December 2014 SUMMIT NEWS Souderton Mennonite Homes 207 West Summit St Souderton PA 18964 LEADERSHIP CORNER: THANKSGIVING AND THANK YOU! You may be wondering why the December Leadership Corner article is titled, вЂњThanksgiving and Thank You!вЂќ rather than something related to Christmas. The reason is that as I write this article, it is the week of Thanksgiving and we are just getting ready to celebrate this holiday with family and friends. It is also my last opportunity to write this article and I want to take this opportunity to express how thankful I am to have had the opportunity to serve you, our residents, as one of the staff here at Souderton Mennonite Homes. Our Mission Statement: Together we empower older adults and families to lead lives of purpose and joy, guided by the Mennonite tradition of care and service to others. APPLE ORCHARD CAFГ‰ THE CORNER STORE Located within Souderton Mennonite Homes 207 West Summit Street, Souderton PA Phone 215-723-2182 ext. 42277 Located within Souderton Mennonite Homes 207 West Summit Street, Souderton PA Phone 215-723-2182 ext. 42213 Hours: Monday - Wednesday & Saturday 6:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Country Gifts & Cards Thursday, Friday 6:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sunday Brunch 10:00 a.m. -2:30 p.m. 10% OFF TOTAL CHECK WITH THIS COUPON Hours: Monday вЂ“ Friday 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Saturday 8:00 a.m. вЂ“ 3:00 p.m. This is a very special place and I will sincerely miss the many wonderful residents and staff who have helped to make it so special. I am a better person because of the years I have spent here with you, even though those years have gone very quickly and seem very brief. I have been truly blessed in more ways than I can express by my interactions and relationships with many of you and I will always hold this place dear in my heart. Thank you for helping to create these wonderful memories. Many of you may not be aware that for the first six months of 2015 my family will be in three different places. My daughter will be in her second semester at Western University in London, Ontario. My wife and son will be in our home here in Pennsylvania to allow my son to finish his senior year of high school at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, and I will be in Ohio in my new job at Fairlawn Community. We will all be reunited next summer following my sonвЂ™s high school graduation. While we donвЂ™t especially look forward to the separation during these six months, we know that in the end, our family will once again be together and be closer to both of our extended families, being very close to my wifeвЂ™s family in Ohio and only four hours from my family in Ontario. This is what will keep us going during the six months. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we make our way through these six months and as we then transition to our new home in Ohio. Thank you so much! And, if you ever get to Archbold, Ohio (or even close by and have a few minutes) please stop in to visit. It would be great to see you! Blessings to each of you as you continue to be an important part of this community at Souderton Mennonite Homes. I will continue to keep this place in my thoughts and prayers as I move on. And I sincerely hope that each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving (orвЂ¦had, since you will see this after Thanksgiving) and a blessed Christmas with those Inside This Issue most dear to you. Thank you and God Bless! Community Events вЂ“ 2 - Brent Nafziger, Executive Director General Reports вЂ“ 4 - 5 NOT VALID ON SUNDAYS Resident Trips & Events вЂ“ 6 EXPIRES: JANUARY 1, 2015 Resident Birthdays & Updates вЂ“ 7 Campus Information вЂ“ 8 COMMUNITY EVENTS . RESIDENTIAL LIVING EVENTS RESIDENT COUNCIL RL Resident Council will meet Tuesday, December 2nd, at 1:00 p.m. in the Family Room. Please note time change and as always, all Residential Living Residents are invited to attend. RL CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST Please join RL staff for our annual RL Christmas Breakfast on Friday, December 19th at 8:30 a.m. in the SVA. This special holiday breakfast will be prepared by our dietary dept. Sign-up is needed as space is limited so please sign-up as soon as possible. RL COOKIE BAKE RL Cookie Bake will be held Wednesday, December 8th from 10-noon in the Family Room. We will be making 4 types of resident suggested holiday treats and everyone goes home with a tin of goodies. Sign-up at RL bulletin board. SOUDERTON CHRISTMAS PARADE Last chance to reserve your spot for the Souderton Christmas Parade!!! We will leave the lobby on Sat., December 6th at 9:30 a.m. as we prepare to travel through the parade route. Please contact Heather Scattergood at ext. 42225, if you are interested in attending so that she can