Breathe In Life with Homegrown Butterflies

Butterflies are unique and lovely creatures with numerous instrinsic, aesthetic, educational, environmental and scientific values here on planet Earth.  During the month of August, Juniper Village’s signature Alive In All Seasons activity programing focuses on the environment.  Here at The Spearly Center, we were thrilled as we hatched over 30 live butterflies during our Release A Butterfly with your Spearly Sidekick annual event.

Butterflies and moths are advanced insects and develop through a process called complete metamorphosis, which  derives from a greek word meaning transformation or change in shape.  This process involves four stages, each of which looks completely different: The egg, caterpillar (or larva), chrysalis (or pupa), and adult.

Eggs are very small and are usually attached to leaves or stems in nature.  Caterpillars have interesting colors, stripes or patterns, and sometimes have hair-like spines.  During this phase their main job is to eat and grow.  The chrysalis stage is the cocoon stage, and the structure of the adult butterfly is formed.  Finally, the adult butterfly emerges with wings full of color and beauty.  At that point, they are set free in the wild to start this fascinating life cycle all over again.

This informative and interactive event was enjoyed by residents and staff alike.  If you would like to learn more or grow and release your own magnificent butterflies, contact Insect Lore atwww.insectlore.com.

Extreme Makeover: Patio Edition

Here at the Spearly Center, we just keep getting better and better! After years of planning, we are proud to announce we are renovating our outdoor patio.  With over 300 days of sunshine a year, having a relaxing and revitalizing outdoor space is a must in Colorado.  New and exciting improvements will include:

o   Expanded outdoor space for the enjoyment of nature, community events, dining and family visits

o   Built-in shade and weather covering complete with fans and lighting

o   Indwelling gardening planters and seeding

o   Uniformity in fencing and paving

o   New patio furniture

o   New expanded deck

o   Improved wheelchair access

o   New outdoor cooking area

We are all very excited, and everyone loves watching the progress in action.  The completion of the project should be mid September.  Stay tuned!

The Spearly Center & Denver Rescue Mission Stand In Integrity

During the month of July, The Spearly Center held a Donation Station for Denver Rescue Mission.  This year, Spearly collected 526 donated items from residents, staff and family members, as well as $35 in cash donations.  Donated items included women’s clothing, men’s clothing, children’s clothing, dishes, nutritional supplements, shoes, decorative items, books, cookware, hats, scarves, and gloves.

Denver Rescue Mission meets the needs of those experiencing poverty and homelessness through emergency services, community outreach, long-term rehabilitation programs, transitional programs, and assistance for permanent housing. Since 1892, the Mission has been changing lives in our community.  Denver Rescue Mission is the oldest, full-service Christian charity in the Rocky Mountain region. Thriving today as a non-denominational organization, no one is denied services because of race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin.

The Spearly Center takes pride in our community and helping people in need.  Together, we can all “Stand In Integrity.”  If you would like to donate, volunteer or seek more information about Denver Rescue Mission, call 303-297-1815, or look them up on the web at DenverRescueMission.org.

August 2016 Events in Denver, CO: Breathe in Life

Each August we turn our focus to the environment by offering social events and educational opportunities on living a more environmentally sustainable life. By making caring choices and creating helpful habits we can all make a difference to our planet.

Did you know that an aluminum can may remain in its current condition in a landfill for up to 500 years? That same can, when recycled, can end up back on your grocer’s shelf in as little as two months. Recycling that aluminum can also saves energy. Enough energy, in fact, to power your television for three hours! Aluminum can be recycled over, and over and over again – without limit. Americans will use about 2.5 million plastic bottles every thirty minutes. If that bottle is not recycled it can spend the next 450 years or more in a landfill. A modern glass bottle will take about 4,000 years to biodegrade. Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled again, and again and again. So, the next time you are enjoying a delicious beverage, be conscious of the packaging and make the choice to recycle.

Join us this month as we promote the environment with a focus on our recycling programs – from annual rummage sales to shredding and more; our educational offerings will help you to support our environment and Breathe in Life!

Our fabulous August 2016 events in Denver, CO at Juniper Village at The Spearly Center include our:

§  Environmental Sustainability Program: Water for Flint because here at The Spearly Center we enjoy giving back to the community, even if people in need are across the country, and our hearts go out to the people of Flint, Michigan during their ongoing water crisis, so all month long we will be accepting donations of bottled water from residents, family members, staff, and the community, so look for our ‘Water for Flint’ drop box in our Front Lobby anytime between August 1^st and August 31^st.

§  Flower Power BBQ because enjoying the outdoor environment can be as simple as sitting on the patio and spending time with friends and loved ones, so come join us as we celebrate peace, love and happiness as we host this festive all vegetarian BBQ, and welcome our family members, friends, First Responders and neighbors for a groovy, tasty and healthy meal on our sunny Outdoor Patio on August 5^th at 11:00 am.

