News - March 5, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Zoë McMahon | 703.405.1895 | Zoe.McMahon@finnpartners.com 

Award-Winning Documentary Featuring Goodwin Living Team Member’s Path to Citizenship Screened at D.C. International Film Forum

Washington, D.C. – Goodwin Living™, a faith-based, not-for-profit, senior living and health care services organization in the National Capital Region, was recently featured in the short documentary film, The Test, which was showcased at the D.C. International Film Forum (DCIFF) on Sunday, February 25. Produced and directed by American University School of Communication (AU SOC) Professors Claudia Myers and Laura Hinson, the documentary captures Goodwin Living team member Eric Frimpong’s journey to obtain his U.S. Citizenship and reunite with his wife and children in Ghana after eight years of separation. The film also captures the relationship between Frimpong and Goodwin House Alexandria residents Jill and Carl Miller, who tutored him in preparation for the citizenship exam.

“The Test was inspired by a Washington Post article in 2021 highlighting a citizenship program created by residents of a senior living community, Goodwin House Alexandria, in Northern Virginia to support the staff members, many of whom are immigrants, by providing volunteer tutoring ahead of the U.S. citizenship exam,” said Laura Waters Hinson, co-director. “We were particularly moved by the story’s unique perspective on the topic of immigration and the elderly. Our hope is that The Test can provide a powerful counter-narrative to the prevailing cynicism about immigration and what it means to age well in America.”

The documentary explores the intense sacrifices immigrant workers often make in the United States and the nuanced journey of making significant life changes in hopes of bettering the future for themselves and their families. As the country continues to address healthcare staffing shortages, an aging population and continuing conversations about immigration policy, The Test is an inspiring look at how a senior living and healthcare organization lifts up solutions to these challenges.

“I am so grateful for the opportunity for this story to have been shared at the D.C. International Film Forum as it gives hope to other immigrants,” said Eric Frimpong, Goodwin Living Maintenance Technician and Groundskeeper. “When my friends see that Goodwin Living has supported me and that the Millers helped me prepare for the citizenship exam, they are impressed, and it gives them courage to pursue citizenship.”

Goodwin House Alexandria residents Jill and Carl Miller tutored and prepared Mr. Frimpong for his citizenship exam. “We were very happy to help Eric study for the citizenship exam. He had not seen his family for over seven years and by passing the exam, he was able to become a citizen and bring them here to Alexandria,” said Jill and Carl Miller. “He became part of our family, and we were a part of his. We are indeed fortunate to have people like them who want to build a future here in the U.S.A.”

The Goodwin Living Citizenship Program was created in 2018, when a resident of another Goodwin Living retirement community, Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads, recognized that the price of citizenship application fees was increasingly out of reach for team members. She encouraged the Goodwin Living Foundation to consider funding the fees, with residents providing tutoring to prepare for the test required for all applicants. Residents at all three Goodwin Living campuses – Goodwin House Bailey's Crossroads, Goodwin House Alexandria, and The View Alexandria – continue to offer tutoring services to help prepare team members for their citizenship exams.

To date, the program has supported more than 140 Goodwin Living team members and 20 of their family members on the path to U.S. citizenship. In 2021, Goodwin Living developed and launched an official playbook, A Guide to Establishing a U.S. Citizenship Program for Employees, to show other organizations how to create their own citizenship programs.

For more information on the documentary, please visit this link from American University.

For more information about Goodwin Living and the Goodwin Living Citizenship Program please visit GoodwinLiving.org.

_______________________________________ 

About Goodwin Living™ (goodwinliving.org):  Goodwin Living™ touches the lives of thousands of people every day through its range of senior living communities, specialized healthcare services, community partnerships and philanthropic endeavors. With a mission to support, honor and uplift the lives of others (specifically older adults and those who care for them), Goodwin Living leads the way in expanding the places and ways we can all thrive and find purpose as we age. Older adults will discover options that meet them where they want to be, and those options are managed and provided by team members who represent more than 65 countries. Goodwin Living has been a Washington Post Top Workplace for five consecutive years and was named the #1 Top Workplace for 2023. Get more information at GoodwinLiving.org or by following Goodwin Living on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.