Want a great way to achieve a sense of accomplishment when the weather has you stuck indoors? How about clearing out shelves, boxes or drawers containing items you no longer need and that others can enjoy? Tel Hai’s Volunteer Services Department and Library Committee members are looking for donations of gently used books—including hard and soft-cover editions, large print on varied topics—as well as CDs, VHS tapes and DVDs in excellent condition. This annual event provides an opportunity for you to recycle these items which will be available at bargain prices to the general public at the annual Book Sale on April 3 & 4, 2014. Directions to the Tel Hai community, which is located off Beaver Dam Road east of Route 10 in Honey Brook Township, can be found on their website: www.telhai.org or by using their physical address (1200 Tel Hai Circle) on your GPS.

Donations will be accepted beginning Tuesday, February 25 and continuing until Tuesday, April 1, 2014 in the Garrett Community Center. Collection boxes arranged by category await your donations on the first floor, beside The Gathering Room. Interested persons may contact Keeli Looper, Volunteer Services Director, for more information by calling 610-273-9333, extension 2010.

The Tel Hai Library Committee is not able to accept magazines, dated materials, Readers Digest condensed books, text books, game or puzzle books, dictionaries or encyclopedia for the event. The fund raiser supports the operations of the Tel Hai Library located in the community center. The committee hopes to purchase additional fixtures as well as books and varied media for the library.

Tel Hai is a nationally accredited not-for-profit continuing care retirement community that has served senior adults in northwestern Chester County since 1956. They invite their book-loving neighbors in Chester, Berks and Lancaster Counties to participate as a donor today—and as a customer at the Spring Book Sale on April 3 – 4, 2014.

PHOTO: Tel Hai Library Committee invites the public to donate gently used books, DVDs, CDs and VHS tapes in designated drop-off boxes located in the Garrett Community Center now until Tuesday, April 1. Book-lovers will want to return for the annual Book Sale to be held April 3 & 4, 2014 on campus.

National Volunteer Week is celebrated across the nation April 6 through 12 this year, but Tel Hai’s 375 active volunteers are appreciated daily on campus.  Their service may take the form of a Friendly Visitor, mail room volunteer or Meals On Wheels delivery person; each role is of great importance aiding and enriching community life. Their presence may facilitate an event or activity, provide educational programs for all to enjoy, escort others to chapel services or physical therapy on campus. There is something for everyone to do. Being active as a volunteer has many benefits including providing regular social interaction which helps fight the threat of isolation, combats depression and helps keep one physically fit.

Some harder to quantify benefits include the building of relationships between people.  Tel Hai’s Slice of Historyprogram pairs residents with scribes who create a record of the resident’s “story.” One such pairing between Ruthie Sauder, a cottage resident, and Margaret Schoenbaum, a 100 year-old health care resident, resulted in the creation of a record of a remarkable life story and a chance for different generations to work together while providing a vivid history lesson in the first-person. Mrs. Schoenbaum’s family initially provided an outline of Margaret’s remarkable life journey—from Poland to eastern Germany and on to Singapore during the Holocaust. Joining her future husband in Java in the Dutch East Indies, she endured his imprisonment by Dutch authorities after the German invasion of Holland. Securing passage on a tramp steamer, they arrived after a three-month sea voyage in 1947 and settled in New York City. Retirement in San Diego proved to be even more enjoyable.  Ruthie and Margaret laughed recalling family joys, grandchildren, knitting, making baby clothes and stuffed animals and Margaret’s love of soup (“As long as you have soup, you will never go hungry.”) Although they walked very different paths in life, both women now call Tel Hai “home” and were blessed with the opportunity to honor a remarkable life, connect and celebrate the experience of sharing.

National Volunteer Week hopes to inspire, recognize, and encourage people to volunteer in their communities—to be engaged and perhaps to discover new friends along the way.

PHOTO (from left): Ruthie Sauder and Margaret Schoenbaum met in March after the celebration of the latter’s 100^th birthday in mid-February. Margaret’s fascinating life story was the subject of an inspiring personal profile created by Ruthie in honor of this milestone birthday. Both women are residents of the Tel Hai community in Honey Brook.

Tel Hai’s annual food drive concluded on March 31, but the needs of food insecure neighbors continues to grow across the region. Sybil Oswalt, Registered Dietitian and event coordinator, announced that 520 pounds of food stuffs had been collected on campus during the community’s observation of National Nutrition Month. The donations will benefit the Twin Valley Food Pantry in Morgantown.

Founded in 1994 as an outreach ministry, the Twin Valley Food Pantry has been hosted by Conestoga Mennonite Church since November 2009. Located on Main Street (Route 23) in Morgantown, the pantry has been supporting local families in need—approximately 145 families representing 425 persons have been served on an average distribution day. Working in partnership with the Greater Berks Food Bank, community churches, local businesses and organizations the program directors, Howard and Carol Moss, coordinate the efforts of approximately 60 volunteers on distribution day—the fourth Tuesday of each month. Stocking the pantry for distribution also requires the efforts of a hardworking group of high school students and other community volunteers the Wednesday before.

Tel Hai residents and staff volunteers have been active at the Twin Valley Food Pantry as well as the Shepherd’s Kitchen in Honey Brook. The Honey Brook Mobile Food Pantry temporarily located at the Good Food Distribution Center on Horseshoe Pike in Honey Brook began operating in January 2014. They too depend on volunteers during their monthly distribution day on the last Wednesday of each month. The mobile food pantry was opened in response to the continuing documented need for a food pantry serving the Twin Valley School District.

PHOTO: Sybil Oswalt, Tel Hai Dietitian, thanked residents and staff who donated to the food drive held during National Nutrition Month on campus. More than 500 pounds of food stuffs will be donated to the Twin Valley Food Pantry in Morgantown as a result.

The highlight of the first day of spring on Tel Hai’s campus was a fascinating presentation by Karen Jessee, a collector of women’s historical and vintage fashions and accessories. The resident-developed event which attracted 125 ladies grew out of a desire to create a time of wonderful community fellowship and an opportunity to say “thank you” to staff that had gone “above-and-beyond” during the exceptional winter just past. The fund raiser’s net proceeds benefitted the Good Samaritan Fund which supports staff members in financial need as a result of health challenges or other family emergencies.

Tel Hai resident, Billy Guthrie’s knowledge of Ms. Jessee’s wonderful program was the spark that got things going. Joined by Fran Atkins, Ann Paton and Karen Runyon, the planning committee provided a memorable event for all to enjoy.  Jessee describes The Way We Wore program as an introduction to “200 years of the feminine silhouette…covering everything from bustles to bellbottoms.” Ms. Jessee shared the connection between the lives of women and the history of the period in which they lived; that in turn influenced the fashion of their day. A retired educator, Karen Jessee was also the recipient of the NBC National Teacher Award and became a professional organizer upon retirement.  This Wilmington, DE resident enjoys learning people’s stories, easy proximity to the theatre and museums and has traveled to England twice to study historical fashion.

Residents Ruthann Fleet and Marti Emmanuel were selected from the audience to model period attire. The program included displays of some garments and accessories that ladies in attendance were happy to no longer find in their own closets. “Tel Hai ladies and guests had a fascinating afternoon enjoying tea and learning about the history of women’s fashion—

and even taking a peek ‘under the skirt,’ ” committee member, Ann Paton offered. “Karen Jessee’s program has a huge WOW factor. If others have an opportunity to see any of her programs, our advice is don’t miss it!”

PHOTO: Karen Jessee’s The Way We Wore presentation covering 200 years of women’s fashion was a huge success on Tel Hai’s campus and a wonderful way to welcome spring. The fund raiser benefitted the Good Samaritan Fund which offers support to staff members in times of need. Karen Jessee, a retired educator, is an enchanting living history presenter.

The Tel Hai Concert Series will offer two opportunities for the public to enjoy inspirational musical performances during the month of April. Vocal and instrumental programs have been scheduled. The first will be a concert of gospel songs presented by the Gap Male Chorus on Sunday, April 13 at 7:00pm in the Tel Hai Chapel on their campus located off Beaver Dam Road, east of Route 10.

Organized in 1922, the Gap Male Chorus was originally composed of men from different churches in the Gap area of Lancaster County. Today the chorus has grown to include over 50 active members who represent approximately 35 different churches in four counties. The chorus has the distinction of having presented concerts of gospel songs every year for over 90 years. Their program is open to the public and offered free of charge, but they ask those attending to bring canned goods which will be donated to the local food pantry as their expression of thanks for the enjoyable program.

The second concert on Sunday, April 27 will be presented at 3:00pm in the Tel Hai Chapel featuring Steve Kramer, cellist. Mr. Kramer was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and immigrated to the United States in 2010. Know as a major international artist and performer, he began violin lessons at age 3. Born into a family of musicians, he was inspired by his grandfather Vladimir Yeshayavitch Novak, an eminent violinist and teacher with the Kiev Philharmonic and Kiev school of music. Steve’s performances are dedicated to putting forward his grandfather’s legacy today. Mr. Kramer debuted at the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall in the 2012-13 season and will be a soloist and chamber musician at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia and at Lincoln Center in New York City in the 2014-15 season. He is currently the artist in residence at String Theory High School in Philadelphia. His concert at Tel Hai will include accompaniment by piano and clarinet.

Directions to Tel Hai can be found on their website www.telhai.org under the “Contact Us” tab. When relying on your GPS please use the 1200 Tel Hai Circle physical address. The Tel Hai community has provided a worry-free lifestyle to residents since 1956 with a variety of housing options, health and personal care, and rehabilitation services.

PHOTO: Cellist, Steve Kramer shown here, will perform at Tel Hai on Sunday, April 27 at 3:00pm in the Chapel on campus. Earlier in the month, the Gap Male Chorus will offer a concert of gospel songs on Sunday, April 13 at 7:00pm. Both programs are open to the public and offered free of charge.

Tel Hai’s SEW Creative group invited neighbors and friends to join in the annual Veterans Quilt Sew-In on Thursday, March 13 in the Tel Hai Chapel. No sewing experience was required of the volunteers; light refreshments were served. The bitter cold outside was countered by the warm hearts of the 54 volunteers participating. Representatives from all neighborhoods on the Tel Hai campus were represented: Maple Knoll, Cedar Ridge and Woods Edge cottagers worked side-by-side with apartment residents from Hillcrest and Tel Haven. Even future Tel Hai residents and StoneCroft folks turned out to help. The Calico Cutters sent a representative as well. The two sewing groups will present their finished quilts to the Coatesville Veterans Hospital in April.

The machine stitched quilts represented a number of styles including the Dresden Plate, simple blocks and stripes, Pinwheels, Rail Fence, Spinning Star, 9-Patch and Snowball. Stars and hearts were appliquéd on some squares; others were string-tied. Messages of encouragement for the veterans were created by veterans present and added with iron-on blocks. In fact, 8 male volunteers took part in hand-tying, message writing and ironing during the event. In total, the group created 76 lap quilts to be donated. The group founder, Shirley Walton has lost track of the number of years this outreach has been done, but the warm feelings generated are always uplifting. Red, white and blue fabrics—many with patriotic themes were used in the creation of each quilt.

PHOTO: This year’s Sew-In for Veterans was a big success at Tel Hai. Seventy-six lap quilts were completed for donation to the Coatesville Veterans Administration Hospital on March 13. They will be delivered to the recipients during the month of April.