In 2011, Lutheran Senior Services introduced The LSSLiving Foundation, which is dedicated to raising funds that enable LSS to continue providing for those who can no longer provide for themselves. In 2012, the Foundation is kicking things off with a bang! The calendar is filling up with events to support Benevolent Care at LSS, including…
- Works of Heart: An Art Auction to Serve Seniors. March 29 will be an evening to nourish the soul at Meramec Bluffs, as guests experience wonderful works of art while helping to restore hope to seniors in need. Items up for bid include works by both renowned national artists and new, undiscovered talents. Organizers are still welcoming donations of artwork — for more information or to RSVP for this event, call 636.923.2356 or 636.923.2315.
- Come to the Cabaret! An Evening with Erin Bode. “What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play!” Join us Sunday, April 29, as St. Louis resident Erin Bode takes the stage at Vin de Set‘s Moulin theater for a stylish cabaret-themed evening of music and enjoyment. RSVP information is coming soon; email us to be notified with more information as it becomes available.
- Tee Off with LSS: Benevolent Care Benefit Golf Tournament. A St. Louis tradition, LSS’ annual golf tournament welcomes friends and supporters to the Whitmoor Country Club in Weldon Spring, Missouri. To be held Monday, July 16, the event features 18 holes of golf, a picnic lunch, an elegant dinner and silent and oral auctions. For more information, call 314.262.8217.
- The Hidden Lake Benevolent Brunch. One of LSS’ most successful Benevolent Care fundraisers will be back for its fourth year Sunday, November 11. Live music, an elegant atmosphere, and delicious cuisine are all hallmarks of this event, which invites Hidden Lake’s residents, families, staff, and supporters to focus on how they can spread compassion in their community.
As the costs of aging goes up, so too does the need for Benevolent Care. Last year, LSS provided more than $5.7 million in Benevolent Care to help bridge the gap between what Medicaid covers and what seniors and their families can afford. By attending any of these events, you can help restore hope and preserve the dignity of seniors in your area.
To learn more about LSS Benevolent Care, visit LSSLiving.org/Giving today.
Say it loud and say it proud: “I’m not getting older. I’m getting better!” In the spirit of aging beautifully, we present a year-long series on The Classics — books, movies, cars, and music that just get better and better as time goes by.
That wide grill. The chrome headlights. The tailfins. And that sound. Even people who know nothing about cars can pick out the ‘57 Chevy in a crowd. There’s a reason why it’s the world’s most recognizable make and model. Here are a few things you might not know about the king of the hot rods.
- At its heart, the 1957 Chevy is actually the 1955 Chevy. While the company initially hoped to debut an entirely new car that year, production delays meant the ‘57 offering would be a refinement of past models, offering a number of improvements, including the trademark tailfins and grill.
- The Bel Air offered a number of ahead-of-its-time features that would go on to become standard issue in today’s car lines, from power windows and seats to rear radio speakers and even an “autotronic eye” bolted to the dashboard that automatically dimmed the headlights when it sensed oncoming traffic. However, another feature — an electric shaver — failed to catch on.
- All the new improvements to the line bumped the sticker price up considerably, which is one reason the Bel Air underperformed in the sales department. As a result, 1957 was the first year Ford beat out Chevy in overall sales since 1935. However, Chevy got the last laugh, as the growing hot rod scene made the Bel Air a big seller for decades to come. A mainstay of racing circuits through the 1970s, the ‘57 Chevy wound up winning more grand national NASCAR races than any other model in history.
As you might expect from someone who played with the Cardinals during the last 10 years, Chris Duncan has no end of stories to tell. “The most memorable home run of my career had to be my last at bat of the 2005 season,” he says. “It was so special, because it wound up being the last home run hit at the old Busch Stadium.”
The Cardinals’ 2006 Rookie of the Year made a very special visit to the residents of Breeze Park recently to answer questions about his time with the St. Louis ball club, as well as the current direction of the team.
As Duncan let his audience know up front, he was open to answering questions on anything at all, including his impressions of Tony LaRussa (“He was one of the best coaches of all time,” Duncan said. “It was such an honor to be there to play under him.”) to his opinions on incoming manager Mike Matheny (“There’s going to be an adjustment period. He needs to get in there and get involved with his players, but it’s going to be a thrill seeing him coach the team.”)
Duncan left the majors in 2009, and today he co-hosts the Fast Lane on 101 ESPN with former Rams defensive tackle D’Marco Farr. While the 2011 season ended with the departure of LaRussa and star first baseman Albert Pujols, Duncan is optimistic about the future of the franchise. “You’ve got Adam Wainwright, who’s probably the best pitcher in baseball, and Chris Carpenter both on the mound,” says Duncan. “Despite Tony and Albert leaving, you still have to figure the Cardinals are the favorites in the division. This is gonna be an exciting year in St. Louis.”
Illinois State Representative Jehan Gordon was on hand to present the staff of Lutheran Hillside Village with the “Good Neighbor Business” award for the month of January, honoring the community for exceptional service to the Peoria area.
