Resident Harold Hansen: Spirit of Aging award recipient

The work of environmental services professionals is often most noticeable when it’s not done. Yet these dedicated staff members contribute to nearly every part of daily life in a senior living community. They help protect residents’ health and safety, keep shared spaces clean and welcoming, and handle countless details that allow a community to operate smoothly. Just as importantly, they become familiar, trusted faces for the residents they serve. During National Environmental Services Week , Saint Therese is recognizing these essential professionals and the difference they make every day. At St. Mary of the Woods , that includes three longtime housekeepers with a particularly special connection. Connie Smith, Felicia Smith and Dorothy Clark have each worked at the community for 20 years. Over the years, they have become much more than colleagues. “We stick together,” they said. “We’re the Three Musketeers.” A place to build a career Felicia remembers driving past St. Mary of the Woods before she began working there. “This is where I’m going to retire from,” she told herself. Decades later, her prediction appears to have been a good one. The three women came to St. Mary of the Woods from very different places. Dorothy is from Avon, Felicia is originally from Alabama, and Connie came to the United States from Germany when she was 19. Connie and Felicia are sisters-in-law, while Connie and Dorothy discovered they are only 10 days apart in age. Their children are also close in age. Through years of working side by side, the three have developed a friendship grounded in mutual respect, shared experiences and a genuine love for the residents they serve. “We’re like their family,” they said. “We’re always here.” They also credit their supervisor, Dave Csalos, with creating a supportive environment for the team. “He’s so good,” they said. “We couldn’t ask for anything more.” Work that touches daily life For housekeepers, environmental services work is both practical and deeply personal. They regularly spend time in residents’ homes, where they notice the small things, share conversations and provide the reassuring consistency that helps a community feel like home. For employees such as Connie, Felicia and Dorothy, those relationships have grown over the years. Their longevity also brings something invaluable to St. Mary of the Woods: experience. They understand the community, know its rhythms and take pride in helping everything run as it should. This Environmental Services Week, Saint Therese thanks Connie, Felicia and Dorothy, along with environmental services professionals throughout the organization . Their dependable work, attention to detail and care for residents make a difference every day. ____ Shown in the photo above are (left to right): Connie Smith, Felicia Smith and Dorothy Clark.

How an ambitious idea, a year of persistence and a shared faith created something remarkable at Saint Therese of Corcoran