reserve your spot for this fun-filled morning! RESIDENT UPDATES FULL FACILITY CHRISTMAS PARTY All residents are invited to join us for a special evening celebrating the Christmas season on Wednesday, December 10th at 6:30 p.m. in the SVA. Enjoy an evening of music with Bill Monaghan and Friends. It is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. Seasonal refreshments will be served following this special program. Please contact Heather Scattergood at Ext. 42225 with any questions. NEW YEARвЂ™S CELEBRATION Bring in the New Year on Wednesday, December 31st at 2 p.m. in the SVA with вЂњThe Red Hill BandвЂќ. The choir will help us celebrate the New Year and dietary will provide an array of refreshments to enjoy during the concert. Please sign-up quickly with your unit Life Enrichment Coordinators as seating is limited. RL residents can sign-up at RL bulletin board. CHRISTMAS CANTATA Join us for a special afternoon with Dock Woods Choir as they perform a Christmas Cantata for you to enjoy on Tuesday, December 16th at 2 p.m. in the SVA. PRISON MINISTRY-CALENDARS We are collecting 2015 calendars for The Prison Ministry. Please drop off any extra you may have to the Front Desk. WELLNESS PROGRAMS Southeastern Healthcare will be here on Wednesday, December 17th at 10:30 a.m. in the Carport Lobby with complimentary blood pressure screening. IRS SCAM PHONE CALLS There have been numerous reports regarding suspicious phone calls from people or automated systems posing as the IRS or IRS Agents stating that they have warrants for your arrest stemming from alleged unpaid taxes owed to the IRS. In many calls, a phone number is given requesting you to call as soon as possible to resolve these debts. DO NOT CALL ANY PHONE NUMBER GIVEN IN THESE MESSAGES. THESE CALLS ARE SCAMS. The IRS will NEVER call you about any unpaid taxes. You should hang up immediately. DO NOT engage anyone who says they are calling from the IRS in any discussions and DO NOT give these callers any of your personal information. Hang up and keep hanging up if they call again. By hanging up, they will eventually stop calling and move onto someone else. This information has been removed to protect the privacy of our residents. RESIDENT EVENTS RESIDENTIAL LIVING-Trips CONTвЂ™D PENNYPACKER MILLS CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE Wednesday, December 3rd at O 9:30 a.m. Delight in visions of holidays past as you tour the historical site of Pennypacker Mills in Schwenksville. Enjoy the dazzling glass ornaments, silky ribbons and greens of the decorated historic mansion. No cost to ride the Living Branches coach or tour mansion. PHILLY POPS CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR SHOW, KIMMEL CENTER PHILADELPHIA вЂ“ HAGEY TOURS The Living Branches shuttle will take residents with reservations to the Hagey Tours facility. Hagey Tours will provide transportation to Philadelphia. Enjoy the magic of the season as The Philly POPS present beloved tunes in exciting arrangements with over 300 musicians, remarkable choirs and the ever-popular audience sing-along. This is a 3:00 p.m. Sunday matinee. There will be direct return home after the show with no dinner stop. Please consider bringing a snack/closed container beverage if you are on this tour. It can remain on the Hagey bus while you are at the show. Approximate return to Souderton is 7:00 p.m.-7:15 p.m. LANDIS MARKET, TELFORD Thursday, December 4th вЂ“ 9:30 a.m. and Thursday, December 18th, 9:30 a.m. Bring your bags and shop for groceries at Landis. No cost for the transportation. TRADER JOEвЂ™S Are you looking to eat healthy on a budget? Join us for a trip to Trader JoeвЂ™s on Monday, December 15th 9:30 a.m. Sign up is required. BOLTONвЂ™S FARM Looking for specialty items for Christmas? Join us for a trip to BoltonвЂ™s Farm, Friday, December 19th at 9:30 a.m. Sign up at RL Bulletin Board. BUX-MONT ACTIVE ADULT TRAVEL CLUB PASTORвЂ™S CORNER: GOD OF LIGHT If you have any questions, contact Wendy OвЂ™Connor at 215-723-2182 Ext. 42311 PERSONAL CARE SOUDERTON MENвЂ™S ALUMNI CHOIR Souderton MenвЂ™s Alumni Choir will be here in the Summit View Auditorium on Monday, December 1st to kick off this monthвЂ™s many holiday programs. HAND BELL CHOIR Come and listen to the beautiful sounds Are you looking for additional travel of the Generations Hand Bell Choir on Wednesday, December 10th at 2:00 p.m. opportunities? Would you like to travel with other seniors from local in the Summit View Auditorium. retirement homes with Perkiomen CHRISTMAS LIGHTS Tours? We are taking a bus trip around the local If you answered вЂ�YesвЂ™ then look for neighborhoodвЂ™s looking at all the the colorful Bux-Mont Active Adult beautiful Christmas lights on Tuesday, Travel Club flyers in your December 16th. We will leave from the mailboxes. These flyers are Park View entrance