Every summer, the Tel Hai campus is blessed with bright, shining, youthful faces eager to help during their summer break. The summer of 2015 was no different; this summer we were lucky to have 45 Summer Youth Volunteers help in a variety of activities over an 8 week period.

Students from 7 school districts, ranging in grades 6 through 10 can be seen in bright orange t-shirts all over campus, Monday through Friday, 8am-4pm doing a wide variety of tasks. Whether it’s digging in the dirt with our Grounds department, reading a book with the children in the Child Day care center or rolling silverware in any of the 4 dining locations, we thank these 45 youth volunteers for providing vital assistance to our staff and we feature our Summer Youth in our Volunteer Spotlight!

When our volunteers are not lending a hand for us they enjoy ALL kinds of summer fun activities. From riding dirt bikes to running, and other sports, to video games, crochet and even a navy sea cadet, our youth volunteers are busy 12 months a year!

We are very lucky that 21 volunteers returned to us from last summer, and even a few have been here for 3 summers! We have 24 brand new volunteers with us this summer and we’re hoping to grow even more next summer!

These 45 amazing youth volunteers will contribute almost 2,500 hours over the summer and for that, and their bright, smiling, cheery faces, we say THANK YOU and highlight our Summer Youth volunteers in our Volunteer Spotlight!

 

 

“My summer as a youth volunteer is awesome.”

Gavin Keegan, Summer Youth Voluneer

At first I didn’t know much about the program, then soon realized it was a great time. I think this volunteer opportunity is great for young teens to experience the life of a real worker.

My favorite places to work are in food services, child day care and maintenance. I enjoy working in the Garden Café because I like to help roll silverware with Millie. I also enjoy the other jobs offered in the Café.

In the child day care, I love helping the little kids. I like to help read to them or simply coloring with them.

I like to work in the maintenance department because I like to do outside work such as pulling weeds, or helping form a creek.

Next, I also love meeting and talking to the residents because they are so nice to talk to.

I also like how we get to pick our shifts to work, that way I don’t have to work the whole summer and I get some days off.

My perspective of volunteering is that I am helping the community and making it a better place because at the end of the day, I know I have made a difference and helped someone out.

Gavin Keegan, Summer Youth Volunteer Age: 13, Twin Valley School District

What’s a person to do when they retire but have always been a ‘people person’ and just cannot— and will not— be found sitting in their home to pass the time? Well… they want to volunteer their time to help others!

Who Are the Marketing Volunteers?

We thank our Marketing Volunteers: Dave and Ann Paton, Marian Friese, Joanne Belson, Dan and Mimsie Brookes, Mary Schafer, Lois Fogg, Edee Carr, Joe Stauffer, Ruthann Fleet, Josie Haines, Roger and Nancy Beebe, Janice Fagerland, Eva Hyde, Harold and Fran Atkins, and Herb and Miiko Horikawa and highlight them in our Volunteer Spotlight.

Whether the Marketing Volunteers have been residents for 12 years, 5 years, 1 year or are moving in this summer, they all have a similar interest in meeting new people and telling every visitor who comes to our campus just how wonderful life at Tel Hai really is!

And for some it’s just as simple as stopping them and saying, ‘hello’! One volunteer mentions that he stops every person he does not recognize and introduces himself. He adds, “I want to get to know as many people as possible and make a positive impact on those I meet.” All of these volunteers say it’s pretty natural to talk highly of Tel Hai and all the great things it has to offer. And boy would they know!

Why Do They Volunteer?

When asked why volunteer, they told us that volunteering:

… is something they’ve always done – and never saw
as an imposition

… keeps them involved and busy – just as they prefer

… is an outlet – an opportunity to meet and talk to people

One volunteer mentioned he wanted to make volunteering an extension of the skills he used for many years while working. He also noted that he saw volunteering as the next chapter in life and finds it very rewarding. Many of the other Marketing Volunteers would definitely agree with him.

What Skills Do They Bring to Marketing?

Volunteers bring a lifetime of experiences, skills, and knowledge to the Marketing Department. Drawing from a broad spectrum careers such as teacher, CPA, OT therapy assistant, musician, kitchen designer, painting contractor, payroll associate, nurse, banking executive, secretary, retail associate, sales manager, purchasing associate, store supervisor, technical writer, quality program manager, librarian, counseling center director, and, last but not least, mother and father, these volunteers find their comfort level and easily fit in to the task of marketing Tel Hai – the one department that can take credit (at least a small part) for bringing all of these volunteers to Tel Hai in the first place: The Marketing Department!

Where Do They Volunteer?

Among the 20 Marketing Volunteers we interviewed, we found volunteers serving in more than 30 areas on and off campus. Now that’s some actively involved people! Among the areas our Marketing Volunteers lend their time includes: the Garrett Community Center Desk, Resident Council, coffee houses, birthday parties, Lakeview and Garrett Community Center Libraries, child day care, Disaster Awareness Team, Tel Hai Camp, music groups, income tax preparation, friendly visiting, Tel Hai Board of Directors, Resale Shop, Honey Brook Library Board, quilting, pool monitor, sew creative, etc.!

