Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

While most of us enjoy the hustle and bustle that comes with the season, we might find our lives accumulating stress. Sometimes we feel stress in the moment and sometimes it isn’t until the holidays have ended, and we feel the exhaustion set in. Thankfully in many senior living communities across the country, exercise and fitness professionals are including techniques in their group fitness or 1-1 programming that can be used to help with relaxation. Consider adding these in as part of your routine this season if holiday stress starts to wear you down!

1. Breathing with intention. In some of our fitness programing, I like to bring attention to breathing. It is something we do all day and night, but we rarely breathe with intention. Most people only utilize about 30% of their lung capacity with every breath. With more focused breathing we can improve that percentage. Breathing is probably the most direct way we can influence the “parasympathetic nervous system” response. This sounds familiar because many of us have heard of the “sympathetic nervous system” which is what shifts us into “fight or flight” mode, but the parasympathetic nervous system has been called the “rest and digest” system. This tells our body & our nervous system that we are safe and able to relax.

A great place I like to start is to ask participants to simply try EXHALING longer. When you INHALE, think about relaxing your stomach and when you EXHALE think about drawing in the abdomen and belly button. Try to exhale for longer than you inhale. This will feel unnatural at first but with practice will feel better and better. Try it out in the morning or at night and see how you feel. Start with 5 deep and slow breaths. The more you practice this, the more natural this will feel. Practicing this even once per day can make a big impact on your relaxation levels.

2. Mobility focus. We can’t avoid it, all of us end up with stiff/tight muscles and joints and they often feel worse in the cold winter months. In our fitness centers, we like to just encourage prioritizing movement, mobility, and stretching. And a great way to do this is attending your local fitness classes! Simply showing up and moving your body promotes blood flow and healing. Certain areas such as our ankles, knees, low backs, hands, and neck can feel stiff and painful. Movement and exercises can keep these joints healthy and lubricated.

3. Meditation. This goes hand in hand with breathing. But meditation goes a step further and allots us time to release some of the stress of day-to-day living. We often find ourselves worrying about the past and the future. Taking even a few minutes to meditate on the present moment without stressing about what has happened or what will happen. Regular meditation can improve our physical and mental health. If you aren’t sure how to meditate, there are a lot of great resources you can access online. Or even better, consider reaching out to your local fitness or senior center, they likely have a great place for you to start!

Stress management is important any time of year, but the additional demands on our time make it more apparent during the holiday months. Will you use these techniques if you are feeling stress this holiday season? We hope you will and let us know how it made you feel!

If you would like to learn more about how NIFS Fitness Management can help your community expand beyond the four walls of your fitness center, reach out! NIFS would love to assist.

How can older adults improve their wellbeing, grow closer to others, and enhance the community in which they live? Practicing vocational wellness is a great way to accomplish these important feats.

Vocational wellness is a part of our lives and wellbeing that makes the most of our individual strengths, talents, skills, and experiences. When we are vocationally well, these unique characteristics are intentionally used in contribution to our community and larger society.

Here’s what the International Council on Active Aging has to say about vocational wellness: “Work that utilizes a person’s skills while providing personal satisfaction is valuable for society as well as the individual. Participating in the paid and unpaid workforce means maintaining or improving skills, and helping others. Older adults contribute to society as experienced professionals, caregiver, mentors, teachers and volunteers. Leisure-time vocations in the arts and through hobbies maintain vocational skills.”

One great joy in life is serving others or meeting needs in a way that only we can. Neighbors, friends, and family benefit from our vocational wellness. In community, this may look like teaching, leading groups, practicing creativity, or taking the time to volunteer. When we share ourselves vocationally, the impact can be surprising.

Here are 3 tips for improving your vocational wellness:

• Learn about vocational wellness and meditate on what it could look like in your life. By reading this blog, you’re on the right track. You may also talk with your friends and neighbors about what they do for vocational wellness.
• Seek out opportunities to participate in activities, clubs, committees, or special events that interest you. If on first look nothing interests you, don’t let that stop you! Get in touch with people who can help you start something new and exciting. Your skills and experiences are valuable!
• Do what you like to do in a way that benefits yourself and others. Beyond being used for your own enjoyment, your vocational talents can be used for the greater good. If you are a creator, create something beautiful for others to see. If you are a leader, lead others to a healthier life. If you are a teacher, teach your friends something new.

