In July of 2006, the NC84 WorldLegacy Leadership team led the transformation of the courtyard and meeting room of Camelia Gardens Assisted Living Facility. In the courtyard, many trees, bushes and flowers were planted, a birdbath installed, new walkways created, and outdoor seating and tables with umbrellas were added. The result was a shaded, beautiful environment where Camelia Gardens residents could sit and relax or visit with others. The meeting room was furnished with comfortable armchairs, tables, lamps, and bookshelves filled with books and games. In addition, a valence was hung over the window and a quilt hung on the wall for decoration. The quilt was also created by our leadership group–it is a “vision quilt” made up of squares of fabric, each square having a vision for the world written on it by local community members.
The proud NC84 leaders are on the verge of completing the Leadership Program at the WorldLegacy. We have received coaching to translate our vision for life, community and world into concrete action and to act with a commitment to excellence that achieves extraordinary results. The vision of this group for the Camelia Gardens facility is to create spaces, both inside and outside the center, to allow connections to be made across generations. The courtyard is to become an oasis full of beautiful plant life and comfortable seating where generations of residents and guests can step out, sit, and share their experiences and thoughts. The meeting room is to become a comfortable reading and conversational area where the residents can sit, read, play games or work puzzles with visitors. The residents and guests can connect in these venues and develop stronger relationships across generations.
An additional component of the project is to arrange to have a local scout troop or youth group visit the facility on a regular basis, to create more opportunities for communicating and forming friendships across generations.
To carry out the project, our team could not use any money of our own, completed the project in one weekend, and enrolled other members of the community to participate in the project. Thus, while this project was inspired and led by the leadership team, the vision was realized through extensive community involvement.
Carolyn
