Rolla Presbyterian Manor
NOVEMBER 2020
Get the latest updates on visitation status, ongoing safety measures and PMMA’s response to COVID-19 on your community website, RollaPresbyterianManor.org/ covid-19. If there is a COVID19 outbreak (positive COVID-19 test) at your community, your leadership team will contact employees, residents and their designated family representatives via telephone, email or mail with information about the outbreak and the recommendations of the local health department. u
Rolla Presbyterian Manor promotes Good Samaritan Program with a decorated tree For the past three years, Valerie Eades has decorated a “Good Samaritan tree” at Rolla Presbyterian Manor. The social services designee changes the decorations with each new season. “I think I got this from my mother,” Valerie said. “There is not a holiday that goes by that my mother did not decorate.” The purpose of the tree is to bring attention to the Good Samaritan Program. Passersby who stop to look at the tree will also find information about the charitable program, which benefits residents of Rolla Presbyterian Manor who have outlived their financial resources through no fault of their own.
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Valerie Eades decorates a special tree to promote the Good Samaritan Program. Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has also been a bright spot in the lives of residents and staff.
“It’s one of the most wonderful things we have here,” Valerie said. “The idea is that if people know more about it, they may possibly donate.” Valerie’s mother, Rose Martin, is a Presbyterian Manor resident. When Rose lived with her daughter, Valerie kept up a tree up all year that her mother would decorate for every holiday. “I thought it was a great idea, so I incorporated it here,” Valerie said.
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Being thankful in difficult times By Allen Teal, Chaplain “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever (Psalms 107:1, KJV). After a year of violence, illness and uncertainty, we need Thanksgiving Day on November 26. Plan to make it a day to remember the past with an eye toward the future. While there will be empty seats at many tables, many more will have new additions to the family to celebrate. By Thanksgiving, the noise generated by a national election should have begun to subside. A new year sits on the horizon, carrying the real possibility that the pandemic may find an end. Against this backdrop, three opportunities for thanks come to mind.
spreading the infection to their families. They have done all this while facing the same loss of loved ones, social isolation and fears like everyone else.
the family we have now and the family that will carry on to future generations.
Be thankful for family.
This is more than giving thanks to God. It is recognizing that all we have and all we are is a product of God’s existence and grace. Psalm 107:1 tells us that God is good and merciful. Through good times and bad, God is with us. His goodness and mercy extend to those whom you may think deserve it and those who do not. This is God’s nature. It is who He is. Take time to be thankful that the Lord is with you and those you love. u
Some may struggle with this even in the best times. Family represents your past, your contemporaries and your future. The loss of family members has been more acute during this year. In mid-spring, I had to choose which 10 members of my family could attend my mom’s funeral. It was more than hard. On November 26, my family will celebrate without her. We will focus on
Be thankful for the Lord.
Be thankful for medical professionals. On the front lines, health care workers have battled the pandemic faithfully. They have often worked in uncomfortable positions with masks, gowns and gloves as their only lines of defense against a deadly virus. Behind the scenes, others have worked with this virus in order to uncover enough of its secrets to be on the cusp of developing a vaccine. Many separated themselves from family and friends to prevent Like us on Facebook to stay updated on news and events.
Community Matters 573-364-7336 ◆ Fax: 573-364-7495 1200 Homelife Plaza Rolla, MO 65401-2595 RollaPresbyterianManor.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | November 2020
is published monthly for residents and friends of Rolla Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
To submit or suggest articles: lfreeland@PMMA.org Ann Caudill, executive director Joelle Freeland, marketing director
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
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The Good Samaritan tree has become more important since the beginning of the pandemic. “It’s something positive and pretty,” Valerie said. “The residents have been quarantined, so they like to stroll up here to look at it. It’s nice to have a little novelty.” Valerie thinks the fall tree is the prettiest one yet. She reached out to one of Rose’s friends, who lent some beautiful ornaments for the seasonal display. “It just makes me feel good to look at it,” Valerie said. “It’s something nice in this crazy time we’re having. We really needed that this year.” Learn more about the Good Samaritan Program by visiting www.giving.presbyterianmanors. org/good-samaritan-program/. u
Last year’s Good Samaritan Tree.
Why is Thanksgiving celebrated with turkey? Turkey has become the traditional Thanksgiving fare, but did you know that it was at one time a rare treat? During the 1830s, an eight- to tenpound bird cost a day’s wages! Even though turkeys are much more affordable today, they still remain a celebratory symbol of bounty. In fact, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin ate roast turkey in foil packets for their first meal on the Moon. u
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | November 2020