Wichita Presbyterian Manor
JULY 2020
Amy Watson worked as a nurse’s aide after transferring from Parsons Presbyterian Manor. She now serves as our life enrichment director.
Mark Ward’s “Bird of Paradise” was a 2019 Art is Ageless winner.
Resident and ‘Ageless’ artist share a creative connection
This year’s Art is Ageless® program at Wichita Presbyterian Manor doubled as a reunion between an artist and a collector of his work.
Mark Ward is a two-time people’s choice winner in the local art competition, a program of PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica). Art is Ageless recognizes the talents of artists age 65 or older. Winners in the local competition go on to be judged at the systemwide level, and winners are featured in the annual Art is Ageless® calendar and notecards. This year, Mark reconnected with Jan Anderson, a resident of the Assisted Living neighborhood. When Jan downsized from a house to her current apartment, she brought two of Mark’s paintings with her. AiA – continued on page 2
Wichita Presbyterian Manor celebrates 50 years In 1970, Wichita Presbyterian Manor opened its doors. For the first few years, the community only had the capacity for 24 residents. Before the decade was up, Presbyterian Manor added 60 senior living apartments. A series of expansions in the 1980s enabled the organization to serve the needs of hundreds of seniors at multiple levels of care. ANNIVERSARY - continued on page 5
Wichita Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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AiA – continued from page 1
“In a small space, you really have to enjoy it” to hang something on the wall, Jan said. “I don’t think I’ll ever tire of looking at them.” Jan first saw Mark’s work at a church art sale. She bought one of his landscape paintings as a housewarming gift for her daughter and son-in-law after they purchased a home in Wichita’s Reflection Ridge neighborhood.
These small details are part of what draws Jan to Mark’s work. A mountain stream runs through her other Mark Ward piece. “It relaxes me to look at them,” Jan said. Life Enrichment Director Amy Watson connected Jan with Mark, whom she met when she talked to members of the Kansas Artists Guild about the Art is Ageless program.
Mark said the day Jan bought his painting was the first time he had shown his work in public.
Amy arranged for the two to meet when Mark dropped off his work for the competition.
“Talk about nervous,” he said.
Mark hopes to make good on a promise to make another painting for Jan.
When Jan moved into a new home several years ago, she couldn’t find art she liked as well as the painting she had purchased as a gift. Her son-in-law discovered that Mark had work exhibited in a Wichita gallery, and Pat bought two of his paintings there. One painting depicts a forest that reminds Jan of some of the scenery she observed on her four trips to India. If you look closely, you can see a bird nearly hidden in one of the trees.
Mark Ward’s painting “Fresh Start” won the People’s Choice award in Wichita Presbyterian Manor’s Art is Ageless competition.
Now that he’s retired, the artist is focusing on painting full time. His work can be seen at Gallery 12, 2903 E. Douglas Avenue, in Wichita. “The thing that got me into painting while I was working in the commercial world was the knowledge I was going to retire,” Mark said. “There’s a saying, ‘artists never retire, they just have more time to paint.’” Learn more about Art is Ageless at ArtIsAgeless.org.◆
Artist Mark Ward reconnected with Jan Anderson this spring. Two of Mark’s paintings hang in Jan’s apartment at Presbyterian Manor.
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WICHITA Presbyterian Manor
316-942-7456 ◆ Fax: 316-941-3806 4700 W. 13th St. Wichita, KS 67212-5575 WichitaPresbyterianManor.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | July 2020
Community Matters
is published monthly for residents and friends of Wichita Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
To submit or suggest articles: awatson@PMMA.org Amy Watson, life enrichment dir. Courtney Wolfe, executive director Stephanie Bergmann, marketing dir. Cherree Hudspeth, health care sales and marketing
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
Residents trade pub gatherings for Zoom chats The regular cocktail hour at Wichita Presbyterian Manor is one of Bob Reinke’s favorite times of day. As many as 20 residents typically gather around 5 p.m. in the “pub,” where they keep their libations of choice in individual storage lockers. When the community instituted social distancing guidelines, Bob found a way to continue the tradition. “I was the one that decided to get them in on the Zoom,” Bob said. Bob began using the videoconferencing application Zoom with his daughters. He chats with his family every Sunday evening on the iPad they gave him. With the help of one of his children, Bob set up a Zoom chat
for the cocktail hour group. For several weeks, they met virtually at 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. His son-in-law even created an instructional sheet that Bob shared with other residents.
