Whisper Woods at Smithtown, a senior living community currently under construction, set a goal to commit 20 “Radiant Acts of Kindness” around town in June.
In honor of parent company Benchmark Senior Living’s 20th anniversary, Executive Director Desiree Krajnyak-Baker and her team joined fellow associates and residents across seven Northeast states in setting a goal to commit 1,000 Radiant Acts of Kindness – 20 for each community – in the neighborhoods and towns where their 54 senior living communities are located. Altogether, they completed 1,204 acts during the month, including 24 in Smithtown.
“We were so excited to share compassionate acts in the Smithtown area,” says Krajnyak-Baker. “Our associates dropped off food at the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry operated by seven area churches.”
Whisper Woods associates also provided St Patrick’s Church with much-needed costumes for their youth group and surprised construction workers in the area when they dropped off coolers of ice-cold drinks on a very hot day.
“The Whisper Woods team is looking forward to being part of this great community,” says Krajnyak-Baker, who has lived in Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., for the last 12 years. “It was our pleasure to ‘commit’ radiant acts of kindness while surprising a few people in the neighborhood along the way.”
Benchmark Senior Living’s mission is to “Elevate Human Connection,” and was the purpose for their Radiant Acts initiative, as was giving back to the communities and families that have supported the company’s growth for 20 years. “Connecting with people and putting them at the center of everything we do is what has set Benchmark apart since 1997,” says Tom Grape, Benchmark founder and CEO. “Our associates’ acts were not random but rather conscientious efforts to radiate kindness and make people feel good.”
Offering a new approach to assisted living and memory care on the north shore of Long Island, Whisper Woods at Smithtown is projected to open in June 2018. Construction is underway on the three-story, 101-room community located at 71 St. Johnland Road close to St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center and downtown Smithtown. The new community, the first New York location for parent company Benchmark, held a ribbon-cutting in May for its welcome center located on the property and open to visitors.