Check Items on Your List at Daybreak Village

Hometown Cozy Friendships Be Yourself

BY KIM ADAMS CONINE FOR DAYBREAK VILLAGE

IfI could no longer stay in my own home, what would be my wishes?

• Stay in my hometown (because this is where all my friends and family are).

• Find a cozy but spacious place (not too big and not too small – think Goldilocks).

• Have access to beautiful indoor and outdoor areas where I can entertain family and friends.

• Be able to enjoy gardening without worrying about upkeep.

• Have opportunities to make new friends.

• Be in a place where I don’t have to give up who I am. That is and will be my biggest concern until my last breath.

This is my personal list – yours might include other things. While I concede that it may be time to let others cook for me, help me clean and even wash my clothes, I don’t want to give up who I am. I want to wake up every morning to the smell of coffee and the sound of birds singing, go to breakfast with my friends and chat about the day’s agenda. I want my biggest concern to be whether I attend book club or art class today. I want to be as busy as I choose to be, and I want to eat well.

While this sounds more like a bed and breakfast than an assisted-living or personal-care home, I’m talking about DayBreak Village Senior Living in Kennesaw. It really is the bed and breakfast of senior living: cozy, yet spacious, friendly, inclusive, active and beautifully situated in the woods off Cherokee Street.

Ben and Stephanie Harbour bought DayBreak in 2005 and, since then, have been involved intimately in the dayto-day operations, from the menus to choosing the color of the mulch outside. Because of their hands-on approach, Ben and Stephanie are available to address concerns or requests and to make decisions immediately. No red tape. No corporate hassles. That’s boutique-catered living at its finest.

DayBreak offers everything needed as aging progresses: medication management, secure memory care, and in-house care from nurse practitioners, dentists and podiatrists, along with home health and hospice care. Residents have access to multicultural church services, a hair salon and activities ranging from art classes to various clubs to exercise. Care is a priority, with around-the-clock access to fully trained caregivers. Chef-inspired meals and day trips spoil the residents.

But what you can’t put on a list, yet everyone wants, is the feeling of being at home when you walk through the door. DayBreak is big enough for hosting and entertaining family and friends, but cozy and intimate enough to make you feel like you belong and are special. That’s when you know you are a “Villager.”

It’s truly home, just like a bed and breakfast where you wake up smelling the coffee and hearing the birds singing. But don’t take my word for it. Go for a visit, eat a meal there, talk to the people who live there so you experience the difference. See for yourself if you don’t just happen to feel the kismet as you walk through the door!

Day Receives State Award

Acworth Municipal Court Clerk Misty Day has been named the 2022 Court Clerk of the Year for the state by the Georgia Municipal Court Clerks Council (GMCCC). Day has served with the Acworth court for 16 years and the Cobb County courts for 10 years before that. She also has served in various roles with GMCCC since 2007, achieving the highest distinction of president in 2020.

Motiejunas Wins Prestigious Honor

Police Throw Party for Kids

The Acworth Police Department has been helping with an outreach program called The Baker Kids since August. Officers help host birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas parties (noon-2 p.m. the fourth Saturday of each month at Logan Farm Park or Roberts School Community and Education Center) for children who live in less-than-desirable circumstances in the Baker Road area so they can experience love, celebration and joy from their community.

For the Christmas party, about 40 kids were provided with gifts donated by Ignite Hope and other volunteers, and food and birthday cake prepared and served by Acworth United Methodist Church.

The Baker Kids was started by Daphne Ross, who is affiliated with Life Changing Ministries, and is supported by Jay Cunningham of Ignite Hope.

Neely Motiejunas, assistant director of Acworth’s parks, recreation and community resource department, recently received the Mike Daniel Award from the Georgia Recreation and Park Association (GRPA) at its annual conference at Jekyll Island. The award, one of the highest honors given by GRPA, is presented to an outstanding professional who has a programming background but has contributed to his or her community and the association in significant ways. Motiejunas has served both well during her 23-year career.

Horizon League Receives Donation

At a recent Acworth City Council meeting, Piedmont Church associate pastor Marlon Longacre accepted a check for $4,500 on behalf of the Horizon League from David Zivic of Helping One Guy Ministries. The donation was the proceeds from the ministry’s recent pancake breakfast fundraiser. The ministry has donated about $30,000 to the Horizon League over the past 11 years.

Car Club Donates to Horizon League

The Lake City Cruisers made a generous donation of $1,800 to the city of Acworth’s Horizon League to assist with operating costs associated with Horizon Field. The donation reflects proceeds from the club’s 2022 Classic Car Cruises held at Logan Farm Park. Horizon Field is an inclusive athletic field at the Acworth Sports Complex that provides quality athletic programming for children and adults with cognitive and physical disabilities.

Going for the Gold

The Acworth Police Department was awarded the Gold Award from the Special Olympics Georgia (SOGA) for being one of the top 10 fundraising departments in the state during the 2021-22 year. The department is trying to remain in the top 10 by working diligently to meet its $15,000 goal for SOGA’s 2023 Polar Plunge fundraiser. Also, K-9 Yogi and Officer Anthony Trapani are competing for the Top K-9 Team Award during the Polar Plunge, a new award this year. To donate to K-9 Yogi and/or the department team, visit www.classy.org/fundraiser/4309974.

Acworth Celebrates Hanukkah

Mayor Tommy Allegood took part in the 2022 Acworth Menorah Lighting and Hanukkah Celebration in December at Logan Farm Park. Students from the Chabad Jewish Student Center at Kennesaw State University also joined the holiday celebration, which included a reception at the Acworth Community Center after the ceremony.

Library Employee Selected for Program

The American Library Association (ALA) has selected Vidhya Jagannathan of the Cobb County Public Library to participate in its 2023 class of emerging leaders. The Emerging Leaders Program enables library staff and information workers to participate in project-planning work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into the ALA structure and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity early in their careers.

Vidhya Jagannathan

Gambrill Takes Oath for Second Time

Cobb County District 1 Commissioner Keli Gambrill was sworn in for her second term of office recently by Chief Probate Court Judge Kelli Wolk. Gambrill was first elected to the board of commissioners in 2018.

Liberty Hill DAR Celebrates Anniversary

The Liberty Hill Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution held its five-year anniversary celebration in December at the Bentwater Golf Club in Acworth. The chapter, organized on Dec. 5, 2017, presented a check to the Kennesaw State University Archives to go toward restoring its 1843 copy of the Declaration of Independence.