“They set this Zoom thing up for me, and before we knew it, we had a pretty good crowd,” Bob said. “Everybody got a kick out of it. There was a lot of laughter and a lot of hee-hawing. It’s just a good social tool.” Changing the format of cocktail hour had its challenges. Some residents didn’t have the equipment needed to participate. Communication was a little trickier, too. “When you get a whole bunch on, it’s sort of tough,” Bob said. “We’re
Glass of wine in hand, Bob Reinke chats with friends during a Zoom gathering he hosted.
all used to talking at the same time.” Nevertheless, the Zoom chats were a way to connect during what Bob acknowledges has been a “testy time.” “I enjoyed it because I’m a people person,” Bob said. “And my wife died a year ago, so I’m just sitting here talking to myself.” Eventually, participation in the Zoom chats dwindled. Once the weather warmed up, residents were able to go outside and “holler across the square.” Bob no longer hosts regular Zoom meetings, but he’s ready to restart them if needed. “If people got the itch again, we could crank it back up,” he said. ◆
For more images, see page 4
With gatherings cancelled, residents replaced their regular cocktail hour with a virtual version. Wichita Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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Important Dates
Zoom chats bring joy to residents
All dates subject to change based on adjustments to COVID-19 restrictions at our community.
July July 4: Independence Day July 10: WPM 50th Anniversary drone photo at 9:30 a.m. *Wear your WPM 50th anniversary T-shirt*
One evening in May, several residents chatted on Zoom before picking up their dinners.
July 16: 70s themed WPM 50th Anniversary Resident Celebration July 31: Manor-wide Carnival
August Aug. 13: 50th Anniversary Wellness Zumba event with the YMCA *Wear your WPM 50th anniversary T-shirt* Aug. 20: Kansas Art Guild Meet the Artists Reception
Aug. 27: Evening of Jazz TBD: 50th Anniversary Habitat for Humanity volunteer event ◆
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | July 2020
During one Zoom happy hour chat, a resident wore a wig and joked about her long “COVID hairdo.”
ANNIVERSARY - continued from page 1
To celebrate our 50th anniversary, residents are invited to several events that will take place July through September. For 50 years, Wichita Presbyterian Manor has been a faith-based community dedicated to serving our residents with a culture inspired by our Christian values and heritage. We hope you will join us in celebrating our history of service to seniors. â—† Above: When the building was renovated, stained glass panels from the original chapel were incorporated into the design of the new chapel.
Above: Executive Director Courtney Wolfe worked at Presbyterian Manor in the early 2000s, helping with activities and answering phones.
Above: An aerial photo shows Presbyterian Manor’s original campus, before several buildings were demolished for the renovation. Left: Many years later, another aerial shot captures the construction of The Westerly, which opened in 2015. Wichita Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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WICHITA Presbyterian Manor
4700 W. 13th St. Wichita, KS 67212-5575 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Our Mission: to provide quality senior services guided by Christian values Like us on Facebook to stay updated on news and events.
COVID-19 updates continue As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, you can count on regular communication from your PMMA community and PMMA leadership. PMMA’s President and CEO Bruce Shogren’s latest letter to residents and families are posted to your community website, WichitaPresbyterianManor.org/covid-19. Get the latest information about visitation and restrictions on deliveries and learn more about PMMA’s infection control efforts to contain COVID-19 across the PMMA system. ◆
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | July 2020