Local cheerleaders visit one of their own
One of our residents never expected the special visit she got this spring – it brought back memories from her past.
Three Dodge City Community College cheerleaders stopped by to visit Manor of the Plains resident—and former Dodge City cheerleader— Dorothy (Stramel) Gabel. The current cheerleaders presented Dorothy – who attended the college from 1956-57 and was also involved with the College Chorus, pep band and Conq-Ettes girls’ pep club – with a DCCC blanket and gift basket.
“I never thought anything like this would happen to me,” said Dorothy.
The visit had an equally strong effect on the cheerleaders themselves which included (from left to right) Sophia Lord a sophomore from Aurora, Colo; Kaitlyn Leffley, a sophomore from Perth, Australia; Dorothy Gabel and Colby Redford a sophomore from Ponca City, Okla. u
Sofia Hernandez takes on new role at community
When Sofia Hernandez first joined Manor of the Plains back in January it was to serve as dietary aide/cook. After just two short months on the job, she had impressed her supervisors so much that she was recommended for a new position as a social service designee.
“I actually was asking about becoming a CNA [Certified Nursing Assistant] while I was a dietary aide/cook and my lovely boss, Tammy, told me about this job and it sounded perfect for me, so I took it!” said Sofia.
In her new position, Sofia’s primary responsibility is to assess the cognitive and emotional wellbeing of the community’s residents and serve as an advocate on their behalf—a job that has both personal and professional benefits.
“I love that I get to meet new
Sofia -continued on page 2
Did you know?
Father’s Day was first celebrated in 1910
Father’s Day is officially a modern holiday – it wasn’t under 1972 when it became a nationwide holiday in the United States, but it was first celebrated on June 19, 1910.
As you may imagine, the inspiration for Father’s Day was Mother’s Day but it was tougher to convince people of its importance. According to history.com, one florist said “fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have.” It wasn’t until a Washington woman, who was one of six children raised by her father – a widower – decided to honor fathers. She drummed up support from local churches, the YMCA, and shopkeepers and Washington State was the first to celebrate Father’s Day. But it also came with controversy. Many men called it a commercial gimmick and scoffed at the “sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness…” During World War II, advertisers began to celebrate the day as a way to honor American troops in the war. And finally, Richard Nixon signed a proclamation to make it a federal holiday in 1972.
Today, the United States honors fathers on the third Sunday in June.
Economist estimate that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on gifts. Some other countries
Sofia – continued from page 1
celebrate it in March, on St. Joseph’s Day, a traditional Catholic holiday.
Source: www.history.com u
people and learn new things in this environment,” said Sofia.
Away from work, Sofia is finishing up her degree at Dodge City Community College, “I’m just two classes away from graduating!” She enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, her two dogs, four cats and a foster dog. She is also really enjoying her time at Manor of the Plains and greatly appreciates the opportunity she has been given.
“I just feel so honored to have been chosen for this position and I want to thank the people who thought of me when the position opened up,” said Sofia. u
Editor’s Note: In a nod to our Presbyterian heritage, we regularly feature a column from a PMMA® chaplain in our newsletter. This month’s column comes from Rev. Richard Russell, chaplain at Lawrence Presbyterian Manor®.
Walking with God
By Rev. Richard Russell, Chaplain
I was thinking about a little chorus that we sing at the end of our Vespers service each Friday afternoon and the Biblical meaning behind the words and how powerful they are. The chorus says “Depart in peace to do God’s will, walk ever in His light. Christ is
with you evermore to guide you day and night.” It is sung to the tune of Amazing Grace. So what does the Bible say about walking in God’s peace? One of the best examples is in the words of Jesus, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” - John 14:27
When you and I find ourselves in a situation where we are troubled or afraid it should remind us to go to our Lord and give Him that concern and ask for His peace, so that have what we truly need. What about walking in His light. Well Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.” - John 8:12
So, we have available to us His Light that can show us His direction in a dark world that is filled with misdirection, so we can walk in a way that brings the greatest fulfillment and purpose. The last phrase speaks of Christ’s guidance and we can look at a very familiar text for this, Psalm 23:3: “He guides me along the right paths for his name sake.” Well, in verses 1 and 2 of the Psalm we see it is our loving shepherd that is leading to places that give his comfort and care, as well as the refreshment of my soul. So now we move forward in the Lord’s paths to his plans for our life and His name’s sake.
This is a beautiful little chorus with a powerful reminder that we are walking with our God into His plan for each new day. u
Music to their ears
While on spring break, John Brent’s grandchildren and great grandchildren stopped by for a visit and got to enjoy listening to John play the community’s baby grand piano. u
200 Campus Dr. Dodge City, KS 67801-2760 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Manor of the Plains shares customer service survey responses
Manor of the Plains continues to seek customer feedback through monthly telephone surveys. Each month, residents and their representatives are randomly selected to participate in telephone satisfaction surveys conducted by Pinnacle Quality Insight.
The graphic highlights recent survey results. All scores are given on a 5point scale, with 5 being the highest score and 1 the lowest score. Between April 2022 and March 2023, Manor of the Plains residents and their families gave the community high scores for cleanliness, safety and security, demonstrating dignity and respect. Many also said they would recommend the community to others.
“I would tell them that it is a wonderful, safe, comfortable place to live,” said one resident. “I appreciate the people and I like the comfort of being here.”
We greatly value the opinions of our residents and their
representatives about the care and services we provide, and we encourage them to participate honestly when contacted by Pinnacle Quality Insight. All state and federal confidentiality laws are met in Pinnacle’s service. u