Spring 2015
New Neighbors Moving Into Romarin Place!
soaring Volunteer Spotlight p4News & Updates p5WCV Residents Share p6
A PUBLICATION OF MENNONITE HOME COMMUNITIES
Richard and Bettie Dolan Newlyweds Are First Romarin Residents
Newlyweds Richard and Bettie
Dolan are the first couple to call
Romarin Place home. After visiting
several retirement
communities,
they decided they
appreciated the
personal feel of
Woodcrest Villa’s
campus best. They are excited
to live at Woodcrest Villa!
Bettie lived in Southern Lancaster
County and retired from working in
an office of a family-owned business.
She enjoys yoga, painting and many
hand crafts such as knitting, quilting
and counted cross stitch. Bettie also
has a wine named after her! Stone
Mountain Wine Cellars has a wine
called Blushing Bettie in her honor.
Richard lived in Maryland and retired
from being a Lead Systems Programmer.
He is an avid bicyclist and rode his
bike coast-to-coast four times!
The couple was impressed with
the quality and design of the villas,
the friendly staff and extended
continuing care community at
Mennonite Home. They look forward
to being involved with activities
and using the new Wellness Center,
pool and fitness center. They also
are eager to start making new friends
and becoming part of the Woodcrest
Villa family.
Tom and Sandy Krantz First Couple to Reserve Romarin Villa
The warm family atmosphere of
residents and staff, the location and
the design of the Fulton model villa
were deciding factors in Tom and
Sandy Krantz’s decision to move to
Woodcrest Villa. Tom and Sandy were
both born and raised in Lancaster
County. However, for the past 38
years they have lived in Dauphin
County. They have many local family
members, including their daughter,
who resides in Lititz with her husband
and their five-year-
old twin grand-
daughters. Sandy
also has an aunt
and uncle who live
at Woodcrest Villa.
They are both currently retired. Sandy
was a Licensed Practical Nurse her
entire adult life and Tom spent more
than 30 years with the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board,
most recently as an Administrative
Officer and Management Analyst.
Interestingly, Tom never tasted a drop
of alcohol, even though he worked for
the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
for such a long time.
Sandy enjoys sewing, crafts, scrap-
booking, baking, reading and listening
to contemporary Christian music.
Although she never liked exercising
before, at age 65 she joined Silver
Sneakers and now enjoys fitness as
a new hobby. Tom’s interests include
Lancaster County history, automobiles,
book collecting, listening to music
and caring for
their cat, Turbo,
who they adopted
through Castaway
Critters. Together
they have enjoyed Caribbean cruising,
playing tennis and shuffleboard,
Pittsburgh Pirates baseball and
entertaining their twin granddaughters.
They look forward to establishing new
friendships, participating in group
activities, joining exercise classes,
using the pool at the new Wellness
Center and exploring the many volunteer
opportunities at Woodcrest Villa.
Marie Eck Warm Welcome Inspired Her to Choose Romarin
Marie Eck moved to Romarin Place
because she was impressed with
the beautiful campus, facilities
and friendliness of everyone in
the Woodcrest Villa community.
The décor, floor plans and proximity
to doctors, hospital and shopping
were also important to her.
Marie was an elementary teacher and
then a principal in a K-5 school in
upstate New York for more than
30 years before retiring and moving
to Mount Joy. Although her family
primarily lives in New York, she has
many friends who live locally.
Marie says she’s totally addicted to
going to auctions
and hopes to meet
others who share
her interests.
She also enjoys
playing with her
lovable dog, Princess; collecting
dolls; and spending time with some
Amish friends of hers.
She looks forward to becoming more
active and using all of the facilities
available at the new Wellness Center.
She anticipates meeting the staff
and residents and taking part in the
activities offered on and off campus.
2 | Spring 2015
Quite a transformation has taken place at the end of Woodcrest Drive with the addition of the Romarin Place villas. Occupancy began in late December 2014 with our first new residents, Richard and Bettie Dolan, moving in just before
Christmas. The New Year welcomed Phil and Sue Metzler, Marie Eck and Carl and Yvonne Beck to Woodcrest Villa (WCV)
in January and February.
