The good life is often a measure of family, friends, and a closer-knit community. The people you know and those you serve give life meaning.

Each Summer, the Garland Farm Estates community donate tens of thousands of dollars to local charities at the annual Crawfish Boil. What started as a neighborhood party transformed into a shared experience, to improve the lives of others in our region.

That’s the difference at Garland Farm Estates – our neighbors. From small organizations to large regional initiatives, our neighbors are involved. It’s exciting to share their stories – as they benefit others who might be just like you.

Chavlia Visconti lives in Garland Farms and volunteers for the Southern Appalachian Ronald McDonald House in Johnson City. This organization serves families with newborns and helps keep families together during critical times. The house located in Johnson City has served more than 20,000 children and extended family members since opening.

Describing her path to East Tennessee and the Appalachian Highlands, she says, “We came to Garland Farms for my husband’s career. We started in California and came to Johnson City from medical school, and we’ve been here for about three years. The end of our second year, I wanted to do something with my time.”

“We had been donating for about 20 years. “When I thought about it, the Ronald McDonald House parallels my husband’s work. I felt I was supporting his career with the same but different purpose.”

Describing her work at the home, Chavlia says, “The families we serve are going through a lot. Seeing them together means so much, and we’re thankful for everyone who gives of themselves for the children.”

Chavlia and her family are transplants, you might say, but they quickly became involved with the community.

A mother of two young daughters, she describes the difference here in Tennessee. “I think the biggest draw for us living in Tennessee are the people. California is a busy, crowded state. When you’re here, people stop you in the supermarket and ask you where you are from and how you are doing. We weren’t used to that.”

She continues to talk about her early experiences. “We started to get the know the kids in the community by hanging around the pool, and people started inviting us up to their house for a barbecue. The open-minded spirit to invite people into their homes so quickly was amazing, and our kids have become good friends.”

Talking about her friends, she says, “We rely on each other, and we take vacations together. We have family dinners on Sunday night. A lot of us are transplants, and those dinners mean a lot with our other families in other states.”

We’re proud to have Chavlia and her family a part of our neighborhood and our communities we serve. After all, that’s what a neighborhood should be.