VITALIA Active Adult Community – Montrose 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 – Montrose, DEI goes beyond training and mentoring. It is a way of life. One of my favorite conversations thus far was A Food Dignity Conversation with Clancy Harrison and Guest Henry Hiss.  

Henry is a resident here at Vitalia Montrose and he comes from a family who had a bakery. His grandfather baked white bread and shared with the people in neighborhoods. Henry, in a way, has followed in his grandfather’s footsteps. He bakes breads and pastries every Wednesday to share with residents of the community.

DEI trainings are important to ensure everyone has access to the same treatment, opportunities, and advancement.

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!