“They’re like flowers. They flourish here. It’s like they get a second life.”
For 41 years, Sandy Rojas has watched this happen.
As concierge at Beacon Hill Senior Living Community in Lombard, she has welcomed thousands of residents as they began new chapters filled with friendships, purpose and possibility.
Her story is remarkable. But she isn’t alone.
Beacon Hill is a Life Plan Community, also known as a CCRC, offering independent living, with access to increased levels of care should health needs change.
As Beacon Hill, celebrates its 42nd anniversary, Café Chef Cherie Gutbrod and Laundry Attendant Laurie Winter are celebrating milestones of their own. Together, the three women have devoted 123 years to serving older adults, careers defined by compassion, purpose, and a genuine love for the people they serve.
Their longevity is remarkable in any profession. In senior living, where every day is built on relationships, it is extraordinary.
Front row seat to new beginnings
When Rojas first joined Beacon Hill, she worked in housekeeping. She was attending College of DuPage to improve her English while also pursuing her goal of becoming a concierge. It proved to be the perfect fit for her warm personality and passion for helping others. Four decades later, she remains one of the community’s most familiar and beloved faces.
What has kept her at Beacon Hill isn't answering phones or directing visitors. It's watching people begin entirely new chapters of life.
"People don't know how beautiful retirement life is,” Rojas said. “Our residents are so busy and so happy. Residents are sometimes shy when they first move in. Then they begin making friends, joining activities and enjoying life. They thrive. Sometimes their families call the concierge looking for them because they're so busy they aren't in their apartments.”
The residents inspire her every day, she said. “They’re always learning, reading, socializing, exercising and staying active. They’re wonderful role models for all of us.”
"If we work here, it's because we're happy to be here. We love the residents. We stay for the residents.”
Nourishing more than an appetite
As Rojas welcomes people to Beacon Hill, Cherie Gutbrod nourishes them.
Gutbrod studied culinary arts at College of DuPage and began working as a dining room server at Beacon Hill. Over the next four decades, she worked her way through roles in the dining department before becoming a chef in the café.
Today, she said the relationships she has built with the residents have been just as rewarding as creating memorable meals.
“I love the atmosphere,” Gutbrod said. “I love working with the residents and hearing about their lives. I also appreciate the way that the organization is run and how valued we feel by both management and the residents.”
Over the years, Gutbrod has learned that her recipes feed more than appetites. They help create the moments that bring a community together.
Finding joy in everyday moments
Laurie Winter followed her instincts when she accepted a position in Beacon Hill’s laundry department 40 ago. She knew it would suit her upbeat and compassionate nature.
Each day, Winter sorts, washes, folds and delivers laundry throughout the community, but said the interactions with the residents is what makes her work especially meaningful.
“They thank me for doing a good job and for having a positive attitude,” she said. “I laugh a lot. I love the residents and I love my coworkers. People tell me I’m like a breath of fresh air.”
Executive Director Elijah Heyboer believes Sandy, Cherie and Laurie represent something much greater than impressive years of service.
“They have helped shape a culture where people feel valued, and where serving others is meaningful. As a result, many additional team members have also chosen to build careers measured in many years of dedication,” he said.
Beacon Hill has more than 45 additional team members who have served the community for more than 15 years each.
“That is rare and special. Sandy, Cherie’s and Laurie’s examples have inspired generations of employees, and our residents are the beneficiaries of that commitment every single day,” Elijah said.
The culture at Beacon Hill, Elijah said, “Isn't written in a mission statement or taught during orientation. It grows through thousands of everyday moments. A warm greeting at the front desk. A favorite meal prepared with care. A laugh shared while delivering fresh laundry.”
Rojas says residents are "like flowers that flourish here."
After 123 combined years of service, it's easy to see why.