These steps should get you well on your way to a higher level of vocational wellness. When vocational wellness is overlooked, everyone is being short changed. Make the most of your unique life qualities by getting started today!

NIFS active aging staff across the country provided a focus on self-care programming for the senior living residents we serve with an emphasis on a variety of avenues to practice gratitude. While 2020 may have left us feeling restricted with so many variables outside of our control, practicing gratitude as a component of a well-rounded self-care routine empowered residents to reflect on the positive aspects in their life and enhance their well-being. After all, research has proven that people who practice gratitude show more positive emotions, demonstrate more kindness, and even have stronger immune systems.

Here’s a little bit what our staff are reporting from those offerings:

NIFS Wellness Director, Candace - Newport News, Virginia

“We provided an Emotional Wellness Presentation focusing on education and self-care practices to enhance emotional well-being. Residents were very thankful for this presentation as most have felt their mental health has suffered during COVID-19. We also hosted a Gratitude Workshop where residents created Gratitude Pumpkins. They wrote all of the things they are thankful for on the pumpkin. They were also given “gratitude exercises” and thank you cards to write to those they are most thankful for!”

NIFS Wellness Coordinator, Meredith - Raleigh, North Carolina

“We hosted a speaker here that is a psychiatrist and he spoke on aging with grace (specifically during COVID-19) and so much of what he reflected on was taking time to express gratitude especially in the times when we feel we have the least to be grateful for.”

NIFS Fitness Specialist, Jennifer - Lakewood, New Jersey

“For our Health Center, family members recorded a short video wishing their loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving with well wishes. This was displayed on Touch Town on Thanksgiving Day. The excitement and wishes that the family members expressed were breathe taking. I have to say, that the programs and exercises that we provide, the residents are extremely thankful and appreciative.”

NIFS Fitness Manager, Miles - Bridgewater, New Jersey

“To deal with the toll the year has taken on resident’s mental and physical health, I ran a two-part presentation discussing the importance of stress management and mental health as we approached the COVID affected holiday season. The residents attended enjoyed the material and we were able to have great discussions after both presentations. In fact, hearing their concerns inspired me to begin a meditation class in December.”

NIFS Wellness Coordinator, Becca - Indianapolis, Indiana

“We ran a Tree of Gratitude program where we watched a tree grow full of gratitude leaves filled out be residents. The tree grew and filled in with more and more leaves as the month went on as a strong visual representation of what individuals and our community as a whole has to be thankful for.”

NIFS Wellness Director, Miles – Richmond, Virginia

“Residents were thankful for the self-care material as it was really needed here during this time period. The chaplain gave us recognition for the program, promoting each self-care week offering during her weekly bible study that is streamed.”

Self-care continues to be more important than ever as we not only ride out the challenges of the pandemic but also through the seasonal changes ahead where many have difficulty being as physically active and struggle with seasonal mood disorder. Additional offerings NIFS team members provided residents over the holiday season included deep breathing exercises, laughter yoga, Chi Tea and Tai Chi events, mindful meal planning, mindfulness practices and healthy sleep tips. Adopt a daily practice of identifying three things you are grateful for and consider these additional self-care tips from NIFS to show yourself and others a little love.

Evaluate your wellness program using our Quick Read: How to evaluate your Wellness Program, click below to download!

2020 has become a year to remember and maybe not in a good way, but instead on focusing on our limitations, lets focus on what we can do. Here is your guide to surviving quarantine:

1. Get outside and get some vitamin D! You may have heard that UV light kills the COVID-19 virus, so in a sense, going outside can be safer than visiting indoor public places. It is also more difficult for the virus to spread with increased ventilation, and what better ventilation is there than being outside? Not that you need another reason to get outside, but some doctors believe that individuals with vitamin D deficiency are more likely to contract and experience more adverse side effects from the virus. While the jury is still out on how big of an impact vitamin D deficiency makes on COVID-19, vitamin D plays a vital role in your immune system as well as supporting bone health, muscle function, your gut microbiome and more.
2. Find ways to socialize, safely. The last thing you need right now is a reminder to “social distance” but here it is anyway. Virtual gatherings are a safe and easy way to keep in touch with loved ones. “Meeting” online can also help you expand on your relationship with the ones you care about. When I’m virtually “hanging out” with friends, we often play games and I’ve been able to learn new things about my friends, like how competitive some of them are or new likes and dislikes. Virtual gatherings are also a great way for you to connect with grandkids, grandnieces or grandnephews.
3. Eat right and exercise. If you weren’t doing this before, I really hope you are considering it now. Eating nutritious meals and exercising regularly can help keep your body in tip top shape but can also aid in fighting off any colds or flus. Exercise is also a great way to release any mental stress, which let’s be honest, we are all a little tightly wound right now. Lastly, it will give you something to do! If you are like me and have been somewhat bored sitting at home, try a new online group fitness class, NIFS has plenty to go around. Aim for 150 minutes of exercise weekly.
4. Catch some ZZZ’s. If there is one thing you can put your new extra time towards, its sleep. Sleeping helps your body recover and keeps your immune system running efficiently. If you are someone who struggles with getting a full eight hours, try flipping off any screens 1 hour before bedtime, avoid meals or snacking 2 hours before bed and caffeine 6 hours before bed. Try to follow a nightly routine, maybe with some meditation or deep breathing exercises. Creating a habit for sleep teaches your body to relax and gets you ready for a restful night.

What are you doing to stay healthy during the pandemic?

September is a busy month with national health observances which are geared to bring awareness and resources to individuals or caregivers for issues ranging from childhood obesity to senior independence and just about every chronic health condition in between. For many, the health observance may be one of the only times during the year in which they have access to these additional resources.

If you think about it, older adults who reside in senior living communities have access to these types of resources every single day. As NIFS partners with senior living communities across the country in managing their fitness programs, we see firsthand the impact that the vibrant lifestyle has on enhancing the lives of seniors. The scope of resources from health services to socialization to robust physical activity programs help seniors thrive and are built into the lifestyle 365 days per year opposed to a week or month-long health campaign. It’s not just about increasing awareness, the lifestyle provides the tools and resources for older adults to effectively manage their health and maintain their independence. We witness minds put at ease from the convenient access to exceptional dining, medical care and amenities and lives lived to their fullest.

Let’s look at some examples for September’s health observances that align with the lifestyle that residents in senior living communities have at their fingertips every single day:

• Healthy Aging Month: well that’s a gimme with the month-long focus on the positive aspects of growing older and bringing inspiration to improving the physical, social, mental, and financial well-being of those 45+. These types of enrichment opportunities fill the lifestyle calendars every single month in senior living communities.
• National Yoga Awareness Month: brings awareness to the benefits of yoga and its attributes in living a healthy lifestyle. Yoga classes are a senior living staple on the group fitness calendar as the research behind the gentle poses and stretches bring flexibility, strength and balance gains to the participants as well as enhancing the mind/body connection.
• National Fall Prevention Week: We know that fall prevention is a year-round priority for seniors and NIFS Balance Redefined program brings a comprehensive service model of balance training and fall prevention programming to the communities we serve. Balance classes and rehab departments are commonplace services within senior living.

Just like any industry, some senior living communities have an edge with the scope of amenities and quality of services available to their residents. If you are exploring how a senior living community measures up in fulfilling these lifestyle goals, ask these questions:

• If you are motivated to become more physically active, does the community have a fitness center with professional staffing and a robust service model of classes, appointments, and programs? Most communities have a fitness center, but the staffing makes all the difference!
• If you are interested in gaining more socialization, how do the activities, outings, and dining experiences align with your personal passions and interests? How many new offerings are on the calendar each month to keep things fresh?
• If you are looking for intellectual enrichment, how do the programs engage participants and spark conversation?  There is a difference in the lifelong opportunities available between attending “sit and listen lectures” and events that truly foster new life experiences.

Of course we support initiatives that help connect people with additional resources for any health condition they or a loved one might be experiencing and the national health observances do a nice job with that. For more information on other observances, check out this link from the US Department of Health and Human Services. In closing, we’ll consider the lifestyle available to residents within senior living communities a yearlong health observance for the best of both worlds.

With extra time at home, are you looking for ways to enrich your day to day life? Practicing self-care allows you to use this time in social isolation to take care of yourself and help reduce stress you might have over our current situation.

