Gratitude for a Servant Heart
In my role with LeadingAge PA, I have the privilege of visiting member communities and meeting individuals who make a difference in the lives of older adults on a daily basis. However, no task has been more inspiring than meeting the 2021 Distinguished Service Award (DSA) winners!
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this past year, we changed how to honor the DSA recipients. Instead of recognizing them in-person at the LeadingAge PA Annual Conference, we celebrated the awardees at their respective communities, surrounded by their colleagues, peers, and family. The pride and delight their community and loved ones felt as they celebrated their winner was profound. When asked what inspires their dedication to seniors, each winner shared they are just doing what they love the most—utilizing their time and talents to serve residents and their community. What a humbling realization they chose to pursue excellence in senior services, not for the accolades and spotlight, but to fulfill their servant hearts. To me, the DSA winners are all shining examples of excellence, passion, and commitment.
LeadingAge PA remains devoted to showcasing the best of the best in our industry and the DSAs provide the opportunity for us to express purposeful appreciation and gratitude for the work of not only the award recipients, but also the nominees. For these top performers, to be nominated is in itself a form of recognition because someone had a desire to share the exceptional work of their colleague and wanted to see those efforts acknowledged on a larger scale. The DSA nominations and selections not only highlight accomplishments and brings positive attention to your community, but they also tell the community at-large that excellence is a hallmark of your organization.
Now is the time to nominate your staff who—based on their service, excellence, and dedication—raise the bar for all of us in senior services. Visit the Distinguished Service Awards website to nominate your stars for one of the nine categories today!