Commun ty Matters
July 2015
Kansas City Presbyterian Manor
New giving option now available
Your old vehicle could help “drive” the Good Samaritan Program at a Presbyterian Manor senior living community of your choice.
You can donate your car, truck, boat or other unneeded vehicle through PMMA’s new vehicle donation program. When you call the toll-free number, we’ll arrange to pick up the vehicle, even if it’s not running.You will need to provide your vehicle’s title with the vehicle. Its sale price is then tax deductible.You can consult IRS Publication 526 to help you figure its current value. GIVING OPTION
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Summer sends resident down memory lane
Beth Smith recalls RV trips For many, the change in the seasons means a change in scenery, and Beth Smith remembers fondly when she and her late husband Allen would load up their 28-foot RV and hit the road.
“We went RVing lots of places. I remember going up to Wisconsin. My husband was from there. We traveled down one side of the lake and up the other. It’s so scenic there. We also stayed at Devil’s Tower one time. That was really neat. We stayed at an RV park that Beth Smith encourages everyone to spend some backed right up to it, and we time on the road. were able to watch rock climbers go up and down through our back window,” said Beth. “We also used to travel locally, and would spend time at Perry Lake on the weekends.” Allen and Beth also spent five winters in Texas. They would stay for three months at a time.
“We met a lot of nice people there. We’d stay January through April. We also spent one winter with my husband’s cousins down around Corpus Christi. That was beautiful.”
Donating your vehicle is a win/win. It becomes a tax deduction for you, and it helps support the Good Samaritan Program at Presbyterian Manor.
Beth is a travel advocate, and encourages others to spend time on the road when possible.
“We stopped traveling in 1995 and my husband passed that year. We knew his time was limited as he had congestive heart failure, so I retired early spend time with him. I’m so glad we have those travel memories together.”
Let freedom ring, without and within Diane Gunsolley, Chaplain
I’m wondering how many of you remember the bi-centennial back in 1976. I remember it as a time of great patriotism and nostalgia. My delightful grandmother Lucile Cave sewed herself a colonial-era dress complete with bonnet and apron. She joined other women parading our heritage and encouraging us to remember where we came from.
It’s time once again for Fourth of July celebrations. Many of us look forward to picnics, family, food and fun. It’s a day to also reflect on
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Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Kansas City Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org Peatric Gates, executive director Charley Lewis, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Charley at clewis@pmma.org. Telephone: 913-334-3666 Fax: 913-334-2904 Address: 7850 Freeman, Kansas City, KS 66112-2133 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. KansasCityPresbyterianManor.org
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freedom. Our founding fathers set up a nation where we could be free to worship God from the heart instead of a state mandated church. They paid a heavy price and we honor them by remembering their sacrifices. Freedom comes in many forms. My grandmother helped to usher in freedom for my family. When Lucile was sixteen years old, she married a man 11 years her senior. She soon discovered that he was an alcoholic. Lucile somehow survived the next 34 years. The little that I know about that time is grim. My grandfather died in 1959 just two weeks after I was born. Lucile was only 50. She never remarried but poured her life into loving and serving her family. My Grandma Cave had a profoundly positive influence on my life. We truly cherished our time together.
Grandma’s first born daughter was my amazing mother. Doris was determined to live in freedom from alcoholism. Once, when she and my dear father Jim Wilson were first married, he came home drunk. The next day Doris told him that if he ever did that again she would leave him. Jim believed her and it never happened again. That was more than 60 years ago now.
Their children and grandchildren are free from the chains of alcoholism. As I look back on my life, I am so thankful for a grandmother who was able to truly love and parents who refused to let the demon of alcoholism enter
their home. The story empowers me to draw a line in the sand and take a stand against evil. “We do not fight against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” is the way the Bible so powerfully describes the battle.
When my son David went through his teen years, he almost succumbed to drugs and alcohol. My husband Will and I learned more about prayer than at any other time of our lives. We saw God protect his life and use that time for his glory. That, my friends, is true freedom because, when the Lord sets you free, you are free indeed! On this Fourth of July, I hope to watch some fireworks and lift prayers of thanksgiving for freedom nationally and through my family line. I also lift this prayer of intercession for our nation.
“God, bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her through the night with a light from above.”
Our Volunteers are Tea-riffic
Members of the Oakridge Mission Baptist Church Samantha Circle group enjoy our Volunteer Recognition Tea.They help our residents by providing a church service on the third Friday of each month.
Fun and Fiesta for All
During National Nursing Home Week May 10-16, staff and residents broke out their most festive garb for a fiesta-themed week of fun.
Activity Assistant Dameca McKinley poses with Bob Parra and Viola Dunn (and their fabulous sombreros).
Say “queso!” Viola Dunn and Social Worker Lamanda Yeakey smile for the camera.
Residents and community members displayed their artistic talents at the Art is Ageless event at the Manor in May.
Manor Masterpieces
These button trees were a fun, festive contribution.
“"Quilt of Love” demonstrates a resident’s stitching expertise.
These resident impressions of Piet Modrian Abstract Art were crowd pleasers.
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GIVING OPTION continued on from page 1
To make your vehicle donation or for more information, call toll free, seven days a week, at 844-490-GIVE (4483), or go to KansasCityPresbManor-CarDonations.org and choose “Donate Now” to access the online form.
Vehicles need to be intact and in towable condition. Exceptions to the program are vehicles whose value would not offset the cost of towing.
The PMMA Good Samaritan Program provides financial assistance to residents at any of the 18 communities, who exhaust their funds through no fault of their own. Thank you for considering a gift to help our residents who have a financial need.
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Kansas City Presbyterian Manor 7850 Freeman Kansas City, KS 66112-2133 Return Service Requested
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Coming up in Community Matters:
In an upcoming Community Matters, we’ll be focusing on senior safety, fall prevention and Grandparents’ Day. How do you keep your balance? What have you found to be most helpful in aging strong and avoiding injuries as you age? What’s your favorite thing about being a grandparent or great-grandparent? What wisdom do you want to pass along to the next generation? If you’d like to share your thoughts or memories, contact Charley Lewis to share your idea.Your story may be selected for the next issue of your community newsletter.
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