Celeste Sriringo, Development Assistant for the St. John’s Foundation, is motivated by compassion and an appreciation for what St. John’s does for the lives of its residents.

Celeste’s first encounter with St. John’s was not as a job seeker, but as a care recipient. After participating in St. John’s Home’s rehab program, she felt well-taken care of and was very impressed in general. The positive experience translated into sending in a job application several months later when she was looking for employment. She described the positive work-life balance as a particularly appealing aspect of working for St. John’s.

In her role for the St. John’s Foundation, Celeste is involved with key initiatives, some of which are as simple as raising money for residents to get a new iPad or a pair of eyeglasses. Other initiatives include a golf tournament fundraiser, as well as the annual Illumination of Love and the related tree-lighting ceremony, which will change this year due to the pandemic.

“We’re always looking at the end goal, which is, ‘what can we do for our residents?'” Celeste said.

Celeste described her appreciation for what St. John’s does, not only for its residents, but for the community. When the nearby senior living provider Wesley Gardens suffered a flood, St. John’s mobilized quickly to accommodate Wesley Gardens’ displaced residents. The St. John’s team went as far as to hang Christmas decorations in these temporary residents’ rooms to try and create more of a sense of home for the new arrivals. This prompt response to an emergency made Celeste feel more at ease at St. John’s as an employee, even when COVID-19 hit.

“If I had to put my mom somewhere,” said Celeste, “I’d put her here.”

Celeste also brought up her parents with regards to her father’s favorite expression: “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

“Take good care of your people,” said Celeste, “and they’ll take good care of the company.”

In addition to her work responsibilities, Celeste contributes to St. John’s by participating on the Employee Activities Committee. The employee longevity was among the positive qualities of working at St. John’s that Celeste cited.

“I don’t think people realize how hard it is to care for older residents,” said Celeste, describing said care providers as “heroes” in her eyes.