“When a business lends a hand to a non-profit organization, their kindness extends through the entire community. A wonderful example of this is when Lutheran Hillside Village catered the opening ceremony for the Heart of Illinois Senior Games,” Gordon said. “Not only were the organizers grateful for their assistance, but hundreds of seniors were treated to a special meal as well. I would like to thank Lutheran Hillside Village for their generous contribution to the Senior Games.”
The Heart of Illinois Senior Games and Fine Arts Festival nominated Lutheran Hillside Village for preparing and serving the meal at the opening ceremony of the 2011 games. “Lutheran Hillside Village provided, prepared, presented, and served a fantastic menu of delicious food for (the opening ceremony),” explains nominator Shelly Peters, Event Coordinator. “Not only did they provide the food, but they also decorated the Riverview Room at the RiverPlex beautifully and served the food with true professionalism, respect and smiling faces, making the Opening Ceremony reception a huge hit.”
LHV’s Executive Director Lorraine Neitzer accepted the award alongside a veritable who’s who from the senior living community, including residents, staff, and family members. And after the presentation, Activities Director Connie Hillier led the resident line dancing team in a celebratory dance — one on which Rep. Gordon joined in!
The Village at Mackenzie Place — LSS’ newest senior living community — has seen a flurry of activity in recent weeks as the first residents have begun moving in and making themselves at home.
“When you walk into these apartments, you are amazed at how nice they are and how large they are,” Site Manager Nikki Clayton told reporters, explaining the reaction she gets from new move-ins. “The response (to Mackenzie Place) has been excellent.”
Built in and around the historic Affton High School building, Mackenzie Place is LSS’ first community to combine market rate, rent-controlled, and rent-subsidized apartments on the same campus. As a result, this major new addition to the Affton area has attracted a fair bit of attention from the local media, with the Webster-Kirkwood Times and Patch.com both running features on the community.
Photo by Diana Linsley, Webster-Kirkwood Times
In Springfield, Illinois last year, the health care and social work fields surpassed local government among the top local employers. No small feat in the state capitol. And one of the reasons for that shift was the addition of Concordia Village’s new skilled nursing households.
The two households that are currently open at Concordia Village have already brought 40 new positions to town, but when the expansion is up to full capacity, total employment will reach approximately 170 staff members.
Recently, Tim Landis with the State Journal-Register interviewed Concordia Village Executive Director Mary Riggs on what the expansion means for the Springfield area. Click here to read the whole story.
Photo by Jason Johnson with the State Journal-Register.
While the idea of escaping the cold and retiring to Florida may sound pretty good on a chilly January morning like today’s, Chris Stroisch from Springfield, Illinois’ State Journal Register recently discovered that warmer weather isn’t the most important factor to consider in choosing a retirement destination.
Stroisch visited with Kari Pranger, a senior living counselor at LSS’ Concordia Village community. “Moving somewhere warm does not ensure that there is a plan in place if a health crisis arises,” Pranger told the reporter, pointing out that the services offered by a senior living community is far more important than climate when it comes to long-term resident satisfaction.
To read the full story, including a list of questions to ask when touring a retirement community, click here.
Executive Director Colleen Bottens took the residents of Meridian Village on a trip into the Biblical past Dec. 15, as she led staff members in a performance of “Journey to Bethlehem.” During the play, audience members met centurions and shepherds, merchants and magi, as “Colleen of the Village of Meridian” made her way to meet the newborn Baby Jesus. Click below to see images from the evening’s performance.
Meridian Village's Journey to Bethlehem
With a music teacher for a father and a classically trained clarinetist for a mother, Sherilyn Berger almost couldn’t help but grow up to be a musical impresario herself.
“I didn’t have much choice,” Sherilyn laughs. “Dad gave me piano lessons. Mom made sure I practiced. Every Saturday morning, we had lessons. And summers we spent our time at home working on our rudiments.” Sherilyn and her brother Ron didn’t even hear rock ‘n’ roll on a consistent basis until they were in college. “It’s funny; we would run around the house playing with Cesar Franck’s symphony playing in the background.”
Today, Sherilyn is a celebrated violinist, and she has her parents to thank for it. Which is why her recent Christmas concert at Meramec Bluffs was so memorable – it gave her a chance to perform once again with her father, Meramec Bluffs resident Orvid Halane. read more…
If there’s been one constant in Marilyn King’s life, it’s been her art.
“I’ve been doing art since I was a little kid,” she says. “I’ve always drawn. I started painting with oils in high school, but after I took a class in watercolors from a friend a few years back, I gave the oils to my grandson. I just love watercolors.”
Today, the walls of her house at Laclede Groves are covered with her landscapes and studies of flowers, and her love for the medium jumps off of every canvas. “Things happen in watercolor. You’re not completely in control of the color. It’s a more open medium to work in.”
And lately, she’s been happily converting her fellow residents through an art class she teaches in the craft room. “It turns out, I love teaching,” she says. “When they asked me to take over the class, I told them, ‘Oh, I’ve never taught before,’ but I can show them what I’ve learned from my teachers, and that’s worked out so well.” read more…
