Spreading Kindness

Mar 24, 2022 by Dominium

Dominium launched our new Spread Kindness Program at last month’s Property Management Leadership Conference. Beginning this year, employees working at our communities across the country are each provided a $100 prepaid gift card to spread kindness when and where they see a need.

That’s because our on-site employees become part of the communities where they work. They build relationships with our residents. Celebrate successes. And lend a hand when they can.

The $100 Kindness Cards are Dominium’s way of making sure these positive acts continue – and hopefully accelerate..

Program Origins

True to its name, the program was inspired by an act of kindness. In 2021, Roving Community Manager Paula Irons noticed a young resident running around one of our properties without a proper pair of shoes. So, she purchased a new pair with her own money and gifted them to the young resident, much to his delight.

“Everything that we do hits home,” said Irons. “It’s not just this little boy. It’s every child that I meet… I try to encourage. A lot of them just need a little love. If you show love, you get love back. That’s all it is. It’s about love.”

News of Paula’s good deed rippled throughout the company – right to the very top. Soon after, Senior Managing Partner Paul Sween and Chief Property Management Officer Jack Sipes unveiled the Spread Kindness Program to honor Paula and encourage more gestures like hers.

Stories from the Sites

Already, the program has proven successful. A steady stream of kindness stories has flooded company inboxes.

• A multi-site manager in Minnesota gifted a new winter jacket to a young resident, after she saw him shivering in the cold every morning while waiting for the school bus.
• One community manager purchased a self-care basket for one of her residents, a single mother of four. “She gives and gives and gives,” our community manager said, “and rarely stops to think about herself. Now, she can take a moment to relax.”
• In Georgia, one of our young residents was sent home from a dance class she had attended for two years, because her mother was behind on the bill. Our community manager used her Kindness Card to re-enroll the daughter and allow her to continue dancing.
• An elderly resident in Tennessee lost her husband to cancer. He was veteran who had bonded with our maintenance team by sharing military stories. The community manager purchased a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a ceramic heart and angel wing adornment for the lovely widow, who responded to the gesture with hugs, smiles and tears.

These are just a fraction of the stories borne from the incredible thoughtfulness of our employees. We have more – and we will continue to share them in the hopes that kindness breeds kindness. If you’re interested in keeping up with the program, follow us on LinkedIn.