Construction continues to progress, and if the weather cooperates,
EG Stoltzfus, our contractor, plans to complete two units per month
through November or December. A fence was installed at the edge
of the WCV property line along with a portion of the planned
landscaping to provide a picturesque backdrop. The fall and early
winter construction goal was to get the concrete pads poured for
about half of the cul-de-sac before winter weather set in. Mother
Nature cooperated and allowed for those units to get under roof
and enabled the construction process to continue.
Plans are to start pouring concrete for the remaining villas
after the spring thaw. Landscaping will continue as weather
permits and Romarin Place should be green and blooming
this spring and summer.
Pictures are posted on Woodcrest Villa in-house Resident Channel 66 and our Facebook page sharing construction
progress to help keep current residents updated on the
expansion to the community. In all, 32 new villas will be
built. As of press time, only six remain unclaimed!
A Publication of Mennonite Home Communities Spring 2015 | 3
Romarin Place Update
After visiting several retirement communities,
they decided they appreciated the personal and warm feel of
Woodcrest Villa’s campus best.
Marie Eck moved to Romarin Place because she was impressed
with the beautiful campus, facilities and friendliness . . .
Richard and Bettie Dolan
Marie Eck and Princess
Tom and Sandy Krantz and cat Turbo
Spring 2015 | 54 | Spring 2015
Prior to moving to Woodcrest Villa, Janet Sweigart
wasn’t much of a volunteer. However, immediately
after moving in, she started getting involved in clubs
and activities. In less than three years, Janet has quickly
established herself as one of the most helpful, positive
and genuine volunteers. It is largely because of her
sunny outlook and desire to help people, that Janet
has been selected as a New Neighbor Ambassador.
New Neighbor Ambassadors are a relatively recent
volunteer position within Woodcrest Villa, although
some of their responsibilities
were originally taken care of
by Caring Neighbor Network
volunteers. The idea behind
New Neighbor Ambassadors
is simple—help new Woodcrest
Villa residents feel at home
and welcome before and after
moving in. As a newer resident,
Janet can still remember
her feelings when she first
unpacked all her belongings
in her apartment and
appreciates the neighbors
who took her under their wing.
“I love hearing other people’s
stories,” Janet says. “Everyone
has one. They think they
don’t, but they do. And you
can learn so much when
you take the time to listen.”
As a New Neighbor
Ambassador, Janet first
meets new residents during
the settlement lunch, which is generally held about a
week before the actual move-in date. That provides an
opportune time for initial introductions and to let them
know that she will be touching base with them. Normally
she stops by a day or two after they move-in to deliver
a welcome basket filled with all types of goodies to
help ease the transition.
New Neighbor Ambassadors will also continue to
reach out to new residents far beyond that first week
to see if they would like to share a meal sometime,
if they have questions or concerns and just to generally
continue to make them feel welcome. Woodcrest Villa
is a friendly place, but it is large and can seem
overwhelming when people first move in.
“If I see someone new sitting by themselves at dinner,
I ask them to join my friends and I,” Janet explains.
“I’ve made so many great friends that way!! People really
appreciate it.”
In addition to being a New
Neighbor Ambassador,
Janet serves on the following
committees: Marketing,
Caring Neighbor, Activities
and Volunteer. She also assists
with greeting card sales, book
club, Coffee Klatch monthly
social gathering and anything
else she can squeeze into
her busy schedule!
Kathy Maule, Mennonite
Home’s Volunteer Coordinator
says, “Janet is a pleasure
to work with and to know.
When she undertakes a task
she does it with extreme
accuracy and she always
seems to enjoy what she is
doing. Her smile and energy
always brightens a room
whenever she enters.”
Prior to moving to Woodcrest Villa in August 2013,
Janet lived most of her life in Lancaster County, but
also spent 16 years in Saudi Arabia where she worked
for a hospital in health information. She had never even
been out of the country before her big move, but she
opted to try it out because it seemed like the perfect
way to experience the world. “When I was over there,
I was kind of introverted,” she shares. Few people
would believe that now! Janet is always smiling
and talking to everyone!
VO LU N T E E R S P OT L I G H T
Janet Sweigart: New Neighbor AmbassadorAround Mennonite Home Communities
News & Updates
MHC Ad to Appearin the US Women’s
Open Golf Tournament Souvenir Booklet
Mennonite Home Communities
is home to many golfers and golf
enthusiasts. Residents and staff
alike are excited about the Ladies
Professional Golf Association United
States Open coming to Lancaster
Country Club’s beautiful golf course
this summer. If you will be one of the
many thousands of people expected
to attend, be sure to buy a copy
of the souvenir booklet and look for
the Mennonite Home Communities
advertisement. Woodcrest Villa
residents and golfers Bill & Kitt
Gamber are featured along with
MHC executives Nelson Kling and
John Sauder. The ad is focused on
wishing the participants the best
of luck in the tournament. We are
so excited to be involved with this
historic and prestigious event!
