WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019 | SENIOR LIVING | PAGE 1
SENIOR LIVING Thorne Crest Senior Living Community
HOLIDaY OPEN HOuSE!
Free Holiday Refreshments & Door Prizes!
Wed, Dec. 4 • 1pm-3pm
H Tour Independent Living apartments open now for move-in!
H Learn how you can ENJOY TWO MONTHS RENT FREE! H Resident aRT SHOW – featuring our residents private art collections H Hand-crafted olive wood items imported from Bethlehem available for sale!
1201 Garfield Albert Lea, MN 56007
507-373-2311 • www.ThorneCrest.net Please enter community through Door a on Garfield ave.
being ‘a purposeful resource’
Andrew Schwarz, the new director of sales at Oak Park Place, stands next to a tree that is decorated year-round at the assisted living facility. Sarah Stultz/Albert Lea Tribune
Sales director at Oak Park Place enjoying new position in health care industry By Sarah Stultz
sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com
After working for five years at Albert Lea’s Verizon store, Andrew Schwarz is now working as the director of sales at Oak Park Place. Schwarz, whose background is in sales, mortgages and real estate, said when people come to Oak Park Place looking for assisted living and memory care options for their families, he helps show them the facility and teaches them about the options available there. He also works closely with discharge planners and social workers and does outreach with other groups throughout the community, such as the Albert Lea Senior Center. “I think this is a good fit for me, personally,” he said. “This position is very geared toward being
a purposeful resource.” The Albert Lea man was working at the phone store off of Bridge Avenue when he found out about the position from a friend. He said he was looking for a change of pace in his life, interviewed with the organization’s corporate office and was offered the job. He started Sept. 9. He said he likes the opportunity the position gives him to get out and meet with people throughout the community and likes that he can be a resource for people searching for assisted living for their loved ones. “This position gives me the opportunity to connect,” Schwarz said. “Everyone communicates, but few connect. I’m trying to connect more on a personal basis.” He said perceptions of senior care facilities have changed over the years.
“This is a home away from their home,” Schwarz said. “We try to do our best to make it an environment where people are more of a name versus a number.” Oak Park Place is made up of The Grove Assisted Living and Autumn Lane Memory Care, a secured memory care community. It offers residents three meals a day, light housekeeping and helps them with transportation to things such as doctors appointments, among other responsibilities. He said his first few months have gone well and he thanked the others in leadership positions at the facility, who he noted are great to work with. In his spare time, Schwarz said he enjoys antique collecting and enjoys attending auctions and garage sales. He also likes to play Oak Park Place is on Bridge Avenue in Albert Lea. bingo at the American Legion.
Easy ways to volunteer and give back to your community Millions of people across the globe volunteer every day. Without the selfless efforts of volunteers, many charities would be forced to cease operations. In fact, a 2017 study from the charitable community membership organization Independent Sector estimated that the labor provided by volunteers is worth roughly $193 billion per year in the United States alone. But volunteering can be as beneficial for volunteers as it can be for the organizations they help. For example, Mayo Clinic Health System notes that research has indicated volunteering leads to lower rates of depression while providing individuals with a sense of purpose. Volunteering can be especially beneficial for adults over age 60, with the health system noting older volunteers experience greater
increases in life satisfaction and greater positive changes in their perceived health as a result of volunteering. With so much to gain from volunteering, it’s no wonder so many people across the globe volunteer. According to the United Nations Volunteers program, global estimates place the number of worldwide volunteers at 970 million. That’s nearly three times the population of the United States and more than 26 times the population of Canada in 2018. It’s never been easier to volunteer and begin helping your community. Adults and children who want to join the nearly one billion strong global volunteering community need not look far to get involved. The Corporation for National Community Service notes that the following are some
easy ways to volunteer in your community. • Serve meals at a local shelter or community kitchen. • Sign up to work as a tutor or mentor with a local afterschool program. • Help adults find the right professional opportunities by hosting a résumé writing/review workshop and conducting practice interview sessions. • Work in conjuction with a local food pantry to organize a food donation drive. • Volunteer to help the environment by working with local, state or national park services to beautify parks and/or a local community garden. • Work with a local emergency response organization to produce and distribute disaster-preparedness kits.
There are many ways to volunteer in the community. Provided • Help fellow community members save money by collecting and sharing information about free tax-preparation services. • Read to students or seniors — contact a local community or
senior center. • Volunteer at an animal shelter. When it comes to volunteering, the opportunities are as endless as the benefits of giving back to your community.