And did I forget to mention committees? Many, if not all, Marketing Volunteers are active members of Tel Hai committees that help plan golf events, neighborhood parties, concerts, lectures, trips, teas, luncheons, and MORE!

In fact, these 20 individuals logged more than 5,000 hours in 2014 along with many, many more countless hours that never get logged. That’s a lot of hard work to help visitors and future residents feel right at home on our campus. We were lucky enough they took 30 minutes out of their busy schedules to sit down with us to discuss their volunteering!

What Do They Do?

So what do these Volunteers actually do to help the Marketing team? Well that’s quite a long list as well. Many of the volunteers show their cottage or apartment, greet people in the Welcome Center, luncheons, merchants fair, day in the country, holly trail, calling perspective residents, mailing preparations, peer-to-peer, help at Marketing’s desk on Fridays, new resident “buddy” and yes, more!

These volunteers are dedicated; even when a prospective resident makes a negative comment about the paint selection, this talented group of volunteers turns it around to include a positive note about Tel Hai by saying, “That’s the great thing about Tel Hai. When you move in you get to choose what color you’d like best!”

A “challenge” when volunteering in Marketing comes when a new resident remembers their names and faces, but the volunteer doesn’t remember who they are. One volunteer says that he tries to remember everyone’s name, but after countless tours and prospective residents, names and faces are not as easy to come by. Another volunteer mentions how new residents will come up to them and ask not how they are doing, rather how their dog is doing after meeting her on a tour of their cottage!

No volunteer job is perfect, but all the volunteers agree it’s a great feeling when someone tours their home and a few months later they see their picture on Tel Hai’s closed-circuit television Channel 965 and can say, “Hey! I know them!”

What Do They Prefer?

Each Marketing Volunteer has a favorite part of volunteering and why they continue to be so active in our Tel Hai community. Some say it’s helping others and bringing joy into their lives. Another volunteer feels that by doing the littlest thing, it can make the biggest difference in someone’s life, which in turn is so rewarding. The same volunteer also points out it may seem almost self-centered to do something for someone else because it brings joy to oneself, but that is the essence behind volunteering.

Another volunteer likes to pass along the great, warm feeling she received when touring Tel Hai all those years ago. The group’s general consensus for why they continue to volunteer? You guessed it; because they get to meet new people, socialize and help put a smile on someone else’s face.

Marketing Staff Tells It Like It Is!

Marketing wants to be crystal clear. They don’t want us to think their volunteers impact is only limited to incoming residents. The talented team of Marketing staff members, Cathy Yoder, Tracy Weaver, Jolene Weaver, Tina Cressman, Ginny Crasten and Megan Ranck, RAVE about their dedicated team of volunteers and believe their volunteer assistance in invaluable.

Staff notes how graciously the volunteers fill in whenever they are asked – regardless of the task. In fact, Marketing tells us visitors find the volunteers so helpful and likable, they often ask to speak with the volunteer because they had mistaken the volunteer as staff!

The staff adds that volunteers ALWAYS greet everyone with enthusiasm about life at Tel Hai. They tell us, “Our volunteers are knowledgeable, capable, and they truly are ambassadors for our community.” Ever so appreciative, staff tells us, “Our volunteers open their homes, and we doubt we could do our jobs so well without our dedicated group of volunteers!”

One thing is certain; the Marketing department and our Tel Hai community would not be the same without the effort and heart of these wonderful volunteers!

For their countless hours of opening their homes to potential residents, for greeting guests with a warm smile and an inviting story, for remembering countless names and faces, and for using their skills as a people person we thank our Marketing Volunteers and highlight them in our Volunteer Spotlight!

This month, eight of Tel Hai’s leaders had the opportunity to spend time at the Leading Age PA annual conference held in Hershey, PA. LeadingAge is a trade association representing not-for-profit organizations that provide housing, healthcare and community services primarily to seniors.

Tel Hai has found value in participating in this organization. I had the opportunity to attend a preconference Executive Symposium on Tuesday and general and educational sessions Wednesday through Friday.

There were four general sessions; all of which the consensus were “winners.”  General sessions were presented by innovators, broadcasters, athletes and authors. One particularly resonated with me. On Thursday afternoon, we heard from Shawn Achor, author of bestseller, The Happiness Advantage. He is touted to be one of the world’s leading experts on the connection between happiness and success.

Shawn shared that in our culture, we train people to look for the “negative.” With that being said, we can imprint the brain with a positive pattern if we do so intentionally. He reminded us that whatever we scan for first becomes our reality. We were reminded that with a proper focus only a couple minutes a day, we can change our predisposition.

He offered five concrete suggestions for impacting our level of happiness. These can all be heard in his fast paced and famous TED talk, “The Happy Secret…” One that stood out to me was to identify and record “Three items of gratitude” daily. Toward the end of the presentation two nuggets were gleaned: “Happiness is a choice” and “Social connection is the greatest long-term predictor of happiness.”

I was reminded to take time daily to reflect on at least three of the many things for which I am grateful and to make time for social connections regardless of how busy I might find myself. The long-term “Happiness Advantage” is worth the little effort of intentionality.

Teresa Long

Executive Vice President, Resident Services

A blessing among us, George Young is our volunteer spotlight! We highlight George for many reasons, but, as we write his story, we see a loving theme rise to embellish each story about his volunteering here at Tel Hai. George is a blessing to all of us.

Pastor Tim Herr (Vice President, Pastoral Care) says of George, “George quietly goes about making a difference for people each day. Our department recognizes what George does and appreciates him for his very practical contributions.”

George moved to Tel Hai in 2007. He tells us he moved here because he knew he and his wife would need personal care assistance someday. He has always lived in Lakeview. George and his wife had visited friends here a few times, and he thought it was very nice. His friend and POA at the time was Toby Connell, and George thinks he must’ve pulled some strings to get them in here. George never thought they would qualify so when Toby said you can come to Tel Hai George said, “You gotta be crazy!”

Before moving here, George was a custodian in Octorara Area School District for 37 years. He retired in 2007 right before coming to live at Tel Hai. He grew up in the Scranton area but had family ties to Parkesburg, where his family later moved after he graduated from High School. In his free time, he enjoys sports including baseball, basketball, and football. He also enjoys history. He likes reading biographies and about history – especially about the Civil War.

George always helped his wife go to chapel. In fact, he adds “I officially started volunteering following my wife’s passing.” He enjoys helping residents go to and from worship in the chapel. He says, “I just enjoy helping people. It gets his mind off of me and helps keep me busy.”

We asked about the areas in which he volunteers, and he replied, “lots.” Every Monday afternoon and all day Wednesday, he escorts folks to the salon. In the salon, he works with Jackie and Mary from Salon PS. He said he likes working with them very much. They are easy to work for, and he really enjoys their company. Jackie and Mary add, “George is the greatest! He’s always got a smile on his face and we just love his sense of humor. They’ve never seen a more dedicated volunteer – he stays late through his lunch to take people back to their rooms, he’s so attentive, he knows all of their names. He goes above and beyond a normal volunteer.” Mary believes he should always get a free haircut in the salon! All around, they both love George and feel he’s such a great person!

On many other days he makes friendly visits. He visits people in the healthcare center who were originally in Lakeview, people from his church and the larger community that he knows. In fact, George is a friendly visitor extraordinaire to several men in the health care center. He helps two men out of doors to enjoy fresh air almost every day. One man requests to be out for 30 minutes a day, and the other does not stay nearly as long. George realizes this is a morale booster for the residents, and he likes to help staff meet these needs. Linda Jacobs (Unit Coordinator, Meadow Ridge) adds, “Meadow Ridge loves George Young. He is always very friendly; he helps us transport our residents back and forth to the salon. He has friendly visits with our residents and takes residents outside and to other functions. I don’t know what I would do without him. He makes our job so much easier. God Bless George Young.”

He also helps residents get to weekly Bible discussion in the Tel Haven social room, and setup and take down the Saturday movie equipment in Lakeview a few times a month. George likes being able to help others. He is a good Christian and follows what Christ said “I have come not to be served, but to serve others.” George believes that if you’re able, you should serve others and that’s what he tries to do as often as possible.

Barb Hartung (Wellness Supervisor) tells us that George is always there to help anyone that needs help. He enjoys his time volunteering. He also volunteers as a Lakeview Resident Council Member. On the council he always listens respectfully to everyone and advocates for residents that come to him with issues.

Michelle Turner (Lakeview Social Worker) adds, “George always has a smile on his face and is willing to help another resident at the drop of a hat. He is a true gentleman.” Jodie Rice (Service Facilitator) says, “George is one of a kind. He always has a kind hello for everyone he passes and is always willing to help his fellow residents with anything he can! He is a very kind and thoughtful person who always puts others first.”

Cindy Dallara (Lakeview Administrator) tells us, “George is friendly to everyone that he meets during his travels. He always seems upbeat and truly concerned for others, no matter what else might be going on. He is a great guy.” Cherissa Blank (Activities assistant) adds, “Not only is George a faithful volunteer who you know you can always count on to show up for his scheduled position, he’s always there with a smile and a sense of humor! Moreover, George is always looking for ways to be helpful and pitch in for any impromptu needs. He is such a blessing!”

For being our very own blessing in disguise, and for putting others first, and for serving God and others with humor and sunshine, we thank George Young and we highlight him in our volunteer spotlight.