Sunrise at Tustin Executive Director Honored for her Serving Heart

TUSTIN, Calif. - Jan. 26, 2016 - PRLog -- While still a teenager, Arlene Crawford witnessed firsthand the act of serving others, noting the excellent care her mother received following an accident. She made up her mind right then and there that caring for others is just what she wanted to do when she entered the workforce. Indeed, caring for others has been the perfect career for Crawford, leading to her recognition as Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Award winner for January/February.

Crawford today is the Executive Director of Sunrise at Tustin, an assisted living facility where many of the seniors suffer from dementia in varying degrees. She began work at Sunrise in 2005 as a care manager and her dedication and passion led her to rise to her current leadership position.

Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary, with locations in Santa Ana (http://www.dignitymemorial.com/fairhaven-memorial-park-mortuary) and Mission Viejo (http://www.dignitymemorial.com/fairhaven-memorial-park-mortuary), created the Oliver Halsell Care Awards recognition program in 2012 to pay tribute to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional care in their profession and community, improving the lives and spirits of those they help.

“Arlene’s commitment to providing home-like care to seniors in our community embodies what the Care Award program is all about,” said Marla Noel, president of Fairhaven. “Her genuine desire to help a vulnerable population is inspiring and makes her a valuable addition to our list of award recipients.”

Crawford’s story is one of passion breeding success. While many people witness dedicated care-giving, few recognize it as a calling, yet Crawford immediately knew. In her work at Sunrise, no request is too challenging for her and her staff. The seniors living at Sunrise seek comforting, home-like, experiences and Crawford and her team ensure this is possible by welcoming them, their families – and even their pets – with open hearts and minds.

"The clients and families we serve place tremendous trust in us to provide comfort and compassion, and it’s a responsibility we treat with great care,” said Crawford. “To be recognized in this way by Fairhaven is touching and I’m delighted my staff and I are able to ease the lives of those we’ve come to think of as extended family.”

Crawford will be honored at Fairhaven's Oliver Halsell Care Awards banquet in November at Fairhaven's Mission Viejo location. The banquet honors a year's worth of achievements within the local community. Additionally, Fairhaven will make a donation on her behalf to her selected charity, Alzheimer’s Orange County (http://www.alzoc.org/).

Fairhaven is accepting nominations for the 2016 Oliver Halsell Care Awards. For more information and to nominate a deserving candidate, call 714-633-1442 or email CareAwards@FairhavenMemorial.com[AC1] .

About Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Award

Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Award pays tribute to Orange County individuals whose kindness and dedication to serving others is inspirational. These courageous individuals go above and beyond their job descriptions to serve with the utmost care and compassion. Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Award winners come from many fields including private care, hospice, social work, counseling, assisted living, medical providers, nursing, therapy, volunteer work and more.

About Fairhaven

Founded in 1911 by Oliver Halsell to provide a peaceful and comforting place for families to honor their loved ones, Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary is Orange County’s most beautiful full-service mortuary, crematory and cemetery. With the memorial park and mortuary in Central Orange County (http://www.dignitymemorial.com/fairhaven-memorial-park-mortuary) and an elegantly appointed mortuary in South Orange County (http://www.dignitymemorial.com/fairhaven-memorial-park-mortuary), Fairhaven provides funeral, cremation and burial services both at the time of need and through advanced planning, maintaining its steadfast commitment to care and compassion. Fairhaven is dedicated to celebrating the individual, providing services that are as unique and wide-ranging as the people they celebrate. Additional information is available at http://www.dignitymemorial.com/fairhaven-memorial-park-mortuary. Connect with Fairhaven at www.facebook.com/fairhavenmemorial or www.twitter.com/fairhavenoc.