at 6:00 p.m. distributed quarterly to RL HOLIDAY PROGRAM-YOO FAMILY residents. Additional copies are located on the table outside the On Monday, December 22nd please join fitness center. me as the very talented Yoo Family will be here to perform their holiday This travel program is exclusively program in the Summit View Auditorium prepared for residents of Souderton at 6:30 p.m. Mennonite Homes, Rockhill NORTH PENN SINGERS Mennonite Community, Lutheran Community of Telford, Peter Becker The North Penn singers will be here on Community and Frederick Tuesday, December 23rd at 7:00 p.m in Mennonite Community. the Summit View Auditorium. Take advantage of additional trips sponsored by Perkiomen Tours by calling the number listed and referencing the tour code mentioned. If you have any questions, contact Wendy OвЂ™Connor at 215-723-2182 x42311. I donвЂ™t know about you but it seems to me that given the вЂњclimate of chaosвЂќ we are experiencing in our world today that maybe the time has come for us to pick up a box of tissues and let the tears flow. With each passing day our world seems to be drowning in a вЂњthick darknessвЂќ - war in Gaza, crisis in Syria, ISIS in Iraq, the slaying of five unarmed black men in one month at the hands of U.S. police officers, school shootings again in Washington, killing and capturing of school children in Nigeria, eboli and the fear it generates, and the impotence of our governmental leaders to move beyond a political deadlock to do something good. The Scriptures call us in times of вЂњthick darknessвЂќ like this to cross over into the вЂњvalley of lamentвЂќto cry our eyes out in the face of such over whelming and impending evil. In the Old Testament when the prophet Jeremiah came face to face with the rampant violence and injustice of his time вЂ“ he lost it. Sobbing uncontrollable heaves he cried out вЂњO that my head were a spring of water and my eyes fountain of tears so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people.вЂќ ItвЂ™s his uncontrollable emotion that caused him to be known as the вЂњWeeping ProphetвЂќ. We donвЂ™t so much weep about world fragmentation, as complain. Can you remember the last time you cried about the violence in our world? Instead of entering the вЂњvalley of lamentвЂќ, many of us feel more comfortable on theвЂќ plateau of rageвЂќ or theвЂќ plain of apathyвЂќ. Weeping seems so weak, so impotent, so helpless вЂ“ and it is. It does little to change the reality of tragedy and brokenness. But it changes us. It breaks down our illusion that we can somehow вЂњfixвЂќ the situation and nudges us to place our trust in a God who specializes in bringing new life to that which is вЂњformless and voidвЂќ вЂ“ a God who brought LIGHT when вЂњdarkness covered the earthвЂќ. Perhaps in the midst of the tinsel and lights this advent season, there should be boxes of tissues, and time set apart to help us cry our way back to this God вЂ“ to THE God of light. Contributed by Pastor Ray Hurst & Pastor Joy Sawatzky FELLOWSHIP OFFERING INFORMATION October Offering Summary: The Worm Project $2,277.81 December Offering Recipient: Mennonite Disaster Service REPORTS FUND DEVELOPMENT first houses may have appeared as a result of the popular GrimmвЂ™s fairy tales, while other food historians theorize that the brothers Grimm were writing about something that already existed. THURSDAY EVENING PROGRAMS IN THE SVA ANNUAL YEAR END APPEAL December 4: Come prepared for a refreshing evening of music with the Miller and Randolph family singers. вЂў Mincemeat and Mince Pies вЂ“ Minced meats accomplished many things as it utilized leftover meat, stretched the protein supply and permitted meat to be incorporated into other dishes. Dating back to medieval times, mincemeat pies also included dried fruits, sugar, and spices but the distinction between mincemeat and mince was drawn in the min-19th century when meat began disappearing from the recipe leaving the fruit, nut, sugar, spice, and suet product we know today. December 11: A team from the MAMA project will be here to update us on their every growing program. MAMA works in several countries (Honduras, Haiti), supporting childrenвЂ™s nutrition and survival, and providing scholarships for education. As we approach the time when many of our residents and donors start to plan for their yearend giving, I want to remind you about the benevolent care ministry at all three of our campuses. Our gap in funding for residents who are no longer able to pay the full cost of their care continues to grow each year and we appreciate your ongoing support of these individuals. It is through your generous gifts that we are able to provide quality care for all of our residents, regardless of their ability to pay. The letter and brochure year end appeal were distributed just before Thanksgiving and your contribution should