Juniper Partners to 'Paint the Park Purple' for Alzheimer's Awareness

Batter up!  On August 17, Juniper Village at Brookline partnered with Home Instead Senior Care and the State College Spikes to Paint the Park Purple for the Alzheimer’s Association. The event provided a fun way to raise awareness and fight for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, as the State College Spikes battled the Williamsport Crosscutters. To show their support, Spikes fans and staff sported purple shirts, and the first 1,000 guests received free purple Spikes caps! With over 3,000 tickets sold, the stadium was a sea of lavender, grape, and plum.

Juniper Village at Brookline came out in full force for this very special night, greeting sports fans at the main gate and rooting in the stands. Special guests for the evening included former Penn State and NFL quarterback, Wally Richardson, and State College Idol winner, Rachel Moon, who sang the National Anthem.

“The association wouldn't grow without the support of sponsors like Juniper and Home Instead, and the partnership with the Spikes,” said Lissa Wise, Constituent Events Manager of the Alzheimer Association’s Greater Pennsylvania Chapter. “It was an overall great time and the number of people who came to the ballgame was very impressive! Not only did we answer a lot of questions for community members seeking support, but we also registered 10 new teams for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on October 29.”

To learn more about how you can get involved with the Alzheimer’s Association Greater PA Chapter, visit www.alz.org/pa.

Quite an After Hours

On August 11th Juniper Village at Brookline partnered with Penn State Health and B Events to host the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC) Business after Hours. Over 150 members and guests of the Chamber attended this networking event. Guests were treated to live entertainment by local string band, Strait and Miller. Attendees also enjoyed in fare prepared by Juniper dining including a large antipasto bar, chicken pops, and chocolate fountain. Featured beverages were provided by Otto's Brewery, Barrel 21 Distillery, and Seven Mountains Winery. During the evening, Dr. Kevin Paul Black, MD Vice President of University Park Regional Medical Campus welcomed attendees to Juniper Village and promoted the developing partnership between Juniper Village and Penn State Health. He shared that Penn State University Park is embarking on a full medical school program for students which will highlight collaboration with area health providers, including Juniper Village at Brookline, to provide rotational sites for medical students to learn and develop hands on experience with older adults.
        
Networking and relationship building amongst community based providers is the foundation for Partners in Caring, which is one of nine Juniper Communities signature programs. Juniper Village at Brookline was thrilled to create such a warm and welcoming opportunity for this level of fellowship to occur and is eager to continue to provide this level of community service.

Special Quilts Stimulate Senses

Unique quilts were recently donated to Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care. Made from an array of fabrics and filled with interesting items such as zippers, buttons, spools, and laces, these “fidget quilts” are as therapeutic as they are fun. Designed to stimulate the mind as well as the hands, fidget quilts are a useful tool for people living with dementia. Simple things, like weaving the lattice on a soft felt pie or buttoning small corduroy pockets can help to soothe stress. “The comfort that these quilts bring to an anxious resident is instantaneous,” says Kaitlin Hoover, Connections Director. “Pairing this with our Music and Memory program truly helps us in our mission to nurture the spirit of life in our Wellspring community.”

These special quilts were generously donated by a local woman who was inspired to make them in memory of her father who was diagnosed with dementia.

Book Sale Supports Great Cause

Recently, Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care hosted a book sale to benefit the Women’s Resource Center in State College. The fundraiser was planned to highlight Juniper’s theme for the month: Stand in Integrity with Volunteerism. Over the last year, team members throughout Juniper Village collected more than 300 books spanning a wide array of interests. There were topics for everyone, including best sellers, mysteries, biographies, cookbooks, classics, how-to-guides, novels, and even books for children! With the help of Juniper team members and interns, a summer bookstore was set up on the front lawn of Wellspring Memory Care. Community members and Juniper residents alike enjoyed searching through the inventory to find hidden gems that piqued their reading interests. "The book sale is a wonderful way to connect our residents and community while supporting a great cause," said Liz Plozner-Chalfa, executive director at Wellspring." The event was a success, raising $200 for the local Women’s Resource Center, which provides support to women, men, and children who are victims of domestic and dating violence.

August 2016 Events in State College, PA: Breathe in Life

Each August we turn our focus to the environment by offering social events and educational opportunities on living a more environmentally sustainable life. By making caring choices and creating helpful habits we can all make a difference to our planet.

Did you know that an aluminum can may remain in its current condition in a landfill for up to 500 years? That same can, when recycled, can end up back on your grocer’s shelf in as little as two months. Recycling that aluminum can also saves energy. Enough energy, in fact, to power your television for three hours! Aluminum can be recycled over, and over and over again – without limit. Americans will use about 2.5 million plastic bottles every thirty minutes. If that bottle is not recycled it can spend the next 450 years or more in a landfill. A modern glass bottle will take about 4,000 years to biodegrade. Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled again, and again and again. So, the next time you are enjoying a delicious beverage, be conscious of the packaging and make the choice to recycle.

Join us this month as we promote the environment with a focus on our recycling programs – from annual rummage sales to shredding and more; our educational offerings will help you to support our environment and Breathe in Life!

Our fabulous August 2016 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care include our:

§  CBICC Business After Hours for all Chamber of Business and Industry members, Juniper Village at Brookline is rolling out the green carpet, so come celebrate a wonderful networking event with live music, local brews, and plenty of sweet and savory treats on August 11^th from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. (Register online at www.cbicc.org or pay $5 at the door.)

§  The Buzz About Bees with local apiarist, Mike Dahlberg, from Nittany Ridge Apiaries, who will provide an educational presentation of interesting facts about beekeeping and the busy life of a honey bee complete with an observation hive and honey extraction demonstration for an interactive experience followed by honey-themed appetizers and honey-sweetened beverages on August 17^th from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

§  Macroinvertebrate Demonstration featuring world-renowned fly fisherman and entomologist, Greg Hoover, who will give an interactive and informative presentation on macro-invertebrates and their involvement in the sport of fly fishing with a collection of freshwater tanks hosting various stages of aquatic insect life, as all in attendance will be encouraged to take a look and even hold these harmless creatures, and we also will compare the dry fly replicas of these macro-invertebrates to see how they would stand up to even the pickiest of fresh water fish, followed by a social hour featuring delicious dirt cake and insect gummies on August 26^th from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our August 2016 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care with you as you Breathe in Life.