Meals On Wheels: JVB Delivery Day

Juniper Village at Brookline associates recently took to the roads of State College and beyond to serve up meals on behalf of State College Area Meals On Wheels. Six staff members teamed up with delivery drivers to provide hot and cold prepackaged food to nearly 170 local residents in need. Handing out nutritious meals, Juniper goodies, and a whole lot of smiles made for a great day!

CELEBRATE: Happy 1st Anniversary!

Today's the day! Juniper Village at Brookline did it up big for our one-year anniversary as a part of the Juniper family. We would like to extend a BIG thank you to Juniper Communities, our residents, associates, and resident family members for embarking on this journey with us. We've had a wonderful year and are already looking forward to many more.

With cake, balloons, prizes, and our mascot Miles the Giraffe at the piano, we could not have asked for a better day. Happy Anniversary, everyone!

Music and Memory Updates

At Juniper Village Wellspring Memory Care at Brookline, our Music and Memory program continues to grow, so we thought we'd share a few recent highlights of our quest to provide each of our residents with their own iPods and headphones, and a personalized music library of familiar songs, which is used as an alternative therapy for anxiety related to dementia.

Golden Girl Scout
State College native, Brooke Young recently finished her sophomore year at State College Area High School. Involved with Girl Scouts since she was 6 years old, she currently is working on her Gold Award and selected Wellspring's Music and Memory program as her project. Brooke is using this year's cookie money to help with the purchase of 10 iPod Shuffles.

This project means more to Brooke than just earning her Gold Award. She has a special interest because her great grandmother passed away with Alzheimer’s disease, and her grandmother is currently in declining health due to Alzheimer’s. Brooke's mom says that Brooke "hopes to make a difference in someone's life as well as making the public aware of this wonderful program".

It Takes a Village
After reading our Music and Memory article in local newspaper, Centre Daily Times, Dave and Jeanie Gerber of Port Matilda, PA, were so moved that they took it upon themselves to reach out to Executive Director, Liz Plozner-Chalfa, who recommended the film, Alive Inside. Shortly thereafter, the Gerbers returned with a donation of four new iPod Shuffles and matching headphones.

Benefit Walk
This Saturday, July 11, at 10 am, we will be hosting a "Miles for Memory" benefit walk at our sister community (JVB Senior Living) at 1930 Cliffside Drive in State College. Registration is $15 and includes an event T-shirt. You may contact 814-234-3141 to register, or register at the event. All proceeds will benefit the Music and Memory Program.

July 2015 Events in State College, PA: Stand in Integrity

With our July 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care this month we kick off our summer quarter Alive In All Seasons theme “Stay Connected” where we will strive to stay connected to the community and the environment. Throughout July we will focus on staying connected to our community through Volunteerism, where we Stand In Integrity. The biggest and most visible benefit of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers work magic in unifying communities. Through volunteer work you are able to connect with your community on a deeper level and help to make it a better place to live and grow. But what we don’t always realize is that volunteering is a two-way street. Volunteers benefit as much as the causes they support. Through volunteering you make new friends, expand your professional, social and support networks and boost your social skills. So, give it a try and experience the benefits of giving of yourself.

If you are looking for opportunities to share your time, check with our Connections Directors to see what opportunities we have, or join us in one of our volunteer projects. Also plan to join us during our July 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care as we recognize our Ambassador Program, focus on our Resident Computer Center and training or any other calendar item that catches your eye.

Our fabulous July 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care include our:

• Tech Connect: iPods as we learn about how to utilize these devices and how to develop our own therapeutic playlists on July 6^th at 11:00 am.

• Happy Valley Animals in Need “Dog Days of Summer” to celebrate the connection between humankind and humankind’s best friend on July 24^th at 2:00 pm.

• Dinner and Discussion with Dr. Gong Chen for an informative presentation by this Penn State University leading researcher into Alzheimer’s Disease accompanied by a tasty meal on July 29^th at 6:00 pm.

• American Red Cross Community Blood Drive because each blood donation can save up to 3 lives, so together we can give the gift of life this summer on July 31^st from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

We look forward to sharing our July 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Wellspring Memory Care with you as we Stand in Integrity.

Fun for everyone: FAMILY PICNIC!

It's a tradition that residents, friends, and family members look forward to all year long: Juniper Village at Brookline's annual family picnic, the largest and most popular event held throughout the campus. On Sunday, nearly 700 guests enjoyed a fun-filled day that included some of summer's best sights, sounds and tastes of summer.

Though raindrops were falling, outlooks were bright as picnic-goers noshed on hot dogs and hamburgers, fresh grilled chicken, potato salad and baked beans, and pies with Penn State's Berkey Creamery ice cream. Back for another year, was crowd favorite, Deacons of Dixieland, and the Happy Valley Alley Clown troupe, with their in-demand balloon animal menagerie.

All attendees were thoroughly pleased with the get together, with one thank you note perhaps stating it best, saying, "Awesome picnic done by awesome people!"

Wellspring Speaks to Alzheimer's Association on AFA Certification

Juniper Village Wellspring Memory Care at Brookline Executive Director, Elizabeth Plozner-Chalfa, recently attended the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association annual conference. Held in State College, Liz contributed to the conference as both an event host and guest speaker, presenting on JVB Wellspring's Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) “Excellence in Care, Dementia Care Program of Distinction” award certification.

To earn this distinction, Wellspring underwent a comprehensive on-site evaluation and consultation by an AFA Excellence Specialist to ensure compliance with AFA’s national standards on care quality and ability to sustain performance. Wellspring at Brookline is Juniper Village’s fifth AFA-certified community, out of just 48 memory-care communities nationwide.

A Murderously Good Time!

Juniper Village at Brookline and the State College Community Theater recently teamed up for a great cause and hilariously-fun evening with their very own murder mystery dinner fundraiser. "The Wedding from Hell" performance filled the house and raised more than $800 for the American Heart Association's annual Heart Walk, held this September in State College. Team JVB kicked off its charity efforts with its own twist on the Theater's popular murder mystery series.

The "ceremony" consisted of a drunken judge, broken bridal shoes, funeral flowers, tons of exes, and of course, a murder. Members of the SCCT worked with audience members to sort through clues and solve the mystery. A wonderful time was had by those in attendance, all while helping a tremendously worthwhile cause. If you would like more information on how you can join and/or support Juniper Village at Brookline's Heart Walk team, please e-mail Anissa Rupert Ilie for more details.