Community Connection Newsletter
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June 2020 |
News & Announcements
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May's Month of Loss
By: Jacqueline Dillinger
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May was a very difficult month for us here at Samaritas Senior Living, Traverse City. We lost two of our staff to non-COVID related deaths.
Robert Redli, 65, died on May 13 in his home. He suffered from cancer, and had been out of the work place for more than 6 weeks. Robert was a part of the Maintenance Dept. The residents best knew him as their Driver. The residents loved him for the care he took with them when they were riding with him, his cheerful personality, and his sense of humor. Robert was a dedicated and hard worker, and has been missed sorely by our staff here at Samaritas.
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Penny Zimmerman, 51 died on May 27 of a heart attack she had suffered one week prior (she had been on life support for a week). A bright spot in her passing was that she was able to donate her organs, which was very important to Penny. Penny’s death was so sudden that it has taken us all by surprise. She worked as an Activities Assistant for the Activities Dept. She spent most of her days with the Assisted Living (AL) residents. The residents loved Penny for her upbeat personality; she was definitely the life of the party! She called Bingo, played cards with the residents, hosted for socials, and so much more. Staff will miss her because they could always count on Penny to be an active and engaged part of the team. In fact, she was the longest-term employee
ever
at Samaritas, working here for over 20 years.
Rest in peace our dear ones. We already miss you so much!
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Dee Olsen
I don’t have an earliest memory of my dad, I just remember he was there. Dad was a snappy dresser, the only one in the family who would get new clothes. My mother only had two dresses. There were 4 girls in our family, we would get one pair of shoes when school started, wear them all year, then go bare-footed all summer. My dad was an entertainer, he played piano, guitar and sung. He tried to make a living as a performer, singing Scotch/Irish songs. I remember him singing on the radio in Detroit.
Because my dad was an entertainer, he never really made a decent living and we lived poorly. He was not my favorite person, he slapped us around a lot. He was never home, and was tough on mother. Everyone liked dad, except his family. He loved to tell jokes, and he was good at it. We moved all the time. Dad liked to buy big old beautiful cars that did not work very well; he was always tinkering with them.
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Ruth Wagstaff
I remember my dad more as the grandfather to my children than my dad when I was young. I was the third in a family of 6 children. My dad was attentive to the needs of his children and he was a good father. He was an electrician, and everyone would come to him to have him fix their appliances. He didn’t dress up, with the exception of when we went to church. He was also a handy man, he built both a front porch and side porch to our house. We had Aunts and Uncles who were farmers, and we would go to visit them often. My parents would use their produce to can lots of fruits and vegetables. Dad was a disciplinarian and he kept us in line. He enjoyed playing pinochle with his brothers and sisters, and taking us kids fishing on the pier.
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Doug Wallace
Doug’s dad never had a violent word. He would say “Oh for Goodness Sake”, and you would know just what he meant by that (usually frustrated with himself at something).
Doug’s first memory is his Dad was singing church hymns at home while his sister played the piano. He always dressed in a white shirt and tie, and a jacket. He was a Mechanical Engineer by trade, and a handy man too. He had a complete workshop where he was always designing and building something. He was also a licensed electrician and rebuilt the complete heating system of their home. He was proud of his family, Doug and his one sister.
He was proud of his Scottish Ancestry. He was a good provider; therefore, the family never went hungry. One bit of advice that has stayed with Doug all these years is “Do it right the first time”. Doug’s dad was a strong Christian man, giving Doug’s family a spiritual heritage. Doug’s dad was strong willed, but also physically strong. Everything he built was strong and long lasting.
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Dorothy Warren
Dorothy’s earliest memory of her dad was driving in their family car, and she would be standing up in the front seat with him. He was a bricklayer, and he dressed accordingly as a workman. He worked all over the country, and was a Foreman. Yes, he was also a handy man around the home, always taking care of repairs that need to be done. Dorothy had two older brothers. She and her dad had a special relationship in the early years. She made him proud. He was a typical Irish man with good humor and all. Dorothy is thankful she got her curly hair from him. As far as discipline, her dad was not tough on the kids, just believed in verbal correction, no spanking.
Unfortunately, Dorothy’s dad was not faithful to her mother. So, eventually, when Dorothy was 15, she and her mom moved out and lived alone.
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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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See what else is going on at Samaritas this month!
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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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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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