Vitalia Active Adult Community – Solon Explores the Importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

As a company, Arrow Senior Living has made learning about and celebrating our unique differences a part of our company culture. So much so that, in recent years, it has become an extension of our core values. And for the past year, Arrow has expanded beyond yearly diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops to create Arrow’s D&I Speaker Series, which pairs special guest speakers with residents from our communities to have conversations on a wide range of topics such as mental health, PRIDE, Juneteenth, and so much more. We believe that sparking conversations on what some may believe to be sensitive topics helps to shed light on misconceptions and ultimately brings about understanding as it relates to the experiences of others. This ensures our employees and residents have the tools to build a safe place to live and work, one where a diverse group can come together and feel equally seen, heard, and included. 

At Vitalia Active Adult Community – Solon, DEI goes beyond training and mentoring. It is a way of life. One of my favorite conversations thus far was A Mental Health Awareness Conversation on Anxiety with Sandy McGatha & Debbie Dewey! – YouTube 

Anxiety awareness is important because it can allow individuals to understand the stresses and limitations you can reach. I’ve experienced anxiety on a personal level when I cannot get my work done in time or when I begin to overthink. Bringing this topic to light can help others better understand and be aware of issues that others may be facing.

I think Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is important because it can become difficult to understand how others are feeling or obstacles they are trying to overcome. These topics create a space where we can feel comfortable better understanding the troubles others face and discussing issues more in depth, as they should be.

These conversations have only just begun, and I look forward to the conversations to come and all the new growth and opportunity that lies ahead as we work toward creating the greatest and safest place to work that we can!