Being intentional is about doing everything with a purpose. And for me, my purpose is to do things out of kindness and love. I want to make sure that every day I infuse some kind of kindness, love, or a gesture of something that can encourage someone else throughout the day.
Why is that so important for coordinators and neighbors to keep in mind?
That's extremely important because you never know what people are going through. You don't know how you can impact someone who is feeling depleted with just a kind word or a smile.
Sometimes you can make a difference in someone’s life just by being kind.
Can you give us any examples that you’ve experienced in your own community?
We had a resident at one point who had experienced some health challenges. Her neighbors complained that she was leaving her trash on her patio, and it had a bad odor. So, some neighbors shared that with me, and I went to the young lady and asked how I could be of assistance. I asked if I could re-bag her trash and take it out to the compactor for her. I didn’t know she had health challenges; my intention was just to help.
A few years later, her daughter crossed paths with my son. He invited her to church, and she wound up coming with us. Eventually her mom reached out to me to ask a few questions. And I’m like, “Your daughter is wonderful, I enjoy her coming to church with us. I’d love to meet you.” And she responded, “Well, you know, you did meet me. We met when I had the incident with my trash that was piled on the back patio, and you came, and you removed it for me.”
She shared with me what had been going on and the health challenges she’d been experiencing at the time. That was a “wow” moment for me. You never know how you're going to meet people and impact them and what the result will be later. I didn’t know what she had going on at the time. I just wanted to be a good neighbor.
How does this intentionality mindset impact your welcome visits and renewal check-ins?
You never know what people are going through. Maybe someone hasn’t been able to pay their rent. In my role, I’m able to step in and say, “Okay, well, I might be able to provide this resource for you or point you to this organization that might be able to help you.”
I can help give them some sense of hope, no matter what they're going through.
It only takes a moment to be kind, to share a smile, to genuinely love one another, and to always give your best in everything you do. You don't know how you're going to impact someone's life. If you can't leave them full, definitely don't leave them empty.
This interview was pulled from Episode 223 of the Apartment Life Leadership Podcast and lightly edited for clarity. For more coordinator stories and interviews, you can follow along at apartmentlife.org/podcast. Follow @aptlife for updates on new episodes and upcoming content! If you enjoy listening, leave us a review on Apple or Spotify. We can't wait to hear from you and hope this podcast serves as a helpful resource.