Resident Leadership Spotlight: Allen Hooker

Allen (wearing red on the left) joins other Murphy School residents in decorating the tree.

Resident Managers are often the heart and soul of our properties, helping to serve their fellow residents and doing their part to make the community feel more like home. Today, we’re shining the spotlight on Allen Hooker, the Resident Manager at Murphey School Apartments, and the holiday cheer he brings to the community. 

The annual tree decoration event at Murphey School Apartments is a long-standing tradition that residents look forward to year-round. However, this year, the 15-year old tree that they’d always used had started to see better days.

Allen turned to DHIC’s Manager of Resident Services, LaTonya Mckoy to see if it would be in the budget to get a new tree for the residents. She was able to get a beautiful new 7.5-ft tree and requested a red color scheme for the decorations. “I asked and she delivered! She brought us red ornaments, cardinals, bells, and a new red tree skirt to complete the look. Since I’m 73 now, it’s the perfect height where I don’t have to use a step ladder to put decorations up towards the top,” he explains.

Residents take turns adding ornaments and bells to the new tree.

For Allen and the rest of the residents of Murphey School Apartments (which they affectionately call “the big castle”), decorating the tree together means so much to them. It’s a way to spread holiday cheer and officially kick off the holiday season together.

Allen, who has lived at Murphey School since 2006, has a passion for serving his community in any way that he can. He volunteers at Neighbor to Neighbor and mentors students after school. In 2014, when Allen had the opportunity to become the Resident Manager at the property, it seemed like a natural fit and he hasn’t looked back since.

Allen (in red on the right) steps back to allow everyone to see the beautiful new tree skirt.

“Being able to serve others in this role feels like what I was put on this earth to do. It brings me so much joy to help my fellow residents,” he says. “My life changed for the better in 2006 when I moved into Murphey School Apartments and again when I took on the role of Resident Manager in 2014. I feel blessed to have these things in my life.”

Another holiday tradition that he helps coordinate is an annual donation from Senior Angels, which recently dropped off 96 bags of groceries and 48 stuffed animals for residents at the property. He says, “You can tell that people care about us here and that means a lot.”

After a joyous Thanksgiving spent with his family in Atlanta, Allen looks forward to spending a quiet Christmas this year at home, with his friends at the big castle on Person Street.

Check out more photos of the Murphy School Apartments tree decorating event below!