October 2022 REACH

PPH Bleeds Green

There is a buzz on the PPH campus. Our bocce group is enjoying the opportunity to have fun. PPH hosted a wedding on campus, and we hosted our an nual fundraiser to support PPH Benevolent Care (see page 2), which supports residents who have outlived their financial resources. However, one event that generated buzz on our campus was Merrill Reese, the Voice of the Philadelphia Eagles, hosting his “Let's Talk Football” radio show on our campus not just once, but twice!

Merrill's first visit to the PPH campus happened on August 30, 2022, where PPH hosted WBCB 1490-AM Radio's popular Pro-Football Report in the Social Hall. Residents and staff were encouraged to wear green to support the home team, the Philadelphia Eagles. The event was also open to residents and staff, who were treated to water ice, pretzels, and, of course, football and fun. Those who were in atten dance were able to listen to the live broadcast which featured not only Merrill, but also former Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants punter, Sean Landeta, who played in the National Football League from 1983 to 2006. As an added bonus, when the program was on commercial break, the audience was allowed to ask Merrill questions about the state of the Phila delphia Eagles, as well as his expectations for the upcoming season.

Merrill was not only questioned on how improved the offense and defense were, but one of the con

cerning questions was about their special teams, especially after last year's playoff loss to the defend ing Super Champions at the time, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He gave assurances that while Eagles punter, Ar ryn Siposs, did have a bad punting day, their special teams unit would be fine. He also stated that Jalen Hurts, the Eagles starting quarterback, was going to be special for the team, and that the reports about him not having a strong arm were misleading.

One of the audience members was Calvin Clement, who is not only a PPH Gateway resident, but is also running back Corey Clement's grandfather. Corey played with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2017-2020, and was instrumental in the Eagles' 2017 Super Bowl run. Corey's father, Stephen, was also in attendance, and gave some remarks regarding his son, who had been released by the Baltimore Ravens. Merrill discussed this on the live program, where he stated that Corey was at a crossroads in his young career, but believed that he will play again somewhere, as he

>>>continued Bleeds Green

Family Focus

PPH hosts the 2022 Benevolent Care Garden Party

The 2022 PPH Benevolent Care Garden Party was held on Thurs day, September 15, 2022, at 6 pm, located on campus. The event took place in the PPH ACE Center Courtyard & Cafe, surrounded by our beautifully landscaped gardens. In addition to the ACE Center Courtyard, the Fountain Room was also open to guests. This event, previously called the PPH Gala, was a more relaxed version of our largest fundraiser of the year to support PPH Benevolent Care.

Benevolent Care is for residents who have depleted their financial resources to remain at PPH with quality care and access to support services.

The event included a Welcome Reception and Mobile Silent Auc tion followed by brief speaker remarks and our first-ever Live Auc tion, hosted by Mike Ivankovich, host of the “What's It Worth? Ask Mike the Appraiser” radio show. An abundant amount of delicious hors d'oeuvres and food stations were also available throughout the night, courtesy of Morrison Living.

PPH wishes to thank all of its gracious sponsors, donors and guests who helped to raise over $100,000 for Benevolent Care.

>>>continued on page 3, PPH Garden Party

PPH President & CEO John Dubyk delivering the Welcome Remarks

PPH Chair, Board of Directors, Jean Gibson, with her brother, Joe, and father, Alpha Resident, Ron Hugo

PPH residents (from left to right): Carol Drummond, Marge Brooker, and Virginia Murphy

PPH Vice President of Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, Jennifer Honeyford, with PPH resident, Emil Scharer

Care of the Whole Person

by PPH resident Maryann C. Volk

Just when I thought life couldn't get any better at PPH, life got better! I was blessed to be able to make a weeklong retreat with other members of the Medical Mission Society in residence here. I have some idea of all that went into the preparation for such an undertaking. It took countless hours for people at MMS on Pine Road and here at PPH to put together the technology and scheduling for this feat to be accomplished.

Moving here I was sure my days of long retreats were over. What a surprise! We were able to join together in the Learning Center twice a day for lectures, videos and discussions. Ample time for solitude, meditation, and spiritual reading filled our days. On Friday, we had the joyful celebration of dinner together in the private din ing room provided by the PPH dining staff. We received a lovely welcome by Janice and were expertly served by Luke.

I am in my third year of residence here at PPH. Never could I have imagined the love, care and service I am receiving. Needs at every level of human existence are met serving the whole person - physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is the Kingdom already, but not yet.

Medical Mission Sisters and Associates participat ing in a discussion in the Learning Center.

Medical Mission Sisters and Associates enjoying Friday night dinner to conclude the retreat.

Children of “The Greatest Generation”

by PPH resident Richard Graber

Born in the 1930's and early 40's, we exist as a very special age cohort. We are the Silent Generation. We are the smallest number of children born since the early 1900's. We are the “last ones.”

We are the last generation, climbing out of the De pression, who can remember the winds of war and the impact of a world at war, which rattled the structure of our daily lives for years.

We are the last to remember ration books for every thing from gas, to sugar, to shoes, to stoves. We saved tin foil and poured fat into tin cans. We had mixed “white stuff” with “yellow stuff” to make fake butter. We saw cars up on blocks because tires weren't available. We can remember milk being delivered to our house early in the morning and placed in the “milk box” on the porch. A friend's mother delivered milk in a horse drawn carriage.

We are the last to hear Roosevelt's radio assurances and to see gold stars in the front windows of our griev ing neighbors. We can also remember the parades on August 15, 1945; VJ Day. We saw the “boys” home from the war, build their Cape Cod style houses, pouring the cellar, tar, papering it over and living there until they could afford the time and money to build it out.

We are the last generation who spent childhood without television; instead, we imagined what we heard on the radio. As we all like to brag, with no TV, we spent our childhood “playing outside until the street lights came on.” We did play outside and we did play on our own. There was no little league. There was no city playground for kids. To play in the water, we turned the fire hydrants on and ran through the spray. The lack of television in our early years meant, for the most of us, that we had little real understanding of what the world was like. Our Saturday afternoons, if at the movies, gave us newsreels of the war and the Holocaust sand wiched in between westerns and cartoons. Telephones were one to a house, often shared and hung around the wall. Computers were called calculators and were hand cranked; typewriters were driven by pounding fin gers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ink. The “internet” and “GOOGLE” were words that didn't exist. Newspapers and magazines were written for adults. We are the last group who had to find out for ourselves.

As we grew up, the country was exploding with growth. The G.I. Bill gave returning veterans the means to get an education and spurred colleges to grow. VA loans fanned a housing boom. Pent up demand coupled with new installment payment plans put factories to work. New highways would bring jobs and mobility. The veterans joined civic clubs and became active in politics. In the late 40's and early 50's, the country seemed to lie in the embrace of brisk but quiet order as it gave birth to its new middle class, which became known as the “Baby Boomers.” The radio network expanded from three stations to thousands of stations. The tele phone started to become a common method of communications and “faxes” sent hard copies around the world.

Our parents were suddenly free from the confines of the Depression and the war and they threw them selves into exploring opportunities they had never imagined. We weren't neglected but we weren't today's all-consuming family focus. They were glad we played by ourselves “until the street lights came on.” They were busy discovering the post-world war.

Most of us had no life plan, but with the unexpected virtue of ignorance and an economic rising tide we simply stepped into the world and started to find out what the world was about. We entered a world of overflowing plenitude and opportunity; a world where we were welcomed. Based on our naive belief that there was more where this came from, we shaped life as we went. We enjoyed a luxury; we felt secure in our future.

Of course, just as today, not all Americans shared this experience. Depression poverty was deeply rooted.

The Guardian Angels of PPH

Is there a staff member or a special PPH caregiver that made a difference in your life or the life of your significant other? The PPH Guardian Angel program is a special program in which residents recognize a member of the PPH staff who made a difference in their lives. Naming a Guardian Angel is a meaningful and symbolic way of expressing your gratitude for their hard work and dedication to make life easier. Each Angel will be given public recognition in our communications, including in our Annual report. Additionally, their name will be displayed on bulletin boards around PPH, as well as on our website and social media channels. This year, the residents of Pathways nominated a staff member who was recognized for her hard work throughout the pandemic.

This employee was Pathways Nurse, Vivianne Cange, who was also recognized for National Nursing Assis tants Week in the August 2022 edition of REACH. She was also recognized by Jean Gibson, Chair of the PPH Board. She was recognized as a PPH Guardian Angel because of her efforts throughout the pandemic, such as picking up additional shifts, which were all within the red zone. The red zone at the time had a shortage of staff and a high number of residents with COVID, but she was willing to pick up the additional shifts to help the residents recover from COVID.

Visit the PPH Guardian Angel wall located in the Espalande to learn how Vivianne was a life saver.

For more information on the Guardian Angel program and how you can nominate your PPH Guardian Angel, visit pphfamily.org/giving/guardian-angel-giving, or call the Fund Development Department at 215-6978586. For more information about other ways to support PPH, please contact the Fund Development Depart ment at 215-697-8586, email Development@PPHFamily.org, or visit www.PPHFamily.org/giving.

Employee of the Month: Theresa Magilton

Theresa started with our Dining Department here at PPH as a wait staff in October 2019. She was promoted to the Business Office in February 2022. She has been a great addition to the team. Her courtesy and patience with the residents have been appreciated greatly. She is always willing to help and does it with a smile!

Congratulations Theresa! Thank you for doing “Whatever it takes.”

Volunteer of the Month: Patricia Morrissy

Congratulations go out to Patricia Morrissy, resident of Gateway Manor, who is the “Volunteer of the Month” for October 2022.

Pat has been volunteering with PPH since 2020. She volunteers as a Floor Representative and is a Delegate of the Board of Directors for the Quality Assurance Committee. Pat is an excellent quilter. She makes beautiful hand-made quilted and embroidered items that are sold in our Art Studio, with the proceeds going to the Benevolent Care Fund.

Thanks Pat, for all that you do as a volunteer and for the pleasant and cheerful way that you do it.

PPH Guardian Angel, Vivianne Cange, Certified Nursing Assistant

★ COVID-19 protocols for visitors: Guests are now permitted to eat in the Fountain Room and dining areas. Guests are also welcome in our gift shop and the Tabor Mar ket. PPH encourages visitors and guests to get vaccinated, to con tinue to practice infection control precautions, such as maintaining a healthy social distance, prop erly wearing a mask while visiting and performing hand hygiene frequently while on our campus. Please advise your guests to refrain from visiting if they feel sick or have been exposed to COVID-19.

★ 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 will be delivered the first day of the following month. There will be two collection sites: the vending machines area, located near the Wellness Center and in front of the Security office. For more informa tion, call Tom Sexton at 8368.

★ 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.

★ Independent Living Residents Association: The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 17 at 2 p.m in the Social Hall. *If subject to COVID-19 restrictions, this will broadcast on channel 57

★ PPH Auxiliary: The Auxiliary's next meeting will be held in the Social Hall and broadcast on PPH TV channel 7 on Tuesday, October 11 at 11:30am.

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 initia tives to support the heart of PPH’s fundraising mission, Benevolent Care, as well as supporting staff/ resident gratitude activities.

Contact Auxiliary President Patri cia Coyne at cameo1200@gmail. com or 8403 to become a member or for more information.

★ Flu Vaccine Clinic: On Thursday, October 20, PPH will be partnering with Wellness Pharmacy Services in hosting a Flu Vaccine clinic in the Social Hall. This clinic will be open to all Independent Liv ing Residents. Please see Donna Wojcik or Mary Smith to complete the flu consent form.

★ WBCB Radio: WBCB 1490 AM is live at PPH every Tuesday from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, located in either the Fountain Room or the Courtyard, weather permitting. Please stop by and listen to the broadcast in-person with a variety of baked goods and coffee.

★ Silver Sneaker Classes & Tai Chi: The Wellness Team continues to offer Silver Sneakers Courtyard Wellness classes every Tuesday and Thursday's from 11 - 11:45 am. Chair Yoga and Tai Chi also continues every Wednesday at 1 pm in the ACE Courtyard. Please come join us for a great workout and some fun!

★ TED Talks: See the October calendar.

★ Veterans’ Meeting: The October Veterans’ meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 4, at 10 am in the Social Hall. If you have not provided your photos for the Veterans video, please bring them with you to the meeting. Please contact Bill Con away (8194) with any questions.

★ Calling all Veterans: It is im portant 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 the May 2021 veteran survey, please contact Bill Conaway (8194) or Kathy Wers inger (8017).

★ Dining Services – October 12 and 26, The Continental, featur ing fresh pastries, bagels, yogurts, juices, fruit, and coffee, will be available for purchase and will take place in the Fountain Room from 9:30 - 10:30 am.

October 5 and 19, Farmers Mar ket will take place in the Fountain Room from 10:00 - 11:00 am.

Collection of the Month

The September display featured a special set of photographs of residents when they were babies. All of the residents in the display are PPH resident Auxiliary members. Can you guess who they are?

>>>The Greatest Generation, page

Polio was still a crippler. The Korean War was a dark pres age in the early 50's and by mid-decade school children were ducking under desks. Russia built the “Iron Curtain” and China became “Red China.” Eisenhower sent the first “advisors” to Vietnam; and years later, Johnson invented a war there. Cas tro set up camp in Cuba and Khrushchev came to power. We are the last generation to experience an interlude when there were no existential threats to our homeland.

We came of age in the 40's and 50's. The war was over, and the Cold War, terrorism, civil rights protests, technological upheaval, global warming, and perpetual economic insecurity had yet to haunt life with insistent unease.

Only our generation can remember both a time of apocalyptic war and a time when our world was secure and full of bright promise and plenitude.

“You must have been a beautiful baby...”

Greetings

Dear PPH Family,

As I reflect on my first full month as a member of the PPH family the word that comes to mind is thankful. I thank God that through a series of events and His divine providence I was led to PPH for this season. I felt the warmth of PPH the first time I walked through the front door and since my first day as a PPH member I feel and see the “sweet, sweet, spirit in this place.” PPH is a community of individuals who truly care about one another, and who by their words and actions reflect a loving family.

I am thankful that I am now part of such an organization and caring family.Whether you are a resident or staff member, your kindness and warmth are evident, and I ap preciate you and your acceptance of me as a Chaplain and friend.

My brief time here has afforded me the opportunity to meet and spend time with some of you. Thank you for sharing with me glimpses of your life, stories that make you who you are, and wisdom you have gained on your life’s journey. I will hold those stores close to me. I look forward to establishing a relationship of care, support, and respect with more of you over these next months. Every member of the PPH family is important to me. You may reach out to me personally if you have a spiritual or emotional need, or just need to chat. I am here for you and together we can grow. My office is on the first floor next to the Tabor Market; my days on campus will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Stop in or call and leave me a message. My PPH number is 215-697-8006; I will reach out to you as soon as possible.

Blessings and Peace to You, — Linda C. Lewis, Chaplain

>>>PPH Bleeds Green, continued from page 1 said that he was too good to not be on an NFL roster.

Merrill would make a second visit to our campus on September 6, 2022, and once against hosted the Pro-Football Report to local professionals. PPH hosted a networking event with members of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (GNPCC) and Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (EMCCC). Like his first visit, Merrill had a live broadcast about the state of the Philadelphia Eagles, and allowed the audience to ask him questions when the program was on commercial break; however, during his second visit, he had a special guest with him, which was Ray Didinger, who is a Hall of Fame sports writer and Philadelphia sports media icon. Ray also gave his insight about the state of the Eagles, as well as discussing how intimidated he was of the Detroit Lions, especially with them being featured on Hard Knocks, a reality sports documentary televi sion series that shows the personal and professional lives of players, coaches, and staff.

We are excited for the fooball season, and are excited to see how the Philadelphia Eagles progress after a promising 2021 season. Whether they make a huge leap or not remains to be seen. Gooooo Eagles!!

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.