Empowering Residents to Lead in Their Communities

Wesley Housing’s Resident Ambassador Program gives residents the chance to lead, support their neighbors, and strengthen their communities from within. Through an application process, six residents across communities serving families, older adults, and individuals with disabilities and/or chronic illness were selected to serve a year-long term. Ambassadors have helped launch resident councils, improve communication, identify needs like food security, improve safety, and plan programs that matter most to their neighbors.

At our older adult communities, Resident Ambassadors led the creation of resident councils, selecting representatives from each floor who met weekly. These councils focused on caring for one another, asking questions like: Who is shut in? Who needs food? Who might need other support services?

Their efforts also sparked the idea for a neighbor check-in system, to help ensure no one goes unnoticed or unsupported during an extended absence. Our Resident Services team is now exploring ways to strengthen this idea, including digital tools for check-ins.

Northern Virginia Family Services Food Bank is now coming on site to deliver personalized groceries to residents who don’t drive, and Trinity Church has offered to provide more lunches and other food items when they have leftovers from their food bank.

Senior Resident Services Coordinator Laurel Turay praised the ambassadors’ dedication:

“It was great for the residents. They really felt like part of the team, took their roles seriously, and kept up with it. This is necessary work that truly transcends our standard services.”

At our family communities, the impact was just as clear. Teen Resident Ambassador Bryan became an invaluable link between staff and neighbors. He supported events, holiday programs, and provided Spanish translation to help residents communicate with staff.

Because Bryan has lived in the community for over a decade, he is a trusted neighbor. That trust made residents feel comfortable sharing their needs, such as the desire for more financial literacy workshops, job skills training, and English classes.

“Having Bryan involved increased communication so much,” Resident Services Coordinator Vivian Dinh shared. “Residents trusted him, so they opened up about what they really needed.”

Bryan is also giving back this summer as a camp counselor, further demonstrating a spirit of service in his community.

At another community, the Resident Ambassador helped spread the word about new programs, delivered flyers, and raised security concerns that led to new keypad installations to help residents feel safer.

Through all these efforts, the Resident Ambassador Program is proving that when residents have a voice and feel empowered to lead, it benefits everyone. We’re proud to see our communities become even more connected and supportive.