BTV Cares

BTV Board Members Organize Resident Check-ins During Pandemic

Jacqui Brandli, president of the Butterfield Board of for the fastidious safety, care and protection BTV Directors, has a routine each Wednesday. She has administration and staff are providing. lunch at the BTV Bistro to make herself available to residents who may want to join her, discuss concerns “Almost all said they were appreciative for the efforts or just visit over lunch. Butterfield is making during the pandemic,” Brandli said. “The entertainment, But since the pandemic struck, education, fitness and wellness many social aspects of life as we classes being offered virtually know it are on hold – including and with safety in mind, the Brandli’s Wednesday catch-ups delivery of meals to their homes, at the Bistro. Village residents, and the technology BTV is especially those who live alone, affording to help them stay are vulnerable to a unique kind informed and connected.” of loneliness that can come with self-isolating and distancing Board member Bryn Bagwell from others. said personal contact has been key to providing reassurance to “With the Bistro closed, I Jacqui Brandli residents – and even opening lost most of my contact with new doors of communication residents, and they lost that “I was a mental health professional and support. opportunity to discuss concerns and am well aware of the effects the or just talk,” Brandli said. “I was isolation can be having. Sometimes For instance, Bagwell knew that a mental health professional the best treatment for negative Wulf and Ingrid Polonius were and am well aware of the effects feelings is to be able to vent and relatively new to the area when the isolation can be having. know that someone cares.” they moved to Butterfield. After Sometimes the best treatment – BTV Board President Jacqui Brandli the Poloniuses were featured for negative feelings is to be on the cover of the July/August able to vent and know that issue of Butterfield LIFE, someone cares.” Bagwell saw an opportunity to help. reconnect. It was a great way to facilitate long overdue

Brandli spoke to board Treasurer David Williams, who joins her on some Wednesdays at the Bistro, and he shared her concerns. So they met with Patricia Poertner, senior director of BTV Resident Services and a licensed social worker, who identified about 150 residents who could be particularly vulnerable, including those living alone and without vehicles.

With the list of names, Brandli, Williams and other board members got to work, making contact with and others in the community. The outreach, she said,

each resident either by phone or with a safely distanced in-person visit.

“We simply introduce ourselves as a BTV board member and generally ask, ‘How are you doing?’”

They heard a mixture of concern, worry and gratitude. Some residents were new to the Village when the pandemic struck and hadn’t had time to assimilate. Others had suffered the illness or even the death of a loved one. Overwhelmingly, residents were grateful “I offered to send copies of the magazine to their daughter and any other family members,” Bagwell said. “Ingrid gave me a list of names and addresses of family and friends around the world. I mailed at least 15 copies and listed my return address as ‘Big Fan of the Poloniuses, BTV Fayetteville.’” Once the copies were received, friends began contacting them to connections with friends.”

Brandli said the board is continuing to stay in touch with residents with help from BTV’s founding churches Brandli said. “And then we listen.”

has strengthened the bond between the board and Village residents.

“I really appreciate our members’ willingness to invest their time and energy in reaching out,” she said. “These are essentially ‘cold’ calls, and you never really know what reaction you are going to get. But our board has been willing to take that chance and it has made a difference.”