Self-Care is the practice of taking deliberate action to encourage growth or maintain one’s own health. This can be your physical, mental, or emotional health, or any combination thereof! Some basic categories to use in practicing your self-care are eating, sleeping, socializing, exercising, and stimulating your mind. All of these are important to your health, but there are many ways of addressing them.

Practicing self-care by focusing on eating can look like these:

• consulting a Registered Dietician to make sure that your specific food needs are being met while you’re at home
• taking the time to make your favorite meal or trying out a new healthy smoothie recipe
• personally, I like to make sure I drink enough water every day by slicing fruit and having flavored water whenever I want

Focusing on sleep can mean:

• creating a consistent bedtime routine
• try a face mask and a calming cup of tea to relax before bed
• simply prioritize getting enough sleep each night, roughly 8 hours is a good goal

Socializing might look different now than it used to, but you can still enjoy time with others!

• Our phones and computers allow us to text, call, and even video chat with people around the world.
• Try sending cards and letters in the mail. Do you have beautiful stationery and cards that have been sitting around? Now is the time to send them to someone and spread joy!

We all know exercise is important for more than just your physical health.

• if you enjoy spending time outside, try taking a walk!
• try yoga outdoors or in your own home
• look for online exercise options like written workouts or classes that you can follow along with

Mental stimulation can look very different for everyone.

• meditation, journaling, and painting are all great options
• you can enjoy reading books or maybe try joining an online book club
• brain teasers, crossword puzzles, and online trivia competitions are great options
• include meditation or a daily Bible study in your routine

Many self-care options cover more than one of these categories. Drawing a nice bath with scented candles after exercising can help you relax before bed and wrap up a hard workout. Baking a treat and delivering it to a neighbor provides you mental stimulation and some socialization while giving your neighbor a nice surprise! Make today special by focusing on yourself and practicing self-care to preserve and promote your health in a way that works for you.

In February, you may have read about NIFS Legacy Program which was run at a number of our senior living client sites across the country. Many fitness centers were considering programs to promote cardiovascular health for Heart Health Month and this initiative had its own way of tugging at the heart strings. As I was reviewing the monthly reports that our staff were submitting highlighting their program offerings and participation in the month of February, I was touched by this quote from our Wellness Director, Candace Montgomery, at The Chesapeake in Newport News, Virginia, a LifeSpire of Virginia community. NIFS has been partnered with LifeSpire since 2016 to manage their Vibrance program across three of their communities. As you read below, you’ll understand how the resident response to this program exemplifies how LifeSpire is committed to creating joy, purpose, growth, and community in daily living for their residents and we are honored to help create these experiences.

“We took part in NIFS Legacy Project which was a huge success for our Independent Living, Assisted Living and Healthcare residents with 74 participants. It was very interesting learning about residents lives and memories that they jotted down during this project. This project was also very touching for many residents who live in Independent Living but have spouses in Healthcare. One resident in particular came to our fitness office in tears of joy about the heartwarming conversations she had with her husband in Healthcare regarding their life and their children and all of the happy memories that occurred. This is truly what the Legacy Project was all about!”  - Candace Montgomery, NIFS Wellness Director

Candace is absolutely right. That IS what it’s all about and I see and feel so much from reading her summary.

• I see a compassionate and creative wellness professional who values the stories that her residents have to share and a team-oriented approach that was needed to make this program a success.
• I see 74 residents across all continuums of care participating in a program that gives them purpose and warms their hearts (all of our hearts frankly).
• I see a couple reminiscing about the beautiful life they continue to share because they are receiving the care and support they need in a nurturing environment.
• And I see family members receiving a keepsake that will be cherished for generations to come.

All four of these bullets shine a spotlight on the impact that quality wellness programs can have on your staff, residents, and their families; all were enriched by this program.

While many know us as a fitness management company, our staff are regularly offering holistic programs of this nature to support the overall well-being of the residents we serve. In addition, we strive to bridge programs and services throughout the continuums of care to benefit all residents. Here are a few tips to help carry programs that are offered to your IL residents over to your licensed areas with a little creative planning and teamwork.

Thank you to Candace and the team at The Chesapeake for enriching lives of the residents in your community and for enriching us from afar with your story.

If you’re looking to improve the overall happiness and well-being of your residents—and even yourself—try taking your offerings outside of the fitness center and straight into nature!

Many of our NIFS fitness staff members schedule outdoor activities as a key component of their wellness programming, when and where weather permits. Some of the most popular open-air activities we have offered include walking groups, hiking trips, snowshoeing, yoga classes, mindfulness and meditation events, recreational sports, gardening, and outdoor socials. Exercise-related health benefits are already widely acknowledged, but did you know that the additional advantages of immersing oneself in nature may far surpass exercise alone?

Let the Sun Shine In!

Sunlight can help boost your Vitamin D levels, which is essential in calcium absorption to keep bones healthy and strong. Those who aren’t getting enough Vitamin D are much more likely to suffer from osteoporosis, heart disease, depression, weight gain, Alzheimer’s, and a whole catalog of cancers. In addition, getting sufficient sunlight can aid in preventing type-2 diabetes and some autoimmune disorders.

Get Active

Physical activity typically increases as we spend more time in natural environments, and the two together help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls how the body responds when at rest. Not only does this provide a relaxing, calm feeling, but it also reduces resting blood pressure, strengthens immunity, and can help decrease the risk of developing chronic disease.

Just Being Outside Is Beneficial for Mental Health and Wellness

Not in the mood for a “workout”? That’s okay, too! You can still fight mental fatigue, tension, and stress by simply being in nature. A study conducted at the University of Michigan found that spending as little as 20 minutes either sitting or walking in nature was enough to significantly reduce levels of cortisol, a hormone commonly used as a stress marker. The greatest rate of reduction in cortisol levels was observed in those who spent between 20 and 30 minutes in green spaces.

Anxiety and depression, too, have been proven to be lessened by spending time in nature’s powerful restorative environments—so powerful, in fact, that researchers at Stanford University call time spent in nature a mental health prescription.

Mental health disorders can contribute to poor sleep, and poor sleep can equally contribute to mental health disorders. Not only can time spent in nature improve overall mental health, leading to better sleep, but it can also play a fundamental role in improving sleep patterns, leading to better mental health. Sleep patterns are intrinsically regulated by circadian rhythms—this is commonly referred to as the body’s internal clock—which is directly tied to the sun’s schedule. Spending too much time in the absence of natural light, or in the presence of artificial light, can alter a person’s circadian rhythm and disrupt sleep patterns. Lucky for us, this balance is easily restored by getting back to nature and spending time outside.

Are you taking advantage of all that nature has to offer and sharing it with everyone you know?

NIFS staff love helping create Active Adventures with the communities where we help do wellness better.  Click below to see if outsourcing and having a vendor partner with you is a right fit!

I hear from a lot of leadership in senior living communities who know that there's more that could be done with their resident exercise program, but they aren't sure how to get their staff to ramp things up. If you find yourself in this situation, check out the list below for common challenges and opportunities to do better for your residents.

Our participation is lower than it should be.

There are a few reasons that participation in your fitness program might run lower than it should.  The first thing to determine is whether you have reliable data about who is participating. When we  start working with a community, we often learn that they may have total (or estimated) counts for group fitness class participation and that's the end of their program data.  

• Start by tracking participation per resident. You'll have more reliable information about who is participating, how frequently they attend, and what they participate in. You'll also gain knowledge about who isn't coming to the fitness center and/or classes.
• If your staff can deliver on individual services for residents, add fitness and balance testing along with exercise prescriptions to provide residents who aren't participating with the support they need to feel safe and inspired to begin an exercise program.

[Read More: 4 Strategies to Engage More Residents in Your Exercise Program]

Our group fitness class calendar needs a do-over.

It's common for the group fitness class calendar to get set on autopilot without critical evaluation of what needs to be updated.

• Start by using the participation data to figure out which classes really deserve a spot on your calendar.
• The balance classes our staff teach in our client communities are by far the most popular format. If you don't have dedicated balance training classes on the calendar, add them now. It's not enough to have balance training mixed in with a strength class or another blended format.
• Carefully consider class descriptions; how you word group fitness opportunities for residents can make a big difference in what resonates with a previously inactive audience.

We need to be offering more fun programs.

Creating fun and inspiring programs to invite more participation in the fitness center is one of the best parts of the job! It's really central to how our staff are supporting residents in the client fitness centers we manage. Consider that engaging programs should be more than just fun; they should be built strategically to meet a specific goal. For example, NIFS Fitness Freeze program was a solid solution to combat the traditional fitness center visit decline we see in December each year. Or, think more holistically about Active Aging Week and use National Senior Health and Fitness Day to offer non-traditional options for physical activity.

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If you're committed to keeping your fitness staff in house, then they need some support to start improving what they're offering your residents. Our eBook on how to turn your fitness center from vacant to vibrant is a great next step.

I read a blog recently on the Eden Alternative website about the power of language, in which the author quoted Alan A. Watts: “the menu is not the meal.” She was outlining her thoughts about words like “elder,” and “care partner,” and “home”—an important discussion! But the blog also got me thinking (as a good blog should) about lifestyle programming in communities. 

What If the Activities Director Was Called Something Else?

In the last five years, the senior living industry has started to make a title shift away from Activities Director and toward alternatives like Lifestyle Director, Life Enrichment Director, and Program and Events Director. Yet, this subtle shift in position naming, though necessary, is insufficient to make a true paradigm shift in how we support the elders who choose to reside in a senior living community. Changing the name is not the same as changing the notion.

I think the senior living industry as a whole is feeling a nudge (maybe it’s a push) toward doing better for our clientele. Consider the CCRC NameStorm from LeadingAge. The goal was to build a new potential name for Continuing Care Retirement Communities that would resonate with current and future buyers for this kind of product.

The idea about changing your activities department to your life enrichment department is the same: build something that resonates with your market. Still, as the Alan A. Watts quote hits home perfectly, simply changing the name is not enough. You can’t just create new name badges, update the job title on the position descriptions, order new business cards, and call it done. It’s not enough to simply change the name; we have to also (or at least) change the notion, the idea, of what activities can become in senior living. 

In fact, I would posit that you could actually keep the “activities department” if the staff are genuinely focused on building a better lifestyle for each resident. If they understand the personal passions, interests, desires, limitations, and fears of the members and provided “activities” that truly engaged those desires, the name “activities department” works just fine. 

But if your life enrichment department is still focused on filling the calendar to simply entertain residents, they are functioning the same way they were when you called them “Activities.” When they’re taking orders from a vocal minority of residents to drive largely homogeneous activities each month, they’re doing what they’ve always done, regardless of the name change.

Three Ways to Turn Activities into Life Enrichment

So how do we start to make that shift, away from the same old filling-the-calendar senior living activities to facilitating life-enriching opportunities that allow the residents to live the lives they want to live? Here are three ways to start looking beneath the surface of your calendar to cultivate meaningful experiences for your participants.

1. Get to know your customer. How well do you really know the members of your community? Sure, you know names, and there are “regulars” you know better than most. But how well do you know where they came from and what makes them tick? Can you get information from the sales staff discovery process to start building a profile on each member? What questions do you need answered about each resident that could be folded into the discovery process so that newly moved-in members don’t feel like they’re being poked and prodded to provide you with answers? How can you use the intel you get to start building experiences for each resident?
   
2. Get creative with your budget. Budgets are what they are, and changing the name of your department isn’t going to suddenly give you unlimited funds. Yet, if you’re listening to your residents, and understanding how they want to live your in community, you may find that helping them accomplish just that does not require additional FTEs or operating funds. Sometimes pairing folks with common interests can allow an organic opportunity to form without costing the community a thing. For example, suppose, through discovery, you learn that you have four residents who love to play chess and who are passionate about teaching others to play. Once you connect those four members and help them determine times to establish a “club,” or ways to connect with a local after-school program to teach the game they love, you’re on your way to fulfilling a social, intellectual, and vocational pursuit for your members. 
3. Get familiar with the numbers. If you’re in the business of filling calendars, there’s no reason to gather data. You can see from the calendar that it’s full. But if you are focused on building purposeful programming that allows participants to live more full lives, I suggest you start to get a handle on whether your efforts are making an impact. For example, many of your residents may still be working. How does your 10am group fitness class resonate for them? Does it fit their schedules? I’ve heard a lot of directors say that no one will do activities (except the theatre or related events) after 4pm, so they don’t program anything after 4pm. Do you know that because of what happened historically, or do you know that because you know your members and you know the data?

If you agree with these ideas conceptually but you aren't sure how to move forward with them in your organization, let's connect.  We offer a free 30 minute consultation, no obligation.  I'd love to talk about what you see in the future for your community and then work with you on some actionable steps to get there.