Families Friends
A Newsletter for St. John's Skilled Services May 2018
stjohnsliving.org
“Everyone has their own perception of what art is.”
An Abstract Life
Alida Meyer gently dips her brush in green paint and then in water before making smooth strokes on a clean, white sheet of paper. As she continues, the colors come alive and soon the painting becomes something real. When her daughter Kathryn suggests that the painting resembles the rolling hills of upstate New York, Ali takes it a step further. “Yeah, and look, there is a tornado coming from the East,” says Ali, pointing at a dark blue swirl of color at the top of her painting. Ali is a regular at Art in the Studio, usually attending with her son Larry or daughter Kathryn -along with several other St. John’s Home residents. From a young age Ali had a passion for art, but it was not until after high school when she realized her passion for painting with water colors. Ali attended a workshop in South Carolina where she was taught by well-known acrylic painter Virginia Cobb. “It was very interesting,” Ali says. “One week we went all the way to Santa Fe, New Mexico.” When it comes to painting and children, Ali has one rule: Don’t ever correct them. “They may come up with an entirely new style,” Ali says. Ali’s grandchildren, whom she deems as ‘very artistic,’ have learned a
Go to stjohnsliving.