The residents of Front Porch communities are dedicated to showing their appreciation for the team members who consistently deliver exceptional care and service. One common expression of this support is through contributions to the Employee Scholarship Fund, a core fund of the Foundation at many communities.
At Sunny View, a Front Porch community in Cupertino, the scholarship fund was initially started with a gift from resident Wally Norum and his late wife Priscilla.
“It gives me a great sense of pride to help others who just need a little help to get to the next level in their careers,” Wally said. “My pride is most affected when I get a hug of gratitude from a scholarship recipient. It becomes an emotional event.”
Inspired by Wally’s generosity, other residents and family members of residents contribute to the fund as well. Since its inception in 2015, 20 team members have received scholarships to make their educational goals a reality.
“It is so incredible that residents like the Norums show how much they love our team by creating such a gift,” said Lynn North, chair of the Sunny View Philanthropy Committee. “It shows that we are a loving community that cares for one another.”
One recent scholarship recipient is Sunny View’s chaplain, Sam Schaar, who has served Sunny View residents for the past three years.
“I am deeply appreciative of the scholarship I received, because it is helping me toward my goal of becoming a board certified chaplain,” Sam said. “My goal is to become an instructor in this training so I can help train future generations of chaplains.”
As chaplain, Sam seeks to meet the spiritual needs of residents at Sunny View. In order to do that, he must dive deeply into his own spiritual practices, including silence and poetry. Sam recently published a book of poetry called “Handles and Healing: Collected Poems.”
“The bulk of my time is spent connecting with residents,” Sam said. “This is the beating heart of what I do and, frankly, the part of my job which brings me the most joy. It can be difficult, to be sure, when you are talking with someone on hospice or sitting with grieving family members as their loved one is passing, or encouraging staff who are struggling — these types of experiences are tough; and yet, there is also the beauty of shared celebrations, recognizing special milestones and much more.”
“Our chaplaincy program has provided much needed spiritual support for our residents,” said Lynn. “We are blessed to have Sam’s beautiful and calm message, which has been such an inspiration to so many of our residents and team members.”
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