Donnell has worked at Forest Hills for two years. “I just love the residents,” he says. “You get attached to them. It’s like 80% of your time is here and it’s like family.” He has worked in maintenance for several years and enjoys working with his hands. In his spare time, he works on cars and does home improvement projects. He is 59 years old and thinks it is wonderful.
Courty is 68 years old and has lived at Forest Hills for five years. Fellow residents and staff describe her as social, a fashion icon and someone you can count on to attend community activities. For most of her life she has lived in DC except for 11 years when she resided in New York City. She studied art history at Smith and became a picture curator for Life Magazine. She picked the pictures for their 50th anniversary issue!
“There were six people above me, but I got to pick the first picture for the issue. About 70% of my pictures were used. It was pretty amazing. In the other years, I picked a lot of the pictures they used.”
A Supportive Family
Robert is 45 years old and has worked at Forest Hills for six years in the maintenance department along with Donnell. The relationships he has made with residents is what he likes about the work. “It’s like coming to their house and I’ve been coming to their house for six years so now, it’s like we are family,” he says.
To read all the resident and staff stories captured as part of our AARP funded public art initiative, “See Me, Hear Me: The Art of Living,” funded by AARP and in partnership with Marvin Bowser Photography, Art Against Ageism and Tenleytown Main Street, visit our digital exhibit here.
Donnell and Courty
Courty
Robert
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