A Welcoming Environment at Highland Springs

When Molly Mann, sales manager at Highland Springs, asked Ann Gordon if she would like to be on the newly formed Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Social Responsibility Committee at the North Dallas community, Ann didn’t hesitate to say yes. “One of the highlights of my career was building diversity among faculty and staff,” says Ann, who retired in 2013 as director of Texas Woman’s University School of Management. “I know the enrichment diversity can bring.”

Ann has lived at Highland Springs, an Erickson Living community, since 2015. She joins six other residents and seven staff members on the Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Social Responsibility [DICSR] Committee, which had its first virtual meeting in July 2020.

The committee’s precursor, the Erickson Living Values Team, consisted of staff who ensured the community’s core values of respect and caring, diversity, friendliness and enthusiasm, integrity, responsibility, excellence, and teamwork informed the way they treated residents, colleagues, families, and the greater community.

Chaired by Mann, the mission statement of the new DICSR Committee is “to promote diversity, inclusion, and belonging while fostering a culture of mutual respect and understanding within our community. We are creating spaces for civil dialogue, learning, and growth. We encourage community social responsibility that enhances the lives of seniors, both within and beyond the gates of Highland Springs.”

Mann, who’s worked at Highland Springs for eight years and has a background in social work, says the new committee’s efforts are “near and dear to my heart. We want to make sure anyone who steps onto our campus feels a sense of belonging. Our goal is awareness and education in order to make sure everyone knows they’re included.”

New Events

One of the DICSR committee’s first initiatives was to celebrate International Friendship Day at the end of July 2020. They encouraged residents and staff to choose a pen pal, someone they didn’t know well who lives or works at Highland Springs, and write them a note.

“We had over 200 people write notes,” says Mann. “It was a great start.” Next, the committee hung a large world map in the Hillcrest Clubhouse and encouraged community members to put a pushpin in their city or country of origin.

“Of course, we had plenty of pushpins in Texas and the United States, but we also had some in other parts of the world and those sparked some interesting conversations,” says Mann.

In November, the DICSR Committee sponsored Unity Week. They collected warm clothes and donated them to the Richardson Network of Community Ministries. They collaborated with the fitness staff to sponsor a turkey trot, and they created a Hands Across Highland Springs display of colored construction paper cutouts of hands of residents and staff.

“We’re meeting biweekly because we have so many ideas we want to implement,” says Mann. “It’s exciting because the ideas just keep coming, both from residents and staff.”

‘Ready for this’

Ann Gordon joined fellow resident Jim Atkins on HSTV, the community’s closed-circuit television station, to talk about Jim’s son, who’s part of the LGBTQ community, and the family’s experience when Jim’s son came out.

“Jim was brave enough to speak his heart to people, who may not feel the same way he did,” says Ann. “The reaction we got was amazing. That interview began a sharing of information, which is our goal. I’m excited about the committee because we can bring up topics without trying to cram a thought down someone’s throat.” Ann says it’s a departure from how many in her generation were raised.

“I think Highland Springs is ready for this,” she says. “The reality is that people are more open than we’ve given them credit for. We’re ready to learn about some things that were never talked about in our generation. We’re ready to learn how it feels to have diverse family members, for example. We’re ready to learn about diversity in our neighborhood and how to include people.”

Ann says the work doesn’t always need to be weighty. “We mix the heavy with the light,” she says. “I had the opportunity to interview a resident who I didn’t know about Chinese New Year. She’s from Taiwan and has an amazing background. Now, I have a new friend.”

It’s those connections the DICSR Committee is hoping to foster. “If we learn and understand, then we build trust with each other,” says Ann. “In order to belong, there has to be trust. That’s what we’re working toward.”

If you’re interested in living in a vibrant and active senior independent living community, request a Highland Springs brochure today.

Written by Sara Martin

About Highland Springs: Highland Springs, one of 20 continuing care retirement communities managed by Erickson Living®, is situated on a scenic 89-acre campus in North Dallas, Texas. The not-for-profit community of more than 1,150 residents and 520 employees is governed by its own board of directors, affiliated with National Senior Campuses, Inc., who provide independent financial and operational oversight of Highland Springs. Additional information can be found at http://highlandspringscommunity.com.