§  Release A Butterfly With Your Spearly Sidekick because Nature is like life; it’s precious, it’s beautiful, and it’s delicate, since all living things are natural wonders, and to witness life in nature can be a joyous occasion, so staff and their Spearly Sidekicks will release butterflies to show appreciation for the beauty nature brings, so please join us on our Outdoor Patio for this special occasion as refreshments will be served on August 10^th at 2:30 pm.

We look forward to sharing our August 2016 events in Denver, CO at Juniper Village at The Spearly Center with you as you Breathe in Life.

What Are You Doing Saturday Night?

Every Saturday night, The Spearly Center hosts Pizza Party & Saturday Night Cinema.  Pizzas are created in the kitchen, but instead of offering it to the residents from a hot cart, it is literally delivered by staff to all neighborhoods in pizza boxes.  This creates a nice, homelike touch.  After the Pizza Party, each neighborhood picks out a movie to watch for the evening.  The Connections department has over 200 movies to choose from.  This weekly event has fast become one of Spearly residents’ favorite activities. So, what are you doing Saturday night?

July 2016 Events in Denver, CO: Stand in Integrity

Ah...the good old summer time filled with lazy, sunny days, ice cold treats, Independence Day celebrations, and get-togethers at the beach. Another sure indication of summer is our Alive in All Seasons theme of Volunteerism.

July is the perfect month to honor all of the many volunteers who contribute thousands of hours of time in service to our communities. From our four-legged volunteers to those of the two legged variety we are proud to say we receive more than 10,000 hours of precious time each year. We simply could not do it without all of your help, and this month we honor you. We will also be promoting the spirit of volunteerism by volunteering our time to help others. If you have some spare time on your hands consider joining us for a volunteer activity or better yet volunteer your time with us, we’d love to have you. What qualities make a good volunteer? Energy, passion, flexibility, creativity, reliability, commitment and perhaps most important of all – integrity.

Volunteerism benefits all parties involved. In addition to making new friends, volunteering also helps increase your self-confidence, provides a sense of purpose, combats depression and helps you stay physically healthy. Helping others also kindles happiness, as the London School of Economics found the more people volunteered, the happier they were.

In addition to volunteering opportunities, plan to join us during July for our summer celebrations and share our thanks as we honor those who Stand In Integrity with us.

Our fabulous July 2016 events in Denver, CO at Juniper Village at The Spearly Center include our:

§  Denver Rescue Mission Donation Station because one man’s trash may be another man’s treasure all month long we will be accepting donations for the Denver Rescue Mission from residents, family members, staff, and the community, so look for our mobile drop box in our community; clothes, books, toys, shoes and other small items are welcome between July 1^st and 31^st anytime.

§  Stand In Integrity July 4th BBQ because our Juniper family believes that staying connected to the community is beneficial to all, we would like to extend a sincere invitation to our Partners in Health Care, First Responders and family members to this holiday BBQ as Dave Hidalgo will be performing festive American classics and grilled favorites of the summer will be served on our Outdoor Patio on July 4^th at 11:00 am.

§  Community Appreciation Cookout as we invite Spearly volunteers, local business, Partners In Caring, First Responders, family and friends to say thank you for ensuring our residents receive the best care available and thank you for setting aside time to spend with our residents and thank you for improving their quality of life; the Spearly family appreciates you on July 22^nd at 11:00 am.

We look forward to sharing our July 2016 events in Denver, CO at Juniper Village at The Spearly Center with you as you Stand in Integrity.

Fitness Is Fun!

“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of creative intellectual activity.”

~John F. Kennedy

Everyone agrees that regular physical fitness and exercise is good for your health.  It helps protect you from the following health problems:

·         Heart Disease and Stroke

·         High Blood Pressure

·         Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes

·         Obesity

·         Back Pain

·         Osteoporosis

·         Depression, Low Self Esteem and High Stress

So why is it that most adult Americans don’t exercise regularly? According to the Centers For Disease Control, only 24.6% of men and a mere 17.1% of women exercise on a regular basis.  One primary reason is “I don’t have the time.”  Another main reason is “Exercise is boring.”  Regular physical fitness does not necessarily mean going to the gym three times a week or more.  You can accomplish physical fitness regularly by simply being active every day.

The Spearly Center believes in putting the FUN back into fitness!  On May 26^th, we hosted the Fitness Is Fun Carnival to promote active physical exercise.  Residents and staff participated at various physical activity game stations and won prize tickets.  Fitness and sports related prizes included water bottles, weight lifting gloves, moisture control workout shirts, weighted exercise balls, hats, sweatbands, coolers, handheld fans, cooling towels, and resistance bands.  Everyone had a great time and were thrilled with the prizes they won. 

Everyone can achieve an active body, an engaged mind and fulfilled spirit. With a little creativity, fitness IS fun!