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Ron Yan moved into his office on 2Life’s Brighton Campus two years ago. He approaches his Resident Services Coordinator role as part advocate, part “therapist,” working with more than 100 residents.

“It feels good when I can relieve a burden for them,” Ron says. “I share their happiness because we solved an issue together. And when you’re doing something rewarding, the time just goes by faster.”

Most of the residents he supports speak his native Mandarin. He helps with everything from working their TV remote to waiting on hold for sometimes hours and then translating complex information to ensure their healthcare or housing benefits remain in place.

“I want them to feel heard. Sometimes that’s by collaborating with other departments to give them the best experience possible because 2Life has so many wonderful programs and opportunities,” Ron says. “And I always want my office to be a safe place for them, where they trust that they can share whatever they want.”

Residents adore Ron for his gentle nature, genuine interest, and can-do attitude. Some even show their gratitude by cooking for him, providing him every once in a while with delicious hand-made dumplings that remind him of where he is from in China.

“They treat me like family. It means a lot to me,” he says. “They make me feel like we value each other — it’s not just one way.”

For more than a decade, Jackie Fortier has been the first person 2Life employees go to when they have celebratory milestones or difficult life events.

“I love getting to share in the excitement when staff are getting married or having babies,” says the People Operations Manager. “And I’m also glad I can help put their minds at ease when something not so great happens, to tell them not to worry and that we’ll take care of things.”

Jackie has earned the trust of her colleagues by having an open door policy, being a compassionate listener, and never rushing conversations.

“I might block a certain amount of time for a meeting, but I let the conversation tell us how long we need to meet,” she says.

Staff often share stories beyond the original purpose of the meeting, and Jackie enjoys getting to know and supporting the 2Life team as well as greeting residents in the halls.

“It’s nice to see the impact of our work,” she says. “What we’re working for is right here — not a way off thing.”

Although she loves her HR role at 2Life and working for a cause she believes in, Jackie’s favorite title is number-one auntie. She bought her first house a mile down the road from her sister and credits 2Life’s commitment to work-life balance for having the time to be an integral part of her nieces’ and nephew’s lives.

When Anna Verbuk earned a Ph.D. in Linguistics, she never imagined her career path would include teaching seniors how to use technology. However, her love of technology, languages, learning, and helping others led Anna to 2Life.

“More than 50% of our residents are not native English speakers,” she says. “So it is extremely important for them to be able to use technology to communicate, to feel empowered, and to combat loneliness.”

When Anna joined 2Life as a technology instructor eight years ago, the program was limited to how to use the desktop workstations and printers within the computer centers.

Today, she and the Resident Technology Support Program team teach more than 25 different classes, including a new series on artificial intelligence (AI) tools, in three languages across 2Life’s campuses. Anna herself teaches in both English and Russian.

Partnering with the IT team, Anna leads the programming aspect of 2Life’s device lending library, giving residents access to Chromebooks and sound amplifiers and the training to use them. Her team also offers residents one-on-one assistance with their personal devices.

Anna is always testing tools, adding classes, and adapting curricula based on changing technologies and feedback from residents and staff. As she has expanded the program’s offerings, more and more seniors — about 900 or half of 2Life residents — have taken part.

“I’m proud of that, but the opportunities to interact with seniors are the most rewarding,” she says. “Residents have a sense of satisfaction when they learn a new skill and are often emotional realizing how it can improve their life.”