Team Member Donates $10,000 to The Lifespace Foundation
Sales counselor Lori Suess is a major advocate of Friendship Village of South Hills and Lifespace Communities. Not only has the Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania-based community provided her with a wonderful career for four years and counting, but it was also the longtime home of her late father. Having seen firsthand the high-quality care her dad received when he was a resident, Lori wanted to give back to the community that she says has given so much to her and her family. This desire culminated in a $10,000 legacy gift to The Lifespace Foundation’s Team Member Emergency Assistance Fund, which provides financial support for team members facing unexpected crises.
“I wanted to honor my father, as well as my mother, who wasn’t a resident,” said Lori, whose gift is the largest single-donation ever made by a Lifespace team member to The Lifespace Foundation. “We grew up learning to be givers, from tithing to donating money from our allowances. It was something that was always important within my family.”
By designating her gift to the Team Member Emergency Assistance Fund, Lori was following in her father’s footsteps during his time at Friendship Village.
“When my father was a resident here, he always donated to funds that supported team members,” she explained. “They were always important to him, and that’s continued to be very important to me, because it takes a special kind of person to work here. There’s a lot of patience, dedication and love for residents among team members, which shapes the great environment at our community.”
The Lifespace Foundation Director Amy Brainard was taken aback when she learned about Lori’s gift.
“I was absolutely wowed when I heard about it,” she said. “It’s an extraordinary act of generosity that will directly impact the lives of our team members at Friendship Village of South Hills. Words can’t express how thankful we are to Lori for this remarkable charitable contribution.”
The Lifespace Foundation earmarks gifts like Lori’s to the causes they’re designated to support. Lifespace team members facing unexpected crises can confidentially apply for financial assistance from the Team Member Emergency Assistance Fund by reaching out to their respective human resources departments.
For her part, Lori was simply thankful she was in a position to commemorate her father’s memory by making a difference. “Seeing the support and how dedicated team members were to my dad was priceless.”
[In the cover photo: Lori Suess (center left) alongside some of her Friendship Village of South Hills colleagues. Executive Director Bryan Welty (far left), Sales Assistant Tina Swart (center right) and Director of Sales Bill Engel]
