Making a Wish Come True

Christine is the admissions director at the Retirement Village of North Strabane in Canonsburg, PA. And although she has only been there for one year, she has already made a tremendous impact on many lives. Christine has been a member of the Twilight Wish Foundation for several years and decided to put her skills and compassion to good use.

The Twilight Wish Foundation is a non-profit that grants wishes to seniors who are in need of some assistance and typically are no longer living independently. A lot of times these are seniors who need a little ext­ra help. The most recent person to benefit from this amazing foundation is Mr. Cree, a local senior who was in need of a washing machine.

Mr. Cree had submitted his application to the Twilight Wish Foundation and had hoped he would be eligible. Once Christine heard his story, she knew she had to make this happen for him. Recipients of the award must show that they have done a lot of volunteer work, and have given back in their lifetime. Mr. Cree had so much of that and more. There was no question on whether or not he should win this award.

Christine had the pleasure of being able to award Mr. Cree and throw him a celebratory party. He was served lunch, given a cake, and the party had a disco theme, as Mr. Cree was a disco dancer himself earlier in life. The local media came out to cover the event and published it in the local paper. It was such a wonderful event. Mr. Cree cried upon receiving the award and was overwhelmed with appreciation.

Helping the elderly is a passion of Christine’s, and she doesn’t only help those with the foundation, but also in her daily life at North Strabane. When asked what she likes most about her job, she replied “Talking to the families about how life can be better for their loved one by moving to this care center and giving them peace of mind. I truly enjoy being able to work within the community, giving presentations, coordinating community events in our building, and bringing people together”.

Christine told us that Honesty is the most important of our Core Values and she lives by that. Although as an admissions director, a large portion of the role is to bring in residents, Christine wants to always be sure that she is not selling, but helping people. She said, ‘When I present and speak with families, I speak the truth. I don’t “sell” or talk up anything. What you see is what you get. They can rely on the fact that what I’m telling them, is the truth”.  Because Christine cares for the wellbeing of those around her, she truly wants to help these residents better their lives, not just sell them a service.