Have you heard the wonderful news? Episcopal Retirement Services (formerly Episcopal Retirement Homes) was Sunday named one of Cincinnati’s “Top Workplaces” by the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati.com as voted by staff.

This marks the seventh time ERS has received a “Top Workplaces” nod, so we felt particularly awesome when we read the news.Our staff members, volunteers and board members stand honored along with only eight other companies in our region to receive this honor for the seventh consecutive year. We’re excited to receive this honor, just as we’re honored to serve seniors in Greater Cincinnati, Kentucky and Indiana.

We are all gratified to know that our continuing efforts to provide a rewarding, enjoyable workplace don’t go unnoticed.

We’re servants to our mission.

We love our staffers. They have an important mission. And we do everything we can to support them, so they can support older people who need help.

As our CEO and President, Doug Spitler, has repeatedly said, “There’s something special going on here.”

For 65 years now, Episcopal Retirement Services has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of area seniors through innovative, quality senior living communities and community services to older adults.

And, as the senior population in this region rapidly grows, so too are we growing. With that growth comes new job opportunities, more people to train, more staffers to support and more client seniors to minister to.

We don’t do it because it’s easy — we do it because it’s our calling.

What our employees said in the Top Workplaces survey.

Why did our staffers nominate us for a Top Workplaces honor again this year? In their own words:

“Episcopal Retirement Homes cares about me as a person.”

Yes, we do. We absolutely cannot meet our obligation to our senior residents, Deupree Meals On Wheels recipients, Parish Health Ministry clients or to the community as a whole without the strong commitment our employees show in their daily work.

They care about the people and areas we serve. And we cannot thank them enough for their invaluable service.

“I feel empowered to do what I need to and feel supported by my manager.”

Ideally, everyone would work in a job environment in which they feel empowered, supported and appreciated. That should be par for the course.

Unfortunately, for some American workers, it’s not. We’ll always strive to be that employer that other organizations look to as an example of how to treat people well.

“I meet and work with a lot of interesting individuals.”

That goes without saying. Our senior residents come from a wide variety of backgrounds and circumstances. They all bring with them long lifetimes full of amazing experiences — in their careers, in their personal lives, in their thoughts and dreams.

And when our senior residents share those thoughts and experiences with us, we’re all made just a little bit better and a lot happier.

Lastly, the crux of the discussion:

“The culture is amazing. People help each other and truly care for one another. Our mission is straightforward and honorable.”

It’s rare for companies to reach such a high level of mission engagement among their staff members. To get that sort of buy-in, a company has to deliver on its internal promises.

And although we’re far from perfect (who is?), we try hard. Very, very hard.

“Honorable” is the perfect description of Episcopal Retirement Services’ mission. There’s deep honor in ministering to the needs of the vulnerable, the underprivileged, the sick and the hungry.

A mission we were called to fulfill.

We started with a purpose: to do good for Cincinnati’s seniors, for their families and caregivers, and for the community.

Our mission is to serve. Serving people yields our real reward: seeing seniors living well into the future.

“One of the things we have especially appreciated here at Deupree House is the quality of the staff, from the cooks, the social workers, to the maintenance men,” said resident Louise Mandell, a resident since 2007. “They all are very personable and very genuinely interested in each resident.”

Thank you, Cincinnati Enquirer, for another “Top Workplaces” award. But now you’ll kindly excuse us. We have more work to do.