Newton Presbyterian Manor
JUNE 2021
Welcome to the team Chaplain Greg Schmidt We’re excited to introduce Greg Schmidt as the new part-time chaplain at Newton Presbyterian Manor! Greg began serving as the chaplain of Wichita Presbyterian Manor on February 1, 2007. In 2015, Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc. decided to initiate a Hospice ministry that was eventually named Heart & Soul Hospice and he has served as chaplain in that capacity since Chaplain Greg Schmidt its inception.
Heart & Soul Hospice volunteer Lori MontgomeryNoblitt with Sophie.
Volunteer spotlight: Lori Montgomery-Noblitt
In addition, Greg has served as a youth pastor, pastor for worship and nurture, and senior pastor (seven years) in five churches in Kansas and California. He has served Mennonite Brethren, American Baptist and Presbyterian congregations. He is currently a member of Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in Wichita. Greg and his wife, Marguerite, live in Newton and have three sons, two daughters-in-law and 6 grandchildren. He loves gardening, feeding and watching birds, creating all kinds of barbecue and watching TV. ◆
Heart & Soul Hospice volunteer Lori Montgomery-Noblitt wanted to give back after her husband passed away from cancer at the age of 39. “The hospice staff who came at the end of his life were so incredible,” Lori said. “I had a child under the age of two, and I couldn’t have done it without them.” While making the decision to become a volunteer, Lori also adopted Sophie, a miniature VOLUNTEER - continued on page 2
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Yorkshire terrier. She quickly noticed the tiny pup had a natural ability for putting people at ease.
Volunteer typist needed!
“She can tell if people are not feeling well or are having a challenge in their lives,” she said. “She is very nurturing and seems to have a sense for how others are feeling.” Sophie’s natural instinct inspired Lori to volunteer with her new companion. The pair have been sharing their time with Heart & Soul Hospice patients and families for almost two years. COVID-19 put a hold on volunteer work last year, but they are both ready to get back out and start making visits again. Sophie primarily works with patients with dementia and is known to arrive in style. She is usually dressed to impress in a cute little dress or a string of pearls. “We love to make a difference in people’s day, said Lori. “We just want to make them smile and be happy.” ◆
If you were a whiz in your high school typing class, or if you enjoy a few hours at your desktop occasionally, we could help you put those skills to work. Dr. George Nelson wrote an early history of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America and Newton Presbyterian Manor. It has been scanned into a PDF but therefore is not searchable or able to be edited and could not easily be reproduced. We would love to have a digital version of the document which is in two parts of about 60 pages each. If typing from a printed PDF or organizing a few friends to share the project sounds fun, please let Noelle Dickinson know at 316-283-5400 or ndickinson@pmma.org. ◆
Left: Sophie, a miniature Yorkshire terrier, captures hearts and creates smiles when she volunteers with Lori.
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Community Matters 316-283-5400 ◆ Fax: 316-284-5900 1200 E. Seventh Newton, KS 67114-2820 NewtonPresbyterianManor.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | June 2021
is published monthly for residents and friends of Newton Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
To submit or suggest articles: ndickinson@PMMA.org Marc Kessinger, executive director Noelle Dickinson, marketing director
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
healthy living for your brain & body
tips from the latest research - live online presentation
wednesday june
02 2:00 pm hoste d by
NEWTON presbyterian manor — online presentation Science is able to provide insights into how to make lifestyle choices that may help you keep your brain and body healthy as you age. Join Newton Presbyterian Manor for Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body: Tips from the Latest Research, a free virtual event, at 2 p.m. June 2, to learn about research in the areas of diet
webinar
and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement, and use hands-on tools to help you incorporate these recommendations into a plan for healthy aging. This program is led by the Alzheimer’s Association’s Heart of America and Central and Western Kansas Chapters. THANKS TO: Register here by May 31: newtonpresbyterianmanor.org/events-activities or contact Haley Young, Outreach and Dementia Care Specialist
RSVP
at 1-800-272-3900 or hdyoung@alz.org Have more questions? Contact Noelle Dickinson at 316-283-5400 or ndickinson@pmma.org Facebook.com/NewtonPresbyterianManor • NewtonPresbyterianManor.org
CONTINUING EDUCATION SERIES The Just Ask Series is a part of the Lifelong Learning Program.
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BEAUTY. INSIDE AND OUT. Hammers continue to pound, new walls go up and beautiful changes throughout the main floor are sure to impress. But who? The goal of the remodeling is for YOU and the future residents of Newton Presbyterian Manor.
That is why, with YOU in mind, we announce two surprise elements of the construction and remodel project. One, a complete renovation of the salon and two, a new deck accessible through French doors just beyond the dining room.
When residents had to forego small luxuries like enjoying eating in the dining room, gathering for coffee or having one’s hair done, even sitting outside to enjoy the sunshine – the need for the remodel intensified.
Now is the time to ensure the simple pleasures like a trip to the beauty shop or dining in the fresh air are available.
You see, the current salon is an old existing space converted to a beauty shop in the 1980s. It hasn’t been touched since. Technology and more efficient use of space could allow for a much more enjoyable visit and accommodate more services in the salon.
Outdoor activity space is limited, and the current areas available do not allow easy access to nature, or the ability to offer the varying types of gatherings that residents and their families desire most.
The pandemic has exposed the tremendous need for updates to our salon and the need for an outdoor gathering and dining space. These changes are not possible without the help of the community.