If you enjoy social media, please remember to “like”
Woodcrest Villa/Mennonite Home Communities
on Facebook. The page is frequently updated with
construction photos chronicling the progression of
the new villas and wellness center. Residents also
submit photos for inclusion on the page. It’s a great
way for both staff and residents to keep updated
on the fun goings on throughout our community!
Fun on Facebook
6 | Spring 2015 Spring 2015 | 7
Mennonite Home residents truly
believe “It’s a Wonderful Life” and
even won an award for their artistic
interpretation of that theme. Both
skilled nursing and personal care
residents combined forces to enter
the Pennsylvania Culture Change
Coalition’s (PCCC) art contest
this fall during the Coalition’s
annual conference.
Member communities were
encouraged to have residents, team
members and families create original
works of art depicting the theme,
“It’s a Wonderful Life.” All art mediums
were accepted. Mennonite Home’s
entry was so inspiring that it won first
place honors and $500 and was also
on display during the annual conference.
Community Life Coordinators Jason
Taylor and Ramona Little took the
lead in organizing residents of the
Jackson and Lititz Run households
to create their winning entry.
Comprised of leaf paintings, the
poster also included quotes from the
residents about why “it’s a wonderful
life.” The colorful and fun poster
meshed well with the artwork also
submitted by three residents from
Landis Run, the personal care memory
support household. Those three
paintings featured flower paintings.
As one of the residents, Marian
Snyder, explained, “The garden was
my inspiration because the beauty
that nature helps to create makes
this a wonderful life.”
The idea for sponge painting came
from Ramona and Jason’s determi-
nation to find a project that would
both look nice but also be accessible
enough so that any resident
who wanted to could participate.
“We used several bright fall colors
and were pleased with the results,”
Ramona shared. “The second part of
the project was the quotes. We gath-
ered the residents together and asked
each of them what it meant to them
to have a wonderful life. Their answers
were inspirational to all, and reminded
us of what is truly important. Jason
and I carefully displayed the artwork
and quotes on two large boards.
The residents and staff were excited
and pleased to hear that our display
had won the contest!”
The memory support residents in
personal care used a technique called
Mneme therapy®, which is designed
to use art and expression to help
individuals to build self-esteem in
a way that enables the right and left
side of the brain to work together.
As Jamie Kerchoff, Community Life
Coordinator, explains, “It helps
residents to be successful and proud
of something. The residents did not
necessarily see themselves as artists,
but this changed their minds. Mneme
therapy assists residents who may
usually have trouble communicating
express themselves like never before.
It’s truly an amazing process.”
A special reception will be held in
March to honor the resident artists
and to show their families their talents.
Vice President of the PCCC Board of
Directors Iain Crichton, son of Dorothy
Manfra (a Mennonite Home resident),
plans to attend the reception and
share information about the ACCORD
and the contest.
Three artists who were previously
featured in Soaring for participating
in the LeadingAge Redefining Age
exhibit were also recognized.
Nursing Home Administrator Ginny
Johnson serves on the board of the
PCCC and said, “Artistic expression
is one of the most individualized
andpersonal ways we can engage
residents in our care. It allows them
to share their thoughts and feelings
in a way they are very comfortable
with—which is one of our hopes
with person centered care.”
The Ideal Gift: Woodcrest Villa Residents Share
The EshlemansDr. Rohrer and Mabel Eshleman joined
the Woodcrest Villa family in 2009
to live in a diverse community that
would meet their needs and provide
any level of care they may ever need.
To them, this decision to create
a care-free life with support services
available is a great gift to their
children. Rohrer and Mabel believe
that their will should reflect the
importance of both their family
and the charities that have been
significant throughout their lives.
Rohrer explained, “We chose our
will for our major charitable giving
because we don’t know what our
final medical expenses will be.
Mabel and I appreciated the option
to leave a fixed amount for each child
and then apportion any remaining
resources among our church and
other charities, including Mennonite
Home Communities. Our children
know what to expect and they agree
that it is reasonable to support the
organization that will provide our
final care.”
The ShoemakersIn the fall of 2013, Rich and Vi
Shoemaker moved into Cardinal Wing
at Woodcrest Villa. They feel that
Mennonite Home Communities has
been blessed to become a highly
successful and efficient organization
by the vision, love, hard work and
gifts of many people over the years.
They happily adopted Woodcrest
Villa and the people here as their
supportive family during this next
stage in their lives.
Vi said, “We have been totally blessed
by God with an abundance that we
should share with others. We receive
great enjoyment from helping
others and making a difference.”
Rich shared, “We have a great
interest in our church and other
successful Christian ministries.
We needed to determine what to
pay back in our lives and what is
important to continue into the future
for others. We immediately added
Mennonite Home Communities to
our will as soon as we moved in!”
Barbara SaylorIn February of 2012 Development
Director Greg Pierce received
a wonderful request—Barbara Saylor
was moving to Woodcrest Villa (WCV)
in April and wanted information about
adding Mennonite Home Communities
(MHC) to her will, which she was
in the process of revising.
Many changes had recently come
about in her life making a revision
in her will a necessity. Besides, with
all the positive comments she heard
and what she observed at WCV,
Barb knew that this place would
be her home for the rest of her life.
By including MHC in her will, she
eliminated questions and concerns
down the road, thus providing herself
with peace of mind—an invaluable
and positive thing!
Although all residents profiled
had different circumstances, each
shared a common desire to include
a gift in their will to support
Mennonite Home Communities’
Benevolent Care Fund.
Mennonite Home residents truly believe
Mennonite Home President & CEO Nelson Kling (left) and Vice President John Sauder (right) visited the national LeadingAge exhibit and proudly show off Mennonite Home entries.
Mennonite Home Communities1520 Harrisburg PikeLancaster, PA 17601www.mennonitehome.org
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Featured on the cover: Richard and Bettie Dolan are the first official residents of Romarin Place.
SOARING COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Connie Buckwalter, Nelson Kling, Kim Peters, Greg Pierce, Nan Rush, Kathleen Maule, Jane Gamble, Amy Yoder
soaring
“SOARING” is a quarterly publication of Mennonite Home Communities, 1520 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601. Mennonite Home Communities is a Pennsylvania non-profit organization. A copy of the official registration and financial information of Mennonite Home Communities of Lancaster may be obtained from the PA Department of State by calling toll free within Pennsylvania 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. Please note: A donation or contribution to Mennonite Home Communities is purely voluntary. A contribution is in no way a requirement for the institution or continuation of any business relationship with Mennonite Home Communities. Also, a contribution is in no way a requirement for admission or continued stay at the facility. Residents of Mennonite Home Communities will receive the same standard of quality care, the provision of which is not conditioned on any contributions.
If you would like to receive information about Residential Living at Woodcrest
Villa, call Amy at 717.390.4103
If you wish to have your name removed from our mailing list,
call Kim at 717.390.4105.
If you would like to receive information about Personal Care or Health Care at Mennonite
Home, call Christina at 717.390.7979.
Create a lasting legacy by supporting Mennonite
Home through your estate
and/or your will. Call Greg
Pierce at 717-390-4903
to learn more.
Sign up today! RSVP is required by calling our
reservation line at (717) 391-3608 or online at woodcrestvilla.org/moving
Location: Manheim Township Public Library, 595 Granite Run Drive, Lancaster
(Please note new location this year!!! Event is NOT at Woodcrest Villa.)
Pre-registered attendees will be entered into a random drawing
for a free pair of tickets to the May 7 production of
Les Miserables at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre.
One winner per session. Must be present to win.
Nationally known speaker Rick Hunsicker travels around the country sharing his expertise to help people understand what they should be asking as they weigh the pros and
cons of moving to a Senior Living Community or staying in their own home.
TOPICS INCLUDE: • Real Estate Market Realities • Cost/Benefit Analysis • Home Ownership Costs • Safety and Security • Lifestyle Choices
Light refreshments will be available.
The Pros and Cons of Moving to a SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY
Thursday, March 26 9-10:30 a.m., 1-2:30 p.m.,
or 4-5:30 p.m.Seating is limited!
Please register early to reserve your seat!
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