.

Community is powerfully present when we have memorial services for residents or staff who have died and we invite their families to join the occasion.

Community is fostered when we have an ethnic covered dish lunch, teach English or Spanish as a second language or have times where we tell and record the stories of our lives.

Community is especially evident and powerful when we laugh together. Finding laughter in our every day tasks is enormously healing.

Community is created in our beauty shops or spas – or in the one-on-one moments of conversation between a cleaning or maintenance staff member in the apartment or home of someone we serve.

Community is enabled between generations when we invite school groups to visit residents, entertain them with their talents, host a special occasion for them or do art projects together.

Community is reinforced when we host a barbecue for the local firefighters or police or correspond with troops with serving our country or conduct a town hall meeting.

Community is enlarged when we host support groups for caregivers or establish employee assistance plans that offer help when our colleagues face tough life problems.

Community is nurtured when our members develop outreach services or sponsor youth sports teams or teach older adults how to use a computer so they can communicate with their grandkids.

Community can be celebrated with simple gestures like phone calls, thank you notes, holding someone's hand as they grieve or bringing donuts to the night shift.

Community is strengthened when we establish a continuous quality improvement team to reduce agency use or improve employee retention and satisfaction.

So, our work is not ultimately about the tasks of what we do or the paperwork that says we are in compliance with this regulation or that code – essential work for sure. Nor is it about the new building or renovated dining room or upgraded décor – important places to facilitate community, no doubt.

And our goal is not ultimately to say we survived another week or survey or audit or performance evaluation or staffing crisis. All important regular occurrences, obviously, that require us to roll up our sleeves and work hard.

No, ultimately, our work – "God's work in the world" – is to create community. Only the power of community – for, by and with each other – reminds us that we are not only alive but cared for as valued human beings. When we feel cared for and valued, miraculous things happen in our lives. And they are possible only through community. But you already know these secrets, don't ya?!? Celebrate them during this great season. Yes, don't forget that celebration is the essential spirit of the healing power of community.




William L. Minnix, Jr.
President & CEO

AAHSA · 2519 Connecticut Ave. NW · Washington DC 20008 · www.AAHSA.org