Service Worthy of A Story - Fulfilling the Promise

Recently I had the opportunity to share examples of our service deserving of a story with prospective residents of Homestead Village.  Afterward an individual approached me and stated that she could verify the stories were true because a friend of hers lives at The Mews and had a similar experience.

Jeff Woerner defines Service with a Smile!

The prospective resident related to me that her friend needed to be at an important meeting the morning of the Nor'easter in mid-March.  She told a passing maintenance person of her need, knowing that the normal pattern of snow removal is to start clearing driveways after all of the roads have been cleared, and any particular driveway could be at the beginning, the middle or the end of the snow removal process.  The maintenance staff person told her don't you worry, I will see to it that your driveway will be cleared in time  to get to your appointment.  Of course it was!

After a little checking, I became aware that this great example of service was Jeff Woerner in our mainteance department.  This is not a surprise as Jeff was awarded the Homestead MVP in Fall 2014 for similar acts of service and kindness.  Thank you Jeff for being a constant example of the Homestead Village vision and mission.

Service Worthy of A Story - Fulfilling High Flying Dreams!

The epic plane ride

Daniel McGinn loves his job at Homestead Village; he drives for our Home Care Agency.  Dan sees it as an opportunity to give back and bring joy to other people.  So it is not surprising that when Dan engaged in conversation with one of our residents and asked him if there is anything that he misses or would like to experience again, his question was not just posed to pass the time.  Dan wanted to make a difference.  He wanted to bless this individual with his greatest desire!  What was the response? Our elder stated that more than anything he missed flying.  Well that put Dan on a mission.  Less than two weeks later our resident was soaring over Lancaster County.

Dan McGinn

Dan and Co-Worker Kathy Noll (with the support of Homestead Village leadership) secretly arranged to make this dream come true!  “What if” became “Why Not!” and “Why Not” became “Let’s Go!”  Dan remembers.  

On Saturday, February 18^th, Dan picked our elder up for a morning drive. At 10:30 am, the pair arrived at Lancaster county airport to reveal the surprise.  Local Pilot John Brubaker welcomed them at the Aerotech hangar.    Homestead Village Social worker Lisa Zimmerman also attended, and enjoyed the plane ride as well.   What a tremendous

Dan McGinn and Pilot John Brubaker

story of blessing other people.  Asking the right question and then going a few extra steps provided a truly amazing opportunity for one of our elders.  Daniel McGinn exemplifies the mission and vision of Homestead Village.