Morning Pointe Senior Living surpassed the goal for its 25th anniversary volunteer campaign, 25,000 Touches, with almost 30,000 volunteer interactions.
“It’s wonderful to see so many new volunteers come on board with us to make our residents smile,” said Amanda Baushke, Morning Pointe’s Vice President of Life Enrichment. “Volunteers truly make a difference in the quality of life that our residents experience.”
To be counted, the interactions had to be either with a new volunteer or tie in to Morning Pointe’s company-wide monthly themes.
By the end of 2022, Morning Pointe campuses had been “touched” by close to 30,000 lives across the Southeast. Many of the interactions were intergenerational in nature, including school groups, Scouts, grandchildren and church youth groups. Other groups and individuals contributed through musical entertainment, worship services, art, cultural programming or pet therapy.
“These 30,000 represent more than just numbers,” said Greg A. Vital, Morning Pointe Senior Living Co-Founder and President. “They represent connections our residents have made with their greater communities. We are thankful for every volunteer, whether they have been partners with us for years or are just starting their ministry of touching residents’ lives.”
Morning Pointe of Spring Hill, Tennessee, logged the most new volunteers last year with 5,447 touches. Morning Pointe of Powell, Tennessee, added the next-highest number: 1,554. For volunteer events (events bringing in multiple volunteers), Morning Pointe of Powell was the most active, logging 294. Morning Pointe of Spring Hill reported 191 volunteer events.
Gaby Ponce, life enrichment director at Morning Pointe of Spring Hill, embraced the campaign from the beginning.
“When I reached out to possible volunteers, I was like, ‘Hey, what’s something you like?’” said Ponce. “If we are curious about what the volunteers like, they will enjoy what they do, the same way we as employees enjoy what we do.”
Ponce reached out to friends and groups on Facebook. She even approached a lady at Costco, which led to a church choir coming to volunteer. That, in turn, led to homeschooled kids volunteering as well.
“The 25,000 Touches program helped me find more variety and be more creative,” said Ponce. “Not only did it benefit us here, but it also benefits the community. I don’t think the community members knew they could do stuff like that. Sometimes they think the only thing they can do is bingo, and there are so many more options.”
For example, Ted Reed, the owner of the local Tropical Café restaurant, started a weekly program in which a local business donates 78 smoothies for the residents.
“He told me, ‘I don’t get any earnings from doing this. It’s just seeing the residents’ joy,’” Ponce shared. “The residents need the love. They need the kindness. Through volunteers, they feel they are connected to the outside and that the people on the outside care.”
Among Morning Pointe’s dedicated memory care communities, The Lantern at Morning Pointe of Lenoir City, Tennessee, excelled with 96 volunteer events. Tammy Price, Lantern program director, shared that she worked with a lot of contacts she had at local schools.
“Finding volunteers is a lot of phone calls, emails and texts,” Price shared.
The Lantern has partnered with schools for card exchanges, as well as the campus collecting and donating crayons in August and high school students volunteering three to four days a week.
“The residents love it any time you can get young kids in, and the younger, the better,” Price shared.
Contact your local Morning Pointe community to volunteer.
Founded in 1997 by Tennessee healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and Franklin Farrow, Morning Pointe Senior Living owns and operates 37 assisted living, personal care, and Alzheimer’s memory care communities in five southeastern states.
