Long-Time Associate Jason Smith Reflects on Lenbrook’s Championship Teamwork in the Kitchen and on the Basketball Court
On most days at Lenbrook, Jason Smith can be found making sure all the food and equipment the culinary team needs is right where it should be. “If the kitchen needs it, I make sure we have it,” the purchasing coordinator said.
It’s a role Jason practically grew up doing. His career with Lenbrook began the summer before his senior year of high school, when he got a job washing dishes. Once school started back, Jason enrolled in his school’s work-study program, splitting his days between the classroom and the dish room. “I would go to school until 12:20 p.m., then come to Lenbrook and wash dishes from 2 to 8 p.m.,” he recalled. “In addition to earning school credit, I was learning a lot about responsibility and teamwork.”
When the time came for his teacher evaluation, Jason invited her to see Lenbrook for herself. “She was so impressed with the facility,” he said. “I ended up getting an ‘A’ for the class.”
After graduating in 1996, Jason stepped into a full-time role stocking the kitchen and learning the ropes of purchasing. Other than a year living in Florida, he has been at Lenbrook ever since. His job managing a large kitchen budget requires attention to detail and knowledge of operations – both of which he has developed over decades at Lenbrook.
He also gained a deep sense of family and camaraderie, which is not surprising given Lenbrook’s commitment to a culture of caring for both associates and residents. Jason recalls a very special time in 2008 – 2009 when this team spirit was on full display. During afternoon breaks, he and several other associates would head to nearby Lynwood Park for pick-up basketball games. One day, as the group returned from playing, they caught the attention of Barry Flink, Lenbrook’s HR leader at the time.
“Barry saw us coming back from one of our games and said, ‘Why don’t you guys join a league?’” Jason remembered. “He really encouraged us to go for it.”
Jason began recruiting other associates alongside his brother, Anthony Smith, Maintenance Technician. They formed the Lenbrook Jazz team and started competing in a league at the Brookhaven Boys Club every Sunday. From the beginning, Barry helped the team reach their full potential.
“Barry arranged for us to get real jerseys and athletic bags,” Jason said. “Other teams showed up in T-shirts with numbers on them. We had white jerseys and green jerseys. We looked professional.”
They played that way, too. In just their second season, the Lenbrook Jazz clinched the league championship. “The whole team had swagger,” Jason said with a laugh.
The roster included associates from across Lenbrook. “It was an amazing group of players and friends,” Jason reflected. “Winning the championship together made it even more special, and Barry took us all out for dinner to celebrate.”
The Lenbrook support system really set the basketball team’s experience apart. “We had the most fans there. Lenbrook Associates and their families would come out every Sunday. They were loud, always cheering and encouraging us,” Jason said.
He still remembers one particular moment. “I hit two 3-pointers in a row, and somebody yelled, ‘Jason is on fire!’ I’ll never forget that. The energy was amazing.”
Barry visited Lenbrook in 2025 and reunited with Jason and Anthony. “We talked about the old days and that championship team,” Jason said.
For Jason, the Lenbrook Jazz was about much more than basketball. “Barry saw a way for us to take something we loved and build a team that could have fun doing it together, and our associate family rallied behind us every step of the way to a championship. That’s what Lenbrook has always been about.”
It’s a legacy that speaks to the community cultivated at Lenbrook, where connection, well-being, and a sense of fulfillment are part of the experience every day, on and off the court.