I don’t think any of us could have imagined the impact the COVID-19 pandemic would have on us. There is so much that we all take for granted that has, all of a sudden, come into clear focus for us – our connections with others, our freedom of movement, our hygiene habits and basic necessities like toilet paper.
The worldwide response, on one level, has been amazing. I am impressed to see how proactively many individuals, organizations and governments are responding to the crisis. There are many “lessons learned” that have already emerged from the experience so far and we are reminded daily of the future opportunities for better communication and preventative measures.
The CHNW team has been working tirelessly to continue to provide a well-supported community in which the college students, and those who live with them, feel safe in well-cared-for buildings. I can’t say enough about our custodial and maintenance teams who live and breathe our mission by coming to work every day to assure the best living conditions they can for CHNW residents. Our Resident Ambassadors, many of whom are students themselves, have continued to provide support and services to the student residents while navigating the ever-changing new landscape of their educational environment. CHNW is committed to a bright future where we continue to support students through their academic journeys.
Temporary changes in housing laws and employment laws have kept us scrambling as we try to mesh our already student-friendly and employee-friendly policies with government legislation. Many employees and residents are worried about the pandemic; their health and well-being and the future. For many, this is a scary, worrisome, and possibly frustrating time. Our approach has been to take the time to listen to each other and to offer encouragement and support during this unprecedented time. We continue to march on – together – in caring for the students who live with us and providing supportive and well-maintained facilities for all residents that call our CHNW communities home.
As we all work through this together, I want to convey my deep sense of gratitude to CHNW’s staff who have continued to work with so much care and purpose through this. It is our dedicated team, working tirelessly on site and in new remote virtual “offices” who are the backbone of organization — working daily, in mutual support of the CHNW mission.
– Dave