He glows : Kevin Naber

COMMUNITY FOCUS | HE glo ws COMMUNITY FOCUS | HE glo ws he glows

KEVIN NABER

By Julie Young | Photo by Mollie Shutt

Kevin Naber has been working in senior living communities ever since he was a teenager.

“I have always enjoyed spending time with older people,” he said. “Hearing the stories of their lives and learning from them has been a great source of joy for me.”

As the director of marketing and research for Lutheran Life Villages, Naber is working hard to change the stereotypes about the elder care industry and help usher in an era of nuanced, mindful appreciation of what aging looks like today. He assisted in the launch of The Zachary Project, an effort to establish Lutheran Life Villages as an industry leader in memory care, and in recent years, he has connected residents to Fort Wayne’s vibrant arts community to create public installations that can be enjoyed by everyone.

One of those installations came out of a partnership with volunteers from the Wunderkammer Co. to cover Lutheran Foundation Park and Gardens in yarn for a temporary installation entitled “Yarn Bomb.” Another project paired local artists with residents to transform donated pianos into visual works of art.

“It’s incredible what happens when you put a brightly colored piano in the middle of a downtown alleyway or block party,” he said, noting that it often leads to conversations about Lutheran Life Villages, art and aging. “I was also lucky enough to connect with Julia Meek on the creation of the ‘Some Things Never Grow Old’ mural on Pearl Street near Promenade Park,” he said.

Naber truly believes that every human being, no matter their age, has a compelling, worthwhile, and uniquely beautiful story to tell, and at Lutheran Life Villages, he takes the time to learn those stories and share his residents’ wisdom with the whole community. He believes that most everyone can contribute to the community in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, a lot of people forget that, so a big part of his job is reminding them of that while giving them the tools, support, and opportunity they need to make that contribution.

“I believe that learning the stories of our residents not only enriches our community with their perspective, but it also serves as a gift for the resident,” he said. “I believe the gift continues to give each time their stories are shared, and it’s my privilege to play some small part in facilitating that exchange of knowledge and experience.” a

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