What started as a single conversation about the challenges of downsizing has become one of the most anticipated gatherings of the fall for Northern Virginia’s senior living community. On September 29, JK Moving welcomed 75 attendees back to its Sterling headquarters for the 4th Annual Real-Life Stories About Moving & Downsizing for Seniors event, hosted in partnership with the Positive Aging Sourcebook, Northern Virginia Senior Resource Network (NVSRN), and Loudoun Senior Interest Network (LSIN).
“I was impressed with the wide range of professionals who attended the downsizing event at JK Moving as well as with the panelists,” said attendee Laurie Kirby. “Watching the packing demonstrations was icing on the cake! A very worthwhile event!”
A tradition built on real stories
Now in its fourth year, the event has kept its core format for a reason: It works. The panel discussion centers on people who have actually navigated a senior transition, sharing what really happened and what they wish they’d known going in. JK President David Cox opened the event by sharing the company’s own story: Founder Chuck Kuhn started the business in 1982 at just 16 years old, working out of his parents’ basement, and JK has since grown into the largest independent moving company in North America.
This year’s panel, moderated by Steve Gurney of the Positive Aging Community, featured two guests who arrived at senior living by very different roads. Jim Oakes began his own transition while caring for his wife through her journey with dementia. Once she moved into memory care, he chose a smaller independent living community for himself, comparing the decision to picking a cruise ship – some people want the biggest one afloat, but most people are happier on something closer to a small sailboat.
James Vandeputte took a different path. After visiting open houses and getting to know residents over several years, he moved to a senior living community in his 60s, years earlier than most people consider it. Both agreed on one thing above all: Planning ahead, rather than waiting for a crisis, made the eventual move far easier.
Packing like a pro
The second half of the event turned hands-on with a live packing demonstration led by Johnny Harris, a 38-year professional mover and one of JK’s very first employees. He now passes his extensive knowledge onto new JK crew members – the training house attendees toured before and after the program is named in his honor. With audience volunteers helping, Johnny walked through the techniques JK’s crews use every day, including padding furniture with moving blankets, packing china standing on edge rather than flat (sturdier, he explained, the same way people are stronger standing than lying down), and filling the empty space inside a box rather than paying to ship air. It’s the kind of practical, specific knowledge that’s hard to find anywhere else, and exactly why the demonstration has become one of the event’s most popular parts.
Looking ahead
Four years in, what began as an experiment has become a standing tradition. JK is already looking forward to next year’s event, and to continuing this partnership with the Positive Aging Sourcebook, NVSRN, and LSIN in support of Northern Virginia’s senior community.
For more on this year’s event, including more from Jim and James, read NVSRN’s full recap. And for more information on senior living resources, visit the Positive Aging Sourcebook.