By Sarah Hughes, Regional Vice President East Division
Whether it’s a memory or a feeling, a piece of art can evoke powerful emotions. Art can cheer us up, stir a memory or inspire us to act. Amber Fairbanks, SVP East Division and Kristen Ostrom, East Division Administrative Assistant in Charlotte, NC have taken a space in the East Divisional office to showcase the heart of MAA. They curated an Open Arms wall. This “art” inspires us to create moments that matter. Amber Fairbanks shared, “Our wall was created to fill an empty space in our main room of our office that we walk by every day. It serves a purposes for us. It is an inspiration wall to keep reminding us how Open Arms is the heart of our company. Some people put up ‘smile walls’ to give them warm thoughts throughout the day, and I guess you could say this is our little smile wall. It does just that, makes us smile when we see it.” Over the years, they plan to add to it and frame out more pictures of events, families and letters of gratitude. They encourage MAA offices to consider devoting a corner or space of their office to Open Arms. It not only serves as a great example of the heart of MAA, but it reminds us that we create moments and places that matter.
By Beth Johnson, Administrative Assistant & Open Arms Representative
A simple question became so much more in 2021! Laura Jones, LCSW and Manager, Oncology Restorative Health and Wellness Program at UofL Health-Brown Cancer Center in Louisville, KY, reached out at the beginning of the year as she was working on a grant that would potentially supplement rental fees for patients and their caregivers. She wanted to know if her grant could potentially fund an Open Arms home for UofL Health (ULH) patients. Open Arms has worked with Laura and ULH for years helping provide housing for patients but using a grant for a specific home was uncharted territory. A selective team of Open Arms board members was formed to assess and develop a partnership with ULH to provide another home at Stonemill Village in Louisville, specifically for patients of UofL Health- Brown Cancer Center. A few months later, after careful planning and coordination, a new home was furnished and officially opened. A ribbon-cutting was held on September 16 with Open Arms and UofL Health-Brown Cancer Center representation, and the first guests were welcomed into the home shortly thereafter. This alliance expands the housing opportunities for ULH patients, caretakers, and families of the center while they travel to Louisville for life-saving treatment. A special thanks go to the community team and especially Kelsea Smolek, Leasing Consultant at Stonemill Village, who oversaw the furnishing and set up of the new home. Ribbon-cutting Cermony For more information on housing through the UofL Health-Brown Cancer Center Open Arms home and other services through the ULH SOAR On program, which enhances and assists the quality of patient’s and caregiver’s lives, please visit: https://www.uoflbrowncancercenter.org/soar-on
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