HomePlace Burlington Recognized for Contributions to Friendship House
January 17, 2012
HomePlace recently received this letter in recognition of contributions to Friendship House. Friendship House provides comprehensive services and programs for homeless people in the Skagit valley seeking emergency shelter and supportive transitional housing, empowering them towards self-sufficiency.
January 2, 2012 Home Place Dear Friends, Thank you for your very generous donations to Friendship House! Your generosity will assist many individuals in our community who are in the midst of serious struggles, yet who are committed to piecing their lives back together. Your thoughtfulness means so much to our staff members and the people we serve. Thanks again for your thoughtfulness. In peace. |
HomePlace Burlington Celebrates Halloween
October 31, 2011
HomePlace residents and staff celebrated Halloween this year in a variety of activities. There was a kiddie Halloween parade throughout the entire community in the morning along with about 35 trick-or-treaters! A ghoulish lunch was prepared for residents and visitors that included eyeball meatballs, sticky spaghetti, creepy crawly veggies, and worm in the dirt cupcakes.
Staff also participated in an elementary school Halloween carnival and provided cupcakes for the cake walk. HomePlace is a safe location for the wee-care kids to trick-or-treat, and the community also made candy corn bags for local community partners.
Alzheimer’s Community Shows Its Colors at Walk
October 23, 2011
Friends, family and staff of the Frontier Management group of senior care facilities participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer's, Sept. 24 in Mount Vernon. The walk started at the Skagit Transit Station.
The walk was organized by the state chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. As the official color of the association, a lot of purple was on display on flags, banners and bandannas. The purple bandannas were provided by Frontier Management, which operates HomePlace special care centers in Burlington and Oak Harbor, and Where The Heart Is, an assisted living and memory care facility in Burlington.
Alzheimer's is an incurable brain disorder characterized by memory loss, disorientation, impairment of judgment and personality change."Not only was (the walk) a fundraiser for the association, but it was also a celebration of life by family who have lost a loved one to the disease," a press release from Where The Heart Is Burlington said.
The Mount Vernon event raised more than $29,000 for the association, which provides services to those with the disease and funds research for a cure.
"Purple Power" -
Participants in the Alzheimer's walk Sept. 24 sport purple bandannas at Skagit Transit Station, where the walk began. Purple is the official color of the Alzheimer's Association.
2011 Walk to End Alzheimer's
September 24, 2011
HomePlace Special Care of Burlington participated with a booth and a team at the Walk to End Alzheimer's in Mt. Vernon, WA on September 24, 2011. HomePlace Special Care of Oak Harbor was a Finish Line Sponsor.
The HomePlace Booth was near the balloon arch start/finish line. It was an unusually hot and humid morning, and the Frontier Management Bandanas were a welcome way to cool off and everyone was excited about receiving one. A collective team of wonderful staff and families was made up from Where The Heart Is, HomePlace Special Care of Oak Harbor and HomePlace Special Care of Burlington.
Homeplace Burlington Hosts Health Fair for Employees and Visitors
August 10, 2011
Homeplace Burlington hosted a health fair to help promote and support healthy lifestyles choices for their staff. Twelve health care and product vendors visited with attendees, providing great ideas to promote healthy choices for living well. The fair was the idea of the Homeplace Burlington safety committee as part of the staff wellness program plan began in May of this year. The safety committee wanted to focus on employee health and safety as it directly leads to safe work practices and overall health for the staff. Staff members were encouraged to take materials, contact information, healthy eating tips and much more shared by the vendors.
“The fair was great, tons of staff participation and outside visitors,” stated Elena Roppel, Executive Director of Homeplace Burlington. The staff from Skagit Adult Day Center and Wee Care Early Learning Center, which shares a campus with Homeplace Burlington, also attended the health fair.
Homeplace Burlington would like to thank the 2011 Homeplace Health Fair participants Health First Chiropractic-Anytime Fitness-SeaMar -Costco-Perry Family Dentistry-Doris Breoort-Xocai-Skagit county community action-SeaMar Dentist-Juice Plus-Skagit Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault-Safe Place for their participation.
Berry Dairy Days Participation
June 25, 2011
Homeplace Burlington and Where the Heart is participated in the annual Berry Dairy Days celebration and parade Saturday - June 25, 2011, along with members of the Homeplace Fastpitch Softball team. Homeplace has sponsored a softball team through a local little league program for the past 3 years, Managed by Homeplace Executive Director Elena Roppel. The softball team was 11-1 this season and took first place overall in league and the district. During the parade the children and staff gave out popsicles to the locals who had come to support the Berry Dairy Days Parade.
Inter-generational activity provides common "ground" for kids and residents
Earth Day - April 22, 2011
On Earth Day in April of 2011, kids from the second grade class at Lucille-Umbarger School in Burlington visited and helped turn soil, plant flowers, and participate in an essay contest hosted by Homeplace Burlington. Homeplace has been working with the second grade class for the past few years providing intergenerational activities for both their residents and the kids.
The kids helped residents plant and re-decorate clay pots that were an Earth Day project over 5 years ago. "They really enjoyed planting and digging soil", said Executive Director of Homeplace Elena Roppel. "The kids really got their hands dirty, and also were able to describe what Earth Day was and how it could affect them."
The planting project provided a great opportunity for generations both young and old to work toward the same goal; protect our Mother Earth.
"Mother Earth is like my mom, she is always there for me when I need her" stated one of the second graders.
The second grade class will continue to participate for the remainder of the school year with the residents of Homeplace Burlington in intergenerational programs and projects. The next scheduled project is when the second grade class will join us on June 3rd to sing a collaboration of Grandparents Day songs with the residents who many of them look to as grandparents.
Homeplace Burlington is a memory care community providing 24 hour care services to people afflicted by Alzheimer's and other types of Dementias. For more information regarding intergenerational activities or services provided by Homeplace, please contact Executive Director Elena Roppel at 360-755-7000.
