Emporia Presbyterian Manor
JANUARY 2021
COVID-19 updates continue
A scene from the 2020 “Shine a Light for Seniors” event.
Despite pandemic, annual event continues to ‘Shine a Light for Seniors’
With so many traditions put on hold this holiday season, Emporia Presbyterian Manor’s annual “Shine a Light for Seniors” event served as a beacon of hope for 2021. Although held virtually this year, the event’s annual dedication ceremony took place on December 5 and featured the lighting of around 200 luminarias consisting of mason jars filled with small lights and hung from shepherd hooks along the sidewalk on the southwest corner of campus. Staged each year by Emporia Presbyterian Manor Marketing Director Crystal Stock and the community’s mission committee, the event has gone from a simple one-off idea to help celebrate the holidays to one of the community’s biggest and most-loved annual traditions. “After helping grow the idea, we now have an amazing program that continues to grow each year and that we are all so proud of,” said Crystal.
Get the latest updates on visitation status, ongoing safety measures and PMMA’s response to COVID-19 on your community website, emporiapresbyterianmanor. org/covid-19. Visitation status is updated weekly on Mondays for the week ending the following Sunday, and may be updated as needed in between Mondays as COVID status changes. You can also send greetings to residents or family members with the Art is Ageless® card collection available on our COVID-19 update page. Look for the dark blue button in the right-hand column under visitation status. Email the card to your campus contact for delivery, or send directly to your loved one via their email address. ◆
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The luminarias featured in this year’s display were purchased for $25 a piece by individuals looking to honor a family member. All proceeds go to PMMA’s Good Samaritan Program which provides funding to assist residents who outlive their financial resources by no fault of their own. “I’ve always been amazed that in the number of years we’ve had this building not one person has been asked to move because they’ve outlived their resources. I think that’s an amazing thing, and I’m so proud of PMMA for having this fund,” said Ann Doudican, mission committee and Presbyterian Manor resident. “We advertise as being a Christian community, and what’s more Christian than taking care of other people?” It’s a sentiment shared by many of Ann’s fellow committee members— some of whom have been contributors to the Good Samaritan Program for many years. “I got started when (my wife’s) mother was out here,” said George Walters, mission committee member and resident. “It seemed to be a very good thing and it’s just continued.” But at its core, the “Shine a Light for Seniors” event is really all about people. “The program does not purely
revolve around fund development, the true significance comes from the amazing opportunity we have to honor and memorialize our loved ones,” said Crystal. “I know I personally feel so blessed each year as I hang the personalized tags on the jars and prep them for set up knowing that their light will shine bright the night of our lighting
ceremony.” Together, those lights provide both happiness and hours of enjoyment to the community’s residents and staff each and every holiday season. “Each year I just look out my window and enjoy the luminarias as they’re glowing in the night sky,” said Ann. ◆
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Community Matters 620-343-2613 ◆ Fax: 620-343-9195 2300 Industrial Rd. Emporia, KS 66801-6635 EmporiaPresbyterianManor.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | January 2021
is published monthly for residents and friends of Emporia Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
To submit or suggest articles: cstock@PMMA.org Susan Siepelmeier, executive director Crystal Stock, marketing director
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
Surveys conducted by Pinnacle Quality Insight As part of Emporia Presbyterian Manor’s ongoing customer service initiative, residents and their representatives are randomly selected to participate in telephone satisfaction surveys conducted by Pinnacle Quality Insight. The graphic above highlights some of the survey results. All scores are given on a 5-point scale, with 5
being the highest score and 1 the lowest score. Between October 2019 and September 2020, Emporia Presbyterian Manor residents and their families gave the community high scores in providing safety and security, cleanliness, meeting transportation needs and laundry services.
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. ◆
Emporia Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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2300 Industrial Rd. Emporia, KS 66801-6636 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | January 2021