Fab 50!!!!

On Monday, October 21, 2013 I joined about 100 people at the Hilton, Charlotte for a banquet in honor of the ten Fabulous 50 honorees from our District of our state health care association. Fab 50 winners are nominated by their peers and represent the very best direct care workers in North Carolina. Lutheran Services Carolinas had 3 of the ten honorees: Sherron Barnes from Trinity Oaks in Salisbury, Paulette Powell from Trinity Ridge in Hickory, and Noel Hathcock from Trinity Place in Albemarle! They were accompanied by their proud administrators (Bill Johnson, Tonya Hilliard, and Courtney Adams, respectively), their families, and some of their coworkers. COO Kesha Smith and I joined the party. It’s not often we get to visit, eat a great meal, and celebrate such important people. Sherron, Paulette, and Noel were gracious and spoke after receiving their individual awards, as did the other seven winners. One of the things that always impresses me most, and I have been to almost every Fab 50 event since it started, is that the honorees all say almost the same thing, but in their own unique and wonderful words about their vocation. It isn’t a job, it’s a vocation, a calling! Those words are what help keep me going till next year’s event, and are the words I want to share with you. Here’s what I got to hear: the glory belongs to God!, love to care, serve, we are all family, I treat others like I want to be treated, love the hugs and kisses, above and beyond, “my” residents, I do it out of love, without the residents we wouldn’t be here tonight, and on and on! Wow! I’m sorry that my words can’t do justice to the outpouring of love and devotion I see at each annual Fab 50 event. These ten are among the best caregivers in North Carolina. And there are hundreds more back home caring for people while we are at the banquet. So go visit your local health care community this week and thank those direct care workers! Call a CNA you know and thank them for their service; they make the world go round!