Kate Howard with introduction by resident Marsha Jean
Kate Howard is a new resident who has been living at Rebekah Baines Johnson Residences for the past five months. She loves our activities, attends our community meetings, plays ukulele and sings while entertaining residents in line at our food pantry, and already has many friends with whom she socializes. All in only five months.
Kate may be a new resident here, but she’s definitely making up for lost time.
And what do I mean by “lost time?”
She didn’t know what she was missing until she moved here to RBJ Residences. Her story of her five years at another senior living apartment complex helps her be even more appreciative that she found us.
The openness, friendliness & generosity of most of the people I’ve interacted with here is truly remarkable. My neighbor across the hall is all smiles whenever we see each other and he always says, “If you need any help lifting anything, just knock on my door.”
When I’m telling others about this place here, I think about the people. I think about how, for the first time in a very long time, I feel at home. There are events and activities that bring people together on a consistent basis. Plus, I have a really nice view a stone’s-throw away from Lady Bird Lake across the street.
The tireless efforts of Resident Services and Property Management Staff—they are amazing.
Here, when there’s a need for something, staff and volunteers are solution-oriented. At my other place, there was no Resident Council and no monthly meetings. We tried bingo and that didn’t work out.
The food pantry at my old place? Picture a table near the first floor elevator with a bag or two of rice and a bag of lentils. But at RBJ Residences? The difference here is not only do we have a very full pantry, but food is brought in from the nicest places in town. Serafina Pantry is open three days a week, and this week, I got four bags of groceries. The cost: zero, point zero, zero dollars. Unbelievable.
I moved to RBJ Residences after having lived at another senior housing apartment community for 5 years. When I left my old place, I barely said goodbye to anyone, because I never made strong connections there.
If I could describe the vibe of the past 5 months living here, it would be instant community.
A priority for me in having a home where I can see spending the rest of my days: I need to be calm and to feel safe and heard, and I need to feel like I’m a part of something that’s bigger than me.
RBJ is my forever home. The End.
Visit Kate Howard’s homepage at www.katehowardmusic.com
Listen to Kate Howard’s latest EP and follow her on Spotify:
