Your Treasure is Within: March Events

Our Alive in All Seasons program is alive and well at Juniper Village. This quarter’s seasonal theme is on Creative Expression: “Explore Your Creativity” and serves to promote our philosophy of encouraging an active body, an engaged mind and a fulfilled spirit. For March, we will turn our focus to Performance: “Your Treasure is Within”.

This month on March 2, 2014 we look forward to the 86^th celebration of the Academy Awards. As we watch popular comedian and talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres host the festivities while the beautiful stars dressed in their finery walk the red carpet we can’t help to stop, to pause and reminisce of all of the great performances of past years. Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Vivien Leigh, Meryl Streep, Peter Ustinov and Dustin Hoffman; the list goes on! In addition to guessing who might win the Oscars for 2014, this month we will be learning about and experiencing all different types of great performance art, enjoying cultural events and trying our hand at acting in drama club.

It’s going to be a theatrical month at Juniper Village at the Spearly Center filled with creativity, great experiences and memorable performances! You are cordially invited to attend our “Mardi Gras Masquerade on Bead Street on March 4^th at 2:30 pm, our Heritage Irish Step Dancers performance on March 17^th at 10:00 am, our St. Patty’s Day “Pot of Gold Party” on March 17^th at 2:30 pm, our Coffee Hour with Entertainment by Gary on March 27^th at 2:30 pm, or any of our other activities (see our Newsletter for a complete listing).

So come in, and join in on the act to find that “Your Treasure is Within”.

Read All About It!

On December 15, 2013, Spearly had a ribbon cutting ceremony to
celebrate the grand opening of the new Resident Emporium. Located
between the Pinon and Juniper neighborhoods, the Emporium provides a
shopping, socialization and life skills opportunity for our
residents, especially for those who rarely leave the facility.

The store, which is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1-2 pm,
sells clothing, blankets, books, CDs, DVDs, jewelry, wall hangings,
picture frames, toiletries, stationary, sunglasses, and much, much
more! Kenya bought himself a couple of shirts and a DVD set, while
Robert bought a silver bracelet for his friend Helen as an early
Valentine gift. For both of them, who don't go out much, the store
provided an opportunity to do something they have sorely missed since
living independently in the community.

The Emporium relies, in part, on donations from staff and community
members. All proceeds from sales are used to buy new store items, so
the inventory is replenished weekly. In the future, we hope to sell
bigger ticket items such as radios and TVs. Stay tuned!

The Eli Ripple Effect: Doing Good in Our Community

When you first meet Eli, he seems like any other second grader.  He likes math, art, recess, and building snowmen with his friends.  But scratch the surface, and you’ll find a special seven year old boy overflowing with compassion and kindness towards others. 

Eli is the son of our Administrator Sue Pappas.  Eli has fond memories from an early age of accompanying his parents, both of whom work with the elderly, to nursing homes.  On occasion, he witnessed vulnerable residents who seemed to need a voice, reminding him of how kids were bullied at school.  Rather than accept the status quo, he decided to do something about it. 

“When I was in first grade, I saw a lot of kids in school get into arguments, and judge other people. Because I can speak up for myself, I got treated good, but others couldn’t and didn’t get treated good.”  He formed his own Peace Club at school, providing him an avenue to speak up for others.   

First, Eli let his friends know that he was available to help them if they encountered any problems with his classmates.  Then, he observed his friends on the playground, watching their interactions and helping out when the need arose.  Soon, he was in high demand. 

Eli recounted a recent incident on the playground, when his classmate Nancy asked him for help.  Nancy’s friend was hogging the climbing bar she wanted to climb on, and Eli quickly told them, “We should share.”  “And because you have to have consequences to make a difference, if you don’t share I will tell the teacher,” he said.  Soon the problem was resolved.

It’s not easy to think of solutions to interpersonal problems on the spot, but it’s not hard for Eli.  “It just comes naturally,” he said, “And when I need advice I ask my parents or meditate to find the answer.”

As the founding member of the club, Eli expressed a real commitment to his work.   “I just want to help and do my best.”  Perhaps nothing shows his passion more than the fact that his teachers are unaware of what he’s been doing to help his friends.  “That is all right with me,” Eli said.   Learning to do things for their intrinsic value, rather than for the recognition they might bring, demonstrates a level of maturity that some adults never reach.

What’s in the future for such a kind young boy?  Eli summed it up best when he said, “I don’t know if I’ll change, be the same or become famous.  Not sure.”  Irrespective, we can definitely expect great things.

As I listened to Eli recount his journey I was reminded of the ripple effect of throwing one rock into a lake and watching the waves reverberate outward.  For Eli, his parent’s commitment to helping the elderly helped infuse this young boy with an endearing compassion for others.  It is a reflection of how the passion Juniper team members have for their work reverberates beyond the facilities and into the larger community.

This Eli Ripple Effect is present in many Juniper experiences among staff, residents, and communities.  In future posts, I will showcase more of the stories that exemplify this unique character of Juniper Communities.