Success Stories Offering sensitivity and support The burden was almost too great to bear. Mrs. M. nearly cried the first time she met with us. She needed to move out of her apartment in three days, and she didn’t yet know where she would go. Her husband, on whom she typically relied for such decisions, was in the hospital and her family was providing minimal support. We began to make plans for her move, even before we knew the destination, finding a facility for temporary storage, transporting her there to sign the papers, sorting and packing her belongings. When it was decided she would move into another apartment in the same building, for the time being, we moved and unpacked all her belongings. Three days later we were told that her family had now arranged for a permanent new home for her and she needed to move again within the week. Now her belongings in her temporary apartment needed to be packed again, the items in storage retrieved, and everything unpacked once more in her new home. Throughout, the sensitivity and support from Total Transitions helped Mrs. M. make it through a vulnerable situation.
Eliminating the need to panic “Help!”
The voice on the phone was frantic. This older couple had sold their home of 30-plus years and the new owner was taking possession in less than two weeks. The caller and his wife were moving into a senior community nearby, but somehow they had to downsize from a three-bedroom house, complete with overflowing garage and bulging closets, into a one-bedroom apartment, pack, move, unpack, and clean—all within a week and a half! Just eight days later their old residence was vacated and they were settled in their new home, dishes in the cupboard, books on the bookshelves, and dog show trophies lovingly displayed. This was only possible through the services of Total Transitions.
Keeping personal treasures A gentleman requested that several pictures and pieces of art work be packed professionally to transport to an auction house as part of his move. As Total Transitions was packing these items, we came across a simple frame that seemed out of place among the fine artwork. Looking closer we saw that it contained a letter signed by the Secretary of the Navy. When we showed the client this letter we learned that this was a presidential commendation for bravery during World War II, commemorating his actions as a pilot in the battle for Midway. This dear gentleman was overwhelmed with gratitude that, through the care shown by Total Transitions, he had not lost this important piece of personal history.
Juggling 18 balls at once “Can you move 18 people in one day?” That was the question posed by the marketing director of a senior community in the Seattle area. This community was adding a new building to its campus and needed to move all of its assisted living residents into the new building en masse. Total Transitions laid out plans for the entire move, purchased and delivered packing materials, packed all 18 residents and unpacked them again in their new surroundings. Because the packing process took nearly a week to complete, we planned the packing so that the least critical items (pictures and knick knacks) were packed first and the most critical items (bathroom toiletries) were packed towards the end. We packed bed linens at the very last minute the morning of the move. In this way, the residents could continue to live in their old rooms with the least disruption possible. In their new rooms the process was reversed so that they could quickly settle into their new surroundings.
