Calvary’s Core Values

It’s common for businesses and nonprofit organizations to develop a set of core values that reflect their mission statements and philosophy, and we have done the same at Calvary Women’s Services. Having established core values can help the public understand what binds us together as a community, and what keeps us on the right path.

Elaine Johnson, our Education Coordinator, recognized the potential for sharing these values with the women at Calvary, and decided last month to integrate them into a Life Skills, Education, and Arts (LEAP) class. Local writer Nancy Arbuthnot was the perfect fit to lead such a course.

Nancy’s October Core Values class gave the women at Calvary have a creative outlet to explore what the core values mean to them. “Nancy gave such gentle guidance to explore the concepts personally,” Elaine said. “Our core values reflect who we are as a joined community. It’s the values that we share, both staff and residents.”

The women enjoyed exercising their creativity, and thanks to their work, all of us at Calvary can enjoy a visual representation of the principles that guide our work and keep us together as a community. We hope they inspire you, too.

Respect  We believe all people should be treated with respect by honoring their skills, knowledge, talents, and inherent dignity. Every person has something unique to contribute.

Gratitude We believe that we should live and work with humility and an awareness of the good things we have and the good people around us. We take every opportunity to appreciate the resources we have, the people whose lives we touch, and the community we create.

Diversity  We believe in being an inclusive community that welcomes all people. Each person should feel safe and free to be himself/herself. We value every opinion and each unique background, history, and perspective.

Collaboration  We believe in working together as a team. We are a community of people who support one another, willing to both offer and ask for help.

Accountability  We believe that each person is responsible for honoring commitments. Clear expectations are established so that each person knows what they are asking for and what they are responsible for accomplishing.

Honesty  We believe in living and working with integrity and openness. Each person is responsible for clear communication and transparency in their life and work.

Compassion  We believe that each person is valuable and should be treated with compassion and kindness.

Security  We believe that each person and the organization as a whole should have the resources and support needed to reach our goals. We provide a safe environment in which to live and work.

Empowerment  We believe in offering everyone support to reach their own highest potential. We value self-sufficiency and independence and encourage each person to understand her or his individual and unique strengths, to set goals and to accomplish them. We allow one another the space for positive growth and change. We understand that we each have the power to transform our own lives.

Grit  We believe in acting with courage, confidence, and competence. We acknowledge the critical needs of our community and we believe that our work is powerful, effective, and valuable. We remain committed and we will work with passion towards our goals.