Practicing What We Preach

"I am just so humbled to be able to live here." "Me, too."

Evelyn Sloat speaking to bill Sloat (4/9/2020)

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"Founded on Christ's love and Mennonite values, we strive to enrich the lives of those we serve." --Mission Statement of Fairmount Homes 

Living in the COVID-19 era is a challenge.

My mom lives in a retirement home community about 15 miles from Fairmount Homes, where Evie and I live.

As I've mentioned, the home where mom lives has numerous residents and staff who have tested positive for the Coronavirus. Five residents there have died and a sixth resident who wasn't tested there is presumed to have died from it.

Mom is one of the residents who has tested positive, and her health is declining.

The staff here at Fairmount was far ahead of the staff at mom's home in bracing for the pandemic.

To this day, there are still no cases of COVID-19 on our campus...

...but that is about to change.

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In addition to the Mission Statement, I quoted, Fairmount also has seven Core Values which are consistent with the Mission Statement.

The second of the Core Values is Compassion.

Evie and I just read a letter from Fairmount's President/CEO explaining that the Home's Core Values create tension for us as a community.

While the staff continues to be proactive in working to assure the safety of our residents and staff, he says, Fairmount's staff feels challenged to live up to its Core Value of Compassion in serving the community.

As a result, after considerable preparation, Fairmount is about to accept, as an incoming resident, someone who has tested positive for COVID-19...

...and, more than that...

...TO ESTABLISH AN ENTIRE WING OF ITS HEALTH CARE FACILITY TO ACCOMMODATE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE CONTRACTED THE DISEASE. 

It was after reading the letter that Evie spoke of being humbled to live here. She took the word right out of my mouth.

Humbled.

It gets my goat to be in the company of people who talk a glorious talk but don't walk their talk.

I don't shut up about it. Undoubtedly, I never will.

When I can be in community with people who talk gloriously about Christ's love...

...and actually live it?

I'm blessed and inspired.

I'm simply humbled to be able to be apart of this community.

God be praised.