In the era of Karens, it can be hard to cultivate harmony in your HOA Community. We have a few tips for showing love to your neighbors in this season!
Valentine’s Day is here and love is in the air! Here at J2, we hold our core values dear to our hearts, and showing love by creating “Help, Hope, and Happiness” is among the highest of those values. We strive every day to show that love to our families, our team, and of course, our amazing community of clients who trust us to care for their sick buildings.
I’m a gal who looks for any reason to get festive, so I relish in the opportunity Valentine’s Day provides to relive the days of childhood, when we excitedly went to school with backpacks full of cards and treats to stuff into carefully crafted paper boxes… one for each classmate.
As time rolls on, turning classroom nostalgia into distant memories, it becomes easy to forget to take a moment every now and then to show those around us that we care. But even in the midst of the chaotic demands of adulthood, and the hustle and bustle of deadlines and project needs, taking those small moments to show a little bit of love can go a very long way, and have a very big impact. With that said, what are these “small moments” and what does “showing love” look like?
The short answer? Many different things to many different people. This was never more apparent to me than when I reached out to some of the beloved members of our client community to ask: How do you show love to your community? …and not a single answer disappointed me:
To show warm fuzzy stuff, I think the communities that have social functions for the members are the best. I have one that does a Board Game Night and a donuts and coffee morning social once a month. Another community had a Friday afternoon happy hour in a common area of the community, stuff that brings the neighborhood together so they can see each other as people and not the Board against the rest of the owners.
Erin Black, Property Manager
Our HOA has a ‘Care Committee’ of 3-4 people in the community who help neighbors in times of need when they’re had passings, are ill, recovering from surgery, etc. We have found that our projects and meetings function a lot easier knowing this committee is ready and willing to help with our residents who need more comfort in times of transition.
Sandy Lents, Association Resident
Authenticity! Being authentic with everyone in my community, being present in the moment, being honest about hard questions and confronting issues with integrity is how I show love. I speak my truth and work hard to help and be kind while holding boundaries and being the example.”
Marcell Gonzales, Community Manager
I love my Association and my neighbors. Essentially, I serve as the House Yenta, doing all of the orphan jobs that probably wouldn't get done otherwise. I deliver parcels that are thrown in the lobby, or even left outside. I connect them with the right person for whatever problems they have if I can't solve them myself. I feed almost all of the cats in the building so people can go on vacation. I find parking for them when no parking places exist. I meet vendors at their units when they can't be there for various services. I am so fortunate that my daughter bought a unit in this building, so now I even know what it is like to be taken care of! I also help our property manager with whatever needs to be done to save them a trip to the building. I guess I am just the mom.
Jody McPeak, Board Member
I was so energized by the variety and beauty in these answers, that I even reached out to trusted friends and colleagues in my personal life, and my dear friend Stacey offered this sentiment on how she shows love to her team at work:
I show love various ways, it may be volunteering, giving a team member a special thank you card - just because. Picking up coffee for the team or sharing treats with them. Sometimes it’s having the special conversations with them; how is their personal life and how can I help? Sending a text to just say, “hey, I’m thinking if you, Hope you have a wonderful day!” It’s all in the little details that will show your love.
Stacey Riordan, IT Team Manager and Pretty Great Friend
And how do I personally show love to my community? With an attitude of gratitude, aggressive optimism, a joyful heart, and a knack for bringing a little of that childhood nostalgia found in “classroom cards” to my community. In fact, every year I make goofy Valentines for the J2 Family at our offices. This year, I thought I would show a little extra love to you all with this helpful tip: with just a box of tea bags, a stapler, and this cute little card design, you too can make a big impact of love in your communi'tea.'
It really is the small moments of magic and joy we create for each other that make our individual communities shine with unity. Here's hoping that you and your communities have a Valentine’s Day, and all of the 365 days around it, full magic, joy, and most of all love.