JANUARY 2024
PPH Choir brings the gift of song to the community At PPH, whether it’s at Chapel Services, patriotic holidays, talent shows or Life Enrichment activities, our residents love to showcase their vocal talents through song. At the beginning of last summer, the residents of Gateway Manor began to discuss forming a choir for the PPH Talent Show. Instead of solo acts, they’d come together as one group. But there was one question — who was going to lead it? “If nobody steps forward, I’ll do it,” Carol Feeley said. The group went on to have a successful performance at the Talent Show, and enthusiasm began to grow. They decided they’d stick together, opened to Alpha and Lawndale Manor residents, and Carol stayed on as Choir Director. The PPH choir’s first official performance was at the community’s Thanksgiving Eve service, followed by a Holiday Show on Dec. 8, to a full audience of residents. The show’s setlist consisted of classics such as “Winter Wonderland,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Jingle Bells” and more.
There are about 30 PPH residents in the choir — they hope to bring in even more, particularly male members to help increase opportunities for bass vocals.
Giving a gift
Carol isn’t new to choirs – she was in a children’s choir at her Cheltenham church, as well as junior, youth and adult choirs. She always paid great attention to the detail of the choir directors’ actions and movements and felt she could translate her knowledge and experience to PPH’s choir. Carol also shared that singing is a hobby of hers. “I love to sing — it makes me feel good,” Carol said. During rehearsals, Carol emphasizes that members enjoy them-
selves, but explains the importance of paying attention to ensure that the entire choir is on the same page by showtime. “This is not a serious choir; we are here to have fun, as well as sing,” Carol said. “But when I say it’s time to be serious, we have to prepare and sing.” Carol credits Alpha Manor resident Joyce Kerstetter, a pianist who has lent her talents to PPH’s Chapel Services and talent shows over the years. “Joyce has been very patient with us. We’re often asking her to play at different paces and speeds,” Carol said, mentioning that the choir spent a lot of rehearsal time practicing “Deck the Halls” >>>Continued on page 7
In This Issue...
• PPH welcomes new CFO • New Guardian Angels • Holidays at PPH
6401 Martins Mill Road, Philadelphia PA • www.PPHFamily.org • 215.697.8000 Facebook.com/ThePhiladelphiaProtestantHome
Family Focus John Dubyk bids farewell
Interim CEO search
It is hard to imagine that January has arrived, and that my tenure at PPH is coming to an end. What an incredible ride! I am grateful for the opportunity that PPH has given me over 13+ years. PPH provided me with an incredible opportunity in 1989, that began a 30-year career in senior living. This path has not only been rewarding, but it has provided me with friendships and so many fond memories. PPH has always felt special, and it is the people that truly have made the difference. Together, we navigated through unprecedented times, and I could not have done this alone. It has been an honor and pleasure to serve the residents and staff of The Philadelphia Protestant Home and I wish PPH only the best in the future. Jan. 17 will certainly be a bittersweet day, but as one of my friends penned beautifully in a letter to me — I hate goodbyes, so I will say see you later. Goodbye, and I hope our paths will cross again. John
In preparation for John Dubyk’s departure as President & CEO, the PPH Board of Directors has been diligently evaluating the attributes of this leadership position at PPH with the assistance of a consultant, Scott Townsley (Trilogy Consulting, LLC). Scott has maintained a relationship with PPH for over 20 years and was a prior member of the PPH Board of Directors. It is important for the board and management to engage professionals with an understanding of PPH’s culture and the qualities of strong leadership. As a result, the board, in consultation with Scott Townsley, made the decision to conduct a search for an interim CEO that will complement the current goals and longterm mission of the organization. We expect an interim CEO to be selected in January 2024. In addition, the board of directors is not considering a sale of PPH. The BOD will provide updates as they work through the process.
PPH welcomes new CFO/Vice President of Finance PPH welcomed Justin Stolte to the Finance Department as Chief Financial Officer/Vice President of Finance at the end of November. Justin’s career includes 26 years as a financial professional. He spent 22 years as a certified public accountant, serving a diverse mix of familyowned businesses and nonprofit clients around the Philadelphia and New York metropolitan areas. At PPH, Justin’s primary responsibilities include generating accurate and consistent internal and external financial reporting, overseeing Justin Stolte stewardship of PPH’s assets, and ensuring effective cash management. Justin is looking forward to adding value to PPH through a collaborative effort to improve results through efficiencies, increase the use of automation and technology, as well as exploring various organizational strategies and business partnerships. He has observed a strong sense of teamwork as he completes his first couple of weeks at PPH.
“When initially learning and fulfilling the responsibilities of a new position, many questions arise. Help is required to navigate the learning curve. I am impressed with the enthusiasm and accountability of the team, which includes robust communication, collaboration of team members’ talents and skills, as well as a mindset of maintaining a positive attitude. It is a testament to the strong culture of trust and teamwork throughout the organization that benefits the entire PPH family,” he said. Justin is a graduate of Ursinus College, located near his home in Collegeville, Montgomery County. Justin also obtained licenses as a Certified Public Accountant in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and State of New Jersey. When not at PPH, Justin enjoys spending time with family and friends participating in bocce, bar shuffleboard and Quizzo trivia leagues. He is also a comedy fanatic. Periodically, he travels around the country to different comedy clubs and festivals. When not competing or laughing, Justin is also trying to improve his golf and pickle ball game – emphasis on trying!
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Guardian Angels honored for high-quality customer service Three PPH staff members were recently honored as Guardian Angels for their commitment to PPH’s mission and core values, and for going above and beyond for residents. Athena Mayer, a waitress in PPH’s Dining Services department, was recognized by a group of residents who regularly dine in PPH’s Dining Room. The group thanked Athena for going above and beyond to give high-quality service, and
praised her pleasant demeanor and sense of humor. “These are my people!” Athena said, as she accepted the honor, and then went on to take the group’s order for dinner that night. Emil Scharer, an Alpha Manor resident, honored Office Services Coordinator Joanne McLaverty and Claire Rene, a laundry aide in the Environmental Services department.
Emil expressed gratitude for Joanne and Claire’s dedication to PPH and the behind-the-scenes work that ensures residents receive items in a timely manner. He thanked Joanne for assisting with package deliveries and her coordination in the Print Shop, and thanked Claire for her work that allows PPH residents who use laundry services to receive their items fresh and clean.
Above right, Alpha Manor resident Emil Scharer (center) shows appreciation for Claire Rene of Environmental Services (left) and Office Services Coordinator Joanne McLaverty (right).
A group of residents honor Athena Mayer of Dining Services.
Guardian Angel Gift
• public recognition in PPH’s internal and external communications materials • eligibility for PPH’s prestigious annual President’s Award
Is there a special PPH staff member who made a difference in your life or the life of your loved one? Express your gratitude and appreciation by honoring that staff member’s quality care and excellent service through a $250 Guardian Angel gift. Each Guardian Angel receives: • a custom lapel pin
For more information, contact Director of Donor Development Marianna Calabrese at 8508 or mcalabrese@pphfamily.org.
Crafts Room volunteers recognized for dedication, generosity
Crafts Room volunteers were presented with certificates thanking them for their dedication and generosity. Proceeds for the items they craft go to Benevolent Care, which helps residents remain at PPH when their own financial resources have been depleted through no fault of their own.
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Gifts for all at the Holiday Bazaar
Staff Appreciation
On Nov. 28, PPH held its annual Holiday Bazaar. Many residents helped with setup and selling items, which consisted of holiday decorations, clothes, quilts, books, plants, knick knacks, jewelry, crafts and much more! This event was sponsored by the PPH Auxiliary to raise funds for Benevolent Care and gratitude activities.
PPH’s Dec. 7 Staff Luncheon was filled with joy, laughter and holiday cheer. Staff from all departments (including Chantaya McLeod and Neci Kennedy-Wilson of Environmental Services) enjoyed lunch and treats courtesy of our Dining Services team, and everyone received a special PPH thermos!
Pathways and Personal Care residents ‘Deck the Halls’
Pathways and Personal Care residents decked the halls throughout December! They took a trip on the PPH van to Shadybrook Farms for a Light Show, helped decorate common areas and even got into the Christmas spirit with their paintbrushes!
Volunteer of the Month: Jaime Sandoz Congratulations go out to Jaime Sandoz, Lawndale Manor, PPH’s Volunteer of the Month for January 2024. A PPH volunteer since 2022, Jamie has been helpful in our Pathways Beauty Shop as a transporter. He also delivers packages and always has a bright smile. Wherever Jaime volunteers, you can be sure he will do an excellent job. Thank you so much Jaime, you are an asset to the PPH Volunteer program. For volunteer of the month nominations, contact Carol Cherrington at 8027 or ccherrington@pphfamily.org.
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Happy Hanukkah!
Gateway celebrates
Some of our Jewish residents came together to light the menorah located in PPH’s outdoor courtyard in celebration of the first night of Hanukkah!
Residents share a smile at Gateway Manor’s annual Holiday Party.
Santa comes to town Taking in the trains
Rhawnhurst Elementary students visited PPH to perform various holiday carols for our residents! A special visitor stopped by with presents afterwards, much to their delight!
Webb resident Ron Hugo looks on and reminisces at a special Christmas train station in PPH’s Webb building. The train station consists of what was displayed in the Doctor’s Office for many holiday seasons, as well as collections from a PPH staff member.
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Employee of the Month: Elliot Wilbraham Elliot started with our Security Department in April 2022 and has since been promoted to a corporal supervisor in our Security Department. Elliot is professional and our residents adore him. We are happy to have him as part of the PPH family! Congratulations, Elliot! For employee of the month nominations, contact Daphne Floyd at 8015 or dfloyd@pphfamily.org.
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NEWS BRIEFS AND EVENTS nity. We encourage residents to attend and connect with any vendors they deem appropriate,” PPH Vice President of Health Services Jennifer Honeyford said. Following the event will be a PPH Care Panel in the Social Hall at 2 p.m. Residents will have an opportunity to ask a panel of PPH staff questions related to levels of care and optionality. For a complete list of vendors, see channel 2 or your bulletin boards as the event nears.
★ Understanding Your Care Choices: All PPH residents are invited to attend our event, “Understanding Your Care Choices” on Thursday, Jan. 18 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon from outside the Social Hall all the way down to the Fountain Room. Several vendors specializing in senior care services will be in attendance. “This expo came about from resident feedback requesting more information on various services, care choices and levels of care within our PPH commu★ COVID-19 Protocols for Visitors: Masks are no longer required for staff, residents or visitors while on our campus, and employees are not required to wear masks when interacting with residents. Residents, employees and visitors may continue wearing masks if they feel comfortable. Masks and PPE will still be required in some cases of isolation or if there is a significant concern for serious illness. Please advise your guests to refrain from visiting if they feel sick or have been exposed to COVID-19. ★ Residents’ Association: Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. Refreshments will be served, as this will be PPH President & CEO John Dubyk’s final day. ★ PPH Auxiliary: The Auxiliary will hold its next meeting in the Social Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 11:30 a.m.
and broadcast live on PPH TV channel 7. Membership in the PPH Auxiliary is open to PPH residents, staff, and community supporters (only $5 per year). Dating back to its origins as the PPH Ladies Aid Society in 1889, the Auxiliary continues its initiatives to support the heart of PPH’s fundraising mission, Benevolent Care, as well as supporting staff/resident gratitude activities. Contact Auxiliary President Patricia Coyne at 8403 to become a member or for more information. ★ Calling all Veterans: It is important to PPH that we identify all veterans living in our community. We want to make sure you are receiving the meeting notices, ceremonial invitations and other veteran specific information. If you are new to the community and/or you have not completed our veteran survey,
please contact Bill Conaway at 8031. ★ Food Collection: The PPH Food Drive — a 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Project — will continue indefinitely, as long as PPH’s neighbors are in need of food. Food will be collected the last week of the month, and then delivered the first day of the following month. There are two collection sites: the vending machine area, located near the Wellness Center, and in front of the Security office. For more information, call Tom Sexton at 8368. ★ Wii Bowling: Life Enrichment is planning to bring back Wii Bowling! If anyone is interested, please contact Kathy Nucero at 8505. Wii Bowling will be held on Thursday >>> Continued on page 7
Betty Jackson moved to PPH from the Logan section of Philadelphia. A South Philly native, she attended West Philly High School. She worked at INA for almost 30 years and worked at JC Penny for 15 years. Betty enjoys activities at her church, Hope Ministries, and is a member of the church’s choir. Betty has two children, a boy and a girl; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Welcome to PPH, Pat and Betty!
New residents at PPH Patricia “Pat” McHugh moved to PPH from the Torresdale neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia. A native of the Frankford and Bridesburg neighborhoods, she attended St. Hubert’s High School and later worked as a receptionist. Pat has one son and two daughters; and six grandchildren, one grandson and five granddaughters. Pat enjoys crossword puzzles and watching TV.
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Observance — PPH’s 2024 Project The Martin Luther King Jr. Day the nonprofit The Joy of Sox. team has been working for months Founded in 2010, The Joy of Sox has to develop a program that collected and distributed I Stepped Up is educational, uplifting hundreds of thousands and entertaining. of new socks to people The theme for 2024 is experiencing homeless“Those Who Sustain Our ness in the Philadelphia Community – We Recogarea and across the nize You All.” The program United States! They have will feature a slide show of even been able to provide 100 photos of people who comfort to those in need work in and around the around the world includPPH campus at all levels, The Joy of Sox ing Ukraine, Afghanimostly candid pictures of stan, and Uganda. Their folks going about their workday. mission is to provide joy and health This year’s program will be ento people who experience homelesshanced by the presence and perness by giving them new socks. formance of our newly created PPH All residents and staff are encourChoir under the direction of Carol aged to participate by donating $2 Feeley. for a pair of socks. Purchases can The Day of Service project for 2024 be made Jan. 2 to 10 from 11 a.m. to will be a sock collection to benefit 1 p.m. in the Fountain Room. Those >>> Choir, continued from page 1
for the PPH Holiday Show. The choir performed the classics, but also added a few songs that have fallen out of popularity such as “Christmas in Killarney.” “I want to give the audience a happy gift that they’ll remember, maybe a song they haven’t heard in many years,” she said. What’s next? Carol and the choir plan to continue mixing in songs of >>> Briefs, continued from page 6 afternoons at 3 p.m. in the Gateway Basement. ★ Trips: Fees for trips are now added to each resident’s monthly bill (NO CASH). If you’d like to cancel, you must call the Business Office (8010) to have the trip fee removed. ★ TED Talks: Jan 9, 2 p.m., Social Hall - Poverty Awareness & Mental Wellness Month.
the past at PPH’s Spring Show, which she anticipates will include Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter tunes. The choir’s next performance is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 15 at PPH’s Martin Luther King Day of Service ceremony. They are slated to perform “We Shall Overcome” and “This Little Light of Mine.” Rehearsals for the choir will start back up on Jan. 5, and will be held every Friday at 6:30 p.m. in ★ Black History Month: The theme of Black History Month for 2024 is “African Americans and the Arts,” spanning the many impacts Black Americans have had on visual arts, music, cultural movements and more. PPH residents will hold at least one event per week that will focus on this topic. Look for an article in the February Reach on how Black History Month began, along with calendar of events planned.
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donating will receive a receipt (pictured left) that they can display outside their apartment door. New and never used packaged socks are also welcome. In addition, we will continue our monthly food drive, which began as a Day of Service project in 2021 and became so successful, we continue it year to year. PPH residents have proven to be open-hearted and generous in support of others in our region who are in need. The MLK Jr. Day Observance will be held on Monday, Jan. 15, at 2 p.m. in the PPH Social Hall and will broadcast live on PPH TV channel 7. Rebroadcasts: Jan. 20 and 27 at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on PPH TV channel 4.
Joyce Kerstetter and Carol Feeley
the Social Hall. Any PPH resident is encouraged to join.
★ Words from MaryAnn Cassizzi: I’d like to thank you all for making my day brighter. Either with your kind words, a card, a mass card, flowers or a donation in Nick’s memory. Your thoughtfulness and kindness have brought a smile to my face, and I am grateful for your generosity. Your actions have made a significant impact on my life at a difficult time.
Reflections As we find ourselves at the dawn of a New Year, may I ask you — Did you make a New Year resolution or two? If so, why? Studies show that 80 percent of people break those New Year resolutions by the middle of February. So, before you decide to begin another diet, start a new exercise routine or invest in a new hobby ask yourself two questions. Why and…who or what is leading you to do so? May I encourage you to reflect upon the coming New Year. Is God’s presence in your motivation and, is God leading you? God’s presence is in everything when we desire to be led by Him. I was reminded of this recently as I read a devotion and was able to apply it to our desire as humans to make our own way, go down the path we want to go, instead of the direction God has planned for us. What better time than now to resolve to allow God to lead you through this year? In Exodus 13:21, the Lord God led the Jewish people in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. After the tabernacle was built, God met with Moses, speaking from the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant, He gave His commands for all the Israelites. (Exodus 25:22) When Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land,
God said, “I will be with you; I will not desert you or forsake you. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with Chaplain you wherever you go. (Joshua Linda Lewis 1:5, 9) These promises were for the Jewish people as they are for all His children, even to this day. God’s presence will not depart from His children, and He will lead us if we simply follow the road He set before us. Let us each keep God in our hearts, feeling His presence and seeking His leading. May He lead us from the darkness of this world into the light, away from lies into truth. May His presence give us the strength to embrace one another and discriminate against no one. May we regard others with tenderness, seeking His direction to help others and not do harm. May His light shine through us. My prayer for each member of the PPH family is that your year will be filled with peace, prosperity, and love. May God’s leading and presence in your life bring to you a healthy and peaceful new year. Blessings and Peace to All!
Volunteer of the Year does it all On Dec. 6, PPH held a Volunteer Tea to thank all of those who contribute in a variety of ways throughout the community. As those in attendance enjoyed tea and treats, Volunteer Coordinator Carol Cherrington took the stage and announced Gateway Manor resident Harry Morrissy as the 2023 Volunteer of the Year! “Harry is full of energy and eager to help anywhere he can,” Carol said, noting that Harry often fills in for other volunteers when needed.
Harry delivers packages and is a cashier in Tabor Market. When he’s not volunteering, you’ll often find him in the ACE Center working on stained glass pieces. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities available throughout PPH — deliver mail or become a cashier like Harry, greet visitors at the front entrance, help deliver this publication to residents’ doors and much more! If you are interested, please contact Carol Cherrington at 8027.
Carol Cherrington presents Harry Morrissy, the 2023 Volunteer of the Year, with a bouquet of flowers.
THE PPH MISSION Guided by Christian values, the mission of The Philadelphia Protestant Home is to provide a caring senior living community that affords its residents the opportunity to achieve their highest possible quality of life. 8