Community Connection Newsletter
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June 2020 |
News & Announcements
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Senior Wisdom: Surviving Life's Difficulties
92 year-old Samaritas Senior Living resident recalls depression era challenges
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It's no surprise that the outcome of the Coronavirus Pandemic is forcing plenty of people to re-think finances and ways to keep their families together.
This month we asked beloved Samaritas Senior Living resident Liz Ilku her advice on what families suffering from the pandemic can do to save money, and their sanity, during these challenging times.
Check out the video on the right to hear what she had to say.
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Bloomfield Hills Poetry Contest
In the last few months, we have all become acutely aware of the importance of actively pursuing intentional self-care to support both mental and physical health. In our community, we have encouraged the use of FaceTime, Zoom, Skype or similar apps as a means of having regular discussions with loved ones, engaging in regular exercise, getting adequate rest for your body and mind, maintaining a healthy diet, reading books, and developing hobbies that will intentionally inspire you in your faith, your work and your family commitments. In this effort to offer suggestions for healthy distractions and sources of encouragement during this time, we decided to focus on helping residents give their thoughts and feelings words. From this, grew a poem contest. We asked our residents to express with words, how they are feeling. We had quite the participation!
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A Tribute to the caregivers, chefs, and all the working helpers.
To be sung in marching tempo to the music of John Philip Sousa’s ‘Star and Stripes Forever”
Be kind to our friends where we live
For they help us stay strong and healthy.
They feed us good food everyday
Hoping COVID-19 goes away.
Samaritas has shown the world
If you follow the rules, you’re a winner.
Thank you, God bless one and all.
We are so grateful to be here and know where cared for!
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More About Liz Ilku
Samaritas Senior Living Bloomfield Hills resident L
iz Ilku participated in our poem contest and had a unique way of delivering her lines. Check out her video to see how she artfully sang her thoughts.
As a former musician, this 92 year-old beauty
played the harp for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for 30 years.
She played the harp on the Ed Sullivan Show and started a radio show in Nova Scotia called Swing Easy that was pretty popular.
She is a wonderful friend to all in our Bloomfield community.
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Samaritas Youth Art Show on June 15
This virtual event is honor of World Refugee Awareness Week
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The Samaritas Youth Art Show titled “Let the Love Shine/ Deja el Amor Brillar” will be launched at noon on Tues., June 15 online at
Samaritas.org/Youth-Art- Show
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It will include paintings and mixed media art pieces created by students in Samaritas’ Foster Care Refugee Youth program.
Art lovers can also choose their favorite piece and have its image printed on an item such as a tote bag for a fee.
The proceeds will benefit the Samaritas Youth Refugee program and help fund enrichment programs managed by the Samaritas Refugee Youth Advocacy Board members.
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Coronavirus Pandemic Update
How you can keep Samaritas programs running
Since the start of the Coronavirus Pandemic, we’re all adjusting our activities to meet the standards of social distancing and stay-at-home recommendations. At Samaritas, these adjustments include an increased focus on the best care possible for clients vulnerable to COVID-19. These include at-risk seniors, intellectually disabled adults, and families and teens living in shelters.
To support our clients, many of our employees are working in extraordinary circumstances to keep them safe. We expect the need for food security, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), programs and services to increase in the upcoming months. To that end, we need your help to continue offering the quality services our clients need and deserve.
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Visit samaritas.org/donate to see what’s needed for these programs:
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- Samaritas COVID-19 Response Fund – Monetary donations will help us get personal protective equipment, wage increases for our frontline workers and extra food for our shelters.
- Samaritas Monthly Giving Club – For as little as $5 a month, donors can provide a steady funding source throughout the year.
- COVID Care Kits – Samaritas offers packages of critical items for the vulnerable people we serve. We need cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, facial tissue, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and non-perishable food and water for these kits. Other items like children’s books, toys, diapers and baby formula will help keep families whole during financial hardship.
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- New Americans Pantry – Samaritas has an Amazon Wish List to help stock the pantries of refugees and their families. Anything donated from Amazon will be distributed to these families in need. Visit bit.ly/NewAmericansWishlist to see the list.
- Foster Care Family Support – Samaritas also has an Amazon Wish List to help foster parents support the children in their care. Food and household items are needed and will be distributed to these families. Visit bit.ly/FosterFamilyWishlist to see the list.
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See what else is going on at Samaritas this month!
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Samaritas offers retirement living for seniors with five communities throughout Michigan. Whether you want independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory support or rehabilitation therapy, you’ll find a home that feels right.
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