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Carol Woods Receives National "Pathways to Greatness" Award

Distinguishing characteristics that were noted in the award were Carol Woods’ commitment to true teamwork; resident integration & accessibility; meaningful engagement; authentic intergenerational interaction; and social accountability.

Charles Paddock, President of the Carol Woods Resident’s Association and a former U.S. Naval Officer, has enjoyed his role in the community as a seven-year resident, an active member in the Association, and also as a dedicated volunteer. He is pleased Carol Woods is the award recipient. “It’s a wonderful award. I think it’s really an honor for Carol Woods to be recognized in this way. And I think its true; all the things that were taken into account in making the award are true about Carol Woods.”

The selection process wasn’t easy, as applicants from across the country were considered based on leadership, leading edge programs and services, and participation in educational and research efforts.

Thelma Perkins is also representative of residents meaningfully engaged both at Carol Woods and in the larger community. Perkins has been dedicating her time to the Senior Center in Chapel Hill since before the new Seymour Center opened. Perkins spends three or four days a week volunteering to help  coordinate activities such as concerts, lectures, local art exhibits, social hours, yard sales, & classes.

“I’ve been here almost ten years and everything good that goes on in this community emanates from people who live at Carol Woods. Carol Woods’ reputation is very much a part of the whole community of Chapel Hill,” Perkins believes. In her own neighborhood, Perkins is involved in the “Gay Nineties,” a club for Carol Woods residents over the age of ninety that provides fun and appealing activities that include taking trips to art museums, bringing local artists to campus to play music and sing, and inviting lecturers from UNC or elsewhere to speak on current topics.

“One of the things that is striking about Carol Woods is that we have no activities director. What is done on campus and in the community is done primarily through committees of residents”, explained Perkins. “Once people move here they don’t forget that there’s an outer world that needs help, and so many continue their outside activities.”

Carol Woods’ residents, staff and board take their communities role as a not- for -profit very seriously. Over $500,000 a year is contributed to the community to support the greater good. Residents volunteer close to 40,000 hours in the community, and staff and residents support the many not- for -profit boards that work toward making the community aging-friendly. A residents’ Community Relations Committee has led food drives, habitat projects, and student resident community intervention projects, just to name a few.

“I think Carol Woods is very much involved (in the community),” continued Paddock. “I am very proud of the donations that Carol Woods makes to Orange County, the town of Chapel Hill and the school systems. I think it’s very good for Carol Woods and good for the towns and the schools that we are participating in that way. I don’t know that we could do any better in that way than we’re already doing.”

Diane Henderson, a former president of the Resident’s Association, is a life-long volunteer whose experiences range from serving on the County’s Aging Services Advisory Committee to the League of Women’s Voters, to formatting the Carol Woods’ Friday Memo. She and her husband, Nelson, moved from the North Carolina Coast almost 10 years ago. Henderson sees the high level of volunteerism and community involvement among her friends and neighbors at Carol Woods.

“It’s important to have something to do. I’ve always been public service oriented,” Henderson stated. “I don’t think [the award] is a big surprise because a lot of people here do a great many things for the community. An enormous number of people volunteer.”

The “Pathways” review showed that the welfare and well being of employees at Carol Woods are also a priority with residents. Myriad educational and growth opportunities, along with receiving livable wages, a robust benefits package and the annual Employee Appreciation Fund gift from residents contribute to the low 13% turnover rate in staff.

“Those of us who’ve lived here for any period of time are certainly aware of how deserving Carol Woods is of this award, primarily because of the relationship that exists between residents and staff,” said Mary Ann Gross, who’s serving her second term as a member of the Carol Woods’ Board of Directors and is a  member of the Master Plan Task Force. She and her husband, Ed, have been residents of Carol Woods for almost 8 years.

Through community activities such as sponsoring a summer camp for disabled children, donating revenues toward charitable causes, collaborating with higher education institutions and local schools to provide valuable learning opportunities, and through widened access to applicants who do not meet certain financial criteria, Carol Woods has left a lasting impression on the hearts and minds of the residents of Orange County and beyond.

“This award certainly reminded residents of how lucky we are to live here, and reinforces Carol Woods’ mission that ‘goes beyond ourselves’, concluded Gross. It’s evident by the decisions that are made here that we want to be part of the larger community.”