be received by the Fund Development office no later than Wednesday, December 31, 2014 in order to be acknowledged for the 2014 tax year. Thank you for considering Living Branches in your yearend giving! For more information, please contact Keith Heavener at 215-723-9881 ext. 42285. FITNESS & WELLNESS ACTIVITIES вЂњThe Foods of ChristmasвЂќ вЂњNow bring us some figgy pudding, Now bring us some figgy pudding, Now bring us some figgy pudding, And bring some out here." While I have never had the вЂ�joyвЂ™ of trying figgy pudding, there are many foods of Christmas that I have had the pleasure of sampling and because I began wondering what some popular Christmas food origins were and I thought it would be fun to shareвЂ¦.. вЂў Candy Canes вЂ“ Hundreds of years ago sugar was very expensive and was a food of the wealthy and for others became a special treat saved for holidays and other special occasions. The first historical reference to the familiar cane shape goes back to 1670, when the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, bent the sugar-sticks into canes to represent a shepherd's staff. The all-white candy canes were given out to children during the long-winded nativity services, with the stripes only appearing in1897 or so for reasons unknown. вЂў Christmas Cookies вЂ“ Tracing their roots to Medieval European recipes, Christmas cookies were introduced to Europe in the Middle Ages, and were highly prized as many of the recipes and ingredients included cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, almonds, dried fruits, etc. Dutch and German settlers introduced cookie cutters, decorative molds, and festive holiday decorations to America, with German lebkuchen (gingerbread) probably being the first cake/cookie traditionally associated with Christmas. вЂў Christmas Birds: peacocks, swans, geese & turkeys вЂ“ The larger the bird, the more festive the presence with вЂњNew WorldвЂќ turkeys introduced to Europe in the 16th century, whereas AmericaвЂ™s turkey was a natural choice for a Christmas feast as they were wild and plentiful. вЂў Gingerbread вЂ“ In the 13th century, the word was originally, gingerbras (borrowed from the Old French) which meant вЂ�preserved gingerвЂ™. But, by the mid-14th century, the word вЂ“bread had begun to replace вЂ“bras. In American cookery, there are two distinct families of gingerbread cookies вЂ“ the honey-based gingerbreads of Middle European origin вЂ“ mostly Germany; and the molasses shortbreads that developed in England or Scotland, depending which historian you reference. вЂў Gingerbread houses вЂ“ Some researchers state the вЂў Sugarplums вЂ“ Not a fruit picked from a tree, but rather is a confection traditionally composed of tiny sugar-coated seeds. Sugarplums were an early form of boiled sweet. Not actually made from plums, there were roughly the size and shape of plums; came in an assortment of colors and flavors; frequently had aniseed, caraway seed, etc. at their center and often had little wire stalks for suspending. So regardless of your favorite foods and recipes prepared and delicacies enjoyed, may this Christmas season fill your heart and soul and leave you feeling satisfied with the true spirit of the holiday! Live Well! Marci Christian, Fitness Center Coordinator WELLNESS ACTIVITIES вЂў Shuffleboard вЂ“ Monday, December 1st вЂ“ Fitness Center Hallway вЂ“ 6:30 p.m. вЂ“ Everyone welcome. Join your neighbors and friends for a friendly game of shuffleboard вЂ“ learn to play, challenge a friend, or come to watch! Always a good time. вЂў Wellness Social вЂ“ Tuesday, December 9th - 2:30 p.m. in the CafГ©. вЂњEat This and Not That!вЂќ Join Marci and your friends and neighbors as we explore the fun decadent foods of the holidays and how we can enjoy the delicacies without looking like Santa Claus by the end of the holiday season. вЂў Wednesdays & Fridays вЂ“ Tai Chi in the Family Room вЂ“ 9 вЂ“ 10 a.m. or 2 вЂ“ 3:00 p.m. Improve balance, increase stamina and improve range of motion. Can be done seated or standing вЂ“ new members always welcome! вЂў Thursdays вЂ“ Ladies Billiards вЂ“ 10:30 a.m. in the 1st floor Sports Lounge вЂ“ Never played??? Interested in learning the fundamentals of billiards???? Now is the time ladies! December 18: Ralph Alderfer and Joy Sawatzky will team up together to do Christmas Carol singing and Christmas Stories. December 25: No program due to the holiday. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Accompanist wanted: The SMH Choir will be starting up again in March 2015 and they are looking for an accompanist. Practices are held two Tuesday afternoons each month and the choir performs the 4th Sunday of the month during the worship service in the SVA. For more information on this opportunity, or other volunteer opportunities, please contact Lynne Allebach at 215723-9881 Ext. 42289.