Commun ty Matters Clay Center Presbyterian Manor
January 2019
The gift of making Clay Center Presbyterian Manor a video biography honored for achievements Videos of loved ones help preserve memories in a personal way By Debbie Musser
Seymour and Angel Newman light up as they talk about their daughters, Shoshana and Raphaela. “The best thing that ever happened to my life was those two girls,” Seymour said. Angel added, “They both have such good hearts. They’re such good children.”
This snippet is one of many touching moments in a 90-minute video biography, a visually captivating film featuring highlights from an interview with the couple, edited and woven together with family photos, memorabilia and music.
Knowing that her father was ill, the couple’s daughter, Raphaela Stern of Skokie, Ill., hired Susan Saunders, owner of Family Line Video in Chicago, to capture her parents’ story.
Clay Center Presbyterian Manor received a certificate of recognition from Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America for reaching goals in fiscal year 2018, July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018.
The recognition came through PMMA’s Emerald Awards Program, designed to encourage its 17 locations and two hospices to achieve high levels of resident/patient and employee satisfaction, meet financial goals, build philanthropic support for the organization’s mission and meet marketing goals. There are 11 areas measured for the Emerald Awards. To receive an emerald, a community has to meet its goals in all 11 areas. Certificates of recognition were given out to communities that reached their goals in one or more category. Clay Center was recognized for reaching goals in independent and assisted living resident satisfaction and meeting occupancy and financial goals.
“This recognition is a visible sign of Clay Center Presbyterian Manor’s commitment to the mission of PMMA of providing quality senior services guided by Christian values,” said Bruce Shogren, chief executive officer for PMMA.
“My father was at a great point physically, so I wanted to capture whatever we could,” said Stern. Seymour passed away about two months after the interview.
Bringing history to life
Saunders began planning for her video biography business back in 2006, inspired by a graduate school experience. VIDEO continued on page 2
Bruce Shogren, president and CEO of PMMA, left, and Bill Taylor, chief operating officer, right, present Christian Gilbert, executive director, with a certificate for achieving four of 11 Emerald goals in fiscal year 2018.