It’s hard for Connie Campbell to believe it’s been three years since she first walked through the doors at New Perspective | Island Shores in Wisconsin. “I got chills, in a good way,” she said of her initial visit. “I knew I was home.” On the same day she toured the community, she spotted an eagle in the trees across the Fox River. To her, the sighting served as a sign of what was meant to be.
Even with that certainty, she didn’t take her decision to leave her Appleton, WI, home of 30 years and move into the community lightly. “Emotionally, even with as beautiful as it is here, moving was one of the hardest things in my life,” she said.
To work through those feelings about transitioning to new surroundings and being in a different phase of life at age 77, she started doing things she loved, and her grief began to dissipate. Those things evolved into these helper roles:
Resident Decorator
During her first few months at the community, Connie, a retired marketing manager who used to travel the country to assist large stores with branding and merchandising, spotted ways to add even more warmth to the community. She mentioned her ideas to the community’s leadership, and then began collaborating with the Life Engagement team, finding artwork for the walls, providing input on various spaces, and giving tips on organizing the storage of decorations. She continues to serve as the resident decorator.
Resident Ambassador
While walking around the community in search of areas to lend her eye for design, she started talking with other residents and realized she could also make an impact as an ambassador who creates connections. She now meets with new residents, introduces and accompanies them to special activities, brings them surprise treats from time to time, and gets to know them as friends. And she reaches out to other long-time residents, too, and assists them with whatever they need, in their own time.
In working with New Perspective to carve out her own niche over the years, Connie has followed her personal belief and New Perspective’s foundational belief that living life with purpose makes the difference. “This community and these residents, this is our family now,” Connie said. “I know I’m finally where I belong.”
To read the full story as featured by NBC26, please visit the original article here:
https://www.nbc26.com/oshkosh/neenah-senior-living-resident-is-redesigning-happiness-at-80
You can also watch the story here.