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Belonging Revolution: Applewood Care Center 12-16-2018

Each week Dan Benavidez and Longmont Public Safety Chief Mike Butler invite a guest to join them on their Belonging Revolution Walk.
Macie May
Macie May
Applewood Care Center 12-16-2018 (10)
Applewood Care Center 12-16-2018 (Photo provided by Dan Benavidez and Mike Butler)

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

Each week Dan Benavidez and Longmont Public Safety Chief Mike Butler invite a guest to join them on their Belonging Revolution Walk.

The Belonging Revolution is a program that began about 4 years ago when Butler and Benavidez decided they wanted to connect with the community. Since then, the two have walked in neighborhoods across Longmont letting people know that they belong, no matter who they are, where they are from or where they live. Since neither Butler nor Benavidez knock on doors, the cooler weather forces them to be fair-weather walkers. However, as the weather has turned cold, Butler and Benavidez have begun visiting assisted living communities.

The following are the accounts of Benavidez, Butler and Johnson, expressing their thoughts and opinions on their recent Belonging Revolution walk.

Dan's Perspective:

YES! For sure a wonderful experience being there with Chief Mike Butler at the Applewood care center! Oh, my how good I feel when I am there and afterword’s realizing how good a thing this was to do. And seeing how those there many so very disabled and many unable to function normally anymore really, really appreciated deeply that a high visibility major person Chief of Public Safety Mike Butler from the City of Longmont was right there with them, sharing with them, holding hands with them and wishing them Merry Christmas and Happy New year!

And how I do know and realize through my years of experience that many Politico types say that they want to be down in visiting in the neighborhoods, the care Centers, retirement centers etc., but they just “Don’t have the Time” Don’t have the time? Yet here is the Chief of Public Safety Mike Butler whose stressful job is for sure 24 hours a day 7 days a week and he is now in his 5th year weather permitting and with some exceptions visiting the neighborhoods, and when the weather basically in the winter months is not permitting, visiting the Care Centers, the retirement villages on weekends!!  YES, that’s right in his 5th year doing these great things!

Chief Butler thank you for me being able to be a member of your great “Belonging Revolution” it is for sure yes for sure the right thing to do!

Thank you

Dan Benavidez

Mike’s Perspective

Dan and I visited Applewood Living Center, a nursing home in the center of Longmont. What a visit it was. The staff was wonderfully merry and jolly (see photos). A few of the residents we visited had a sense of humor that kept Dan and I laughing hard. A couple of residents, Don and Steve, did not hold back with each other as their barter was personal and funny.

Those we met were full of gratitude waiting to be loved, wanting to be touched and starving for human connection. Dan and I wanted to visit everyone in the living facility and so we had to pace our time. And in almost every case when we left someone, you could see in their faces and eyes that they were disappointed we were ended our visit. And personally, and I speak for Dan too, it was difficult to leave each of them. Their need for human interaction was so powerful. We need more people from our community to engage with those in our senior living facilities.

I want to say here that after our last visit at The Peaks Living Center, I directed our fire service, who already have personal liaisons with each of our 21 senior living facilities, to coordinate with various other organizations like our schools, the humane society, our churches, and businesses so they can visit and engage with our senior living facilities on a regular basis. Could kids teach seniors how to use the internet? could pets from our humane society and our seniors benefit with more personal connection? could staff from various businesses fulfill their deep sense of social responsibilities by visiting our nursing homes on a regular basis? could churches provide transportation to our seniors living in our nursing homes to their house of worship or to a community event? Without a doubt!!! In addition, our fire and police staff will be making more regular visits to our senior living facilities.

Which brings me to a related topic about my industry. Perhaps the most important policy change government could make is what we public servants do with our time. Could we in government be more engaged in our community life and the care of our neighborhoods? I believe us government types spend way too much time in meetings and not enough time in our neighborhoods or in senior living facilities or mentoring disconnected kids or spending time with those whose gifts have been marginalized. Just a thought.

I want to close by pointing out how much the residents are so delighted to see Dan. His charming wit with people of all ages is truly remarkable. For those who don’t know, Dan is in high demand in our local high schools, the regional colleges, by various non-profits and now within our senior living facilities. He is a superb partner in our Belonging Revolution!

Back in a couple of weeks! Merry Christmas to all and to all a wonderful new year!