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | July 2020
May 2021
To remedy the problem, members of the Newton community have joined forces to create the
Together, We Thrive Fundraising Campaign to raise $75,000. The funds will allow resources to renovate the beauty salon and complete the addition of an outdoor deck, including all furniture and accessories.
Thanks to the generous estate gift of Christena Bowen, and an investment from PMMA, we are excited to watch as a major remodeling project continues to unfold on our campus. However, to also renovate the beauty salon, and add an outdoor deck, we need additional support to meet the projected completion date of fall 2021.
It's all within our reach. YOU can help make it a reality. In the months leading up to this announcement, others
Campaign Steering Committee
believed in our vision so much they made a gift. However,
we need your support.
Carolyn Adams Marci Andres
Are you interested in helping reach our fundraising
Marc Kessinger, executive director
goal for a new salon and deck? We know the last
Mary Ellen Tippin
year has been tough, but we look forward to brighter
Robetta Trapp
days and the beauty within our community.
Rev. Bob Wyman
Every gift matters.
Susan Wyman
Suggested Ways to Give:
PMMA Support Staff:
Online, visit:
Regina Barger
giving.presbyterianmanors.org/capital-projects/
Patti Christen
Check
Noelle Dickinson
Gift through IRA Rollover
Sarah Oenning
Gift of appreciated stock or security
Proposed Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment Salon
Deck
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Founder’s Day highlights
“Honoring our Heroes and Heritage” was the theme of our annual Founder’s Day celebration held in the courtyard. Employees signed the 2021 Promise Board in recognition of their desire to honor Presbyterian Manor’s mission. They were thanked for their commitment with boxed lunches, sweet treats, new T-shirts, insulated mugs and a live plant to take home also in honor of Earth Day. ◆
Employees celebrated Founder’s Day in the courtyard.
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | June 2021
Chaplain’s Corner By Chaplain Greg Schmidt
“I remain confident in this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” – Psalm 27: 13-14 Masks. Social Distancing. Shots in the arm. All because we are constantly aware that an invisible virus is only a breath or cough or handshake or hug away. COVID-19 has challenged and changed virtually everything about the way we think and live and who we listen to on a daily basis. David would have understood. His life was often threatened. Daily. The young shepherd tangled with predators like bears and lions. His riverside encounter with a giant named Goliath informs us that more than one person wanted him dead! Without a doubt such threats to David’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual life consumed his life. Daily. How could it not?! David’s response? Discover refuge in the Faithful One! Daily! Some days we have the courage to rise to
the ever-changing challenges before us. Other days our confidence, like David’s, is shaken to its core. David pleaded with God to meet him in the midst of those challenging moments.
He is and has always been the Lord of TODAY! He’s vitally invested in how you and I, like David before us, pull together our daily responses and choices … including our styles of life … TODAY!
Why? To provide strength for that day’s battle. Because otherwise David would react foolishly and lunge into the day’s battle without first waiting to determine how God might lead and use him.
Why? Because He desperately needs active, living witnesses to what He’s doing “on earth” not just “in heaven.” Christianity is about how you choose to live … today! Heaven is the reward for choosing to follow Jesus’ example daily throughout your lifetime!
Here’s the point: Among God’s greatest desires is to be the Lord of TODAY! His followers – “the living” – should begin each day considering His way and will. Why? Because in listening to Him at the start of each day we discover His way and are blessed with His goodness. Listen to me Church, God cannot be relegated to our “what if ” or “leftover” or “end of the day” moments. I believe one of the single greatest failures of Christianity in our lifetime is how we’ve unwittingly demoted our God to mostly being “the Lord of Heaven” and forgetting He is “the Author and Finisher” of THIS life!
However you elect to respond to the challenges of our COVIDdominated world, remember that your greatest challenge is to CHOOSE THIS DAY WHOSE voice will challenge and change you as you “wait” for it: God’s, yours or someone else’s! Want to see the goodness of God in your daily living? Then hit pause every morning, take a deep breath, wait patiently for God’s still, small whisper – and discover the connectedness of your daily decisions with the will and way of God! ◆
COVID-19 updates continue Send an Art is Ageless® e-card for Father’s Day using the link on the COVID-19 Updates page, NewtonPresbyterianManor.org/covid-19.
Get the latest updates on visitation, ongoing safety measures and PMMA’s response to COVID-19 on your community website. Visitation status is updated weekly on Mondays and as needed as our COVID status changes. ◆
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1200 E. Seventh Newton, KS 67114-2862 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Bravo of the Month: Carrie Supernois
Bravo of the month goes to Dining Services Supervisor Carrie Supernois. Melinda Ebersole writes, “Carrie had a super busy day. It seems like she was three people in one today. She was all over the campus and still had time to make our 7-layered dip for our residents! Thank you so much for fitting it into your busy day. We appreciate all that you do!” Carrie works hard and long to help provide a quality dining experience for residents in seven dining rooms each day. ◆
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | June 2021
Changes are coming Starting in July 2021, the Community Matters newsletter will transition to a fully electronic newsletter. To receive the newsletter by email, visit NewtonPresbyterianManor. org and use the sign-up form on the lower portion of the homepage to sign up for regular monthly delivery of the newsletter in your inbox. Residents may still receive a hard copy upon request through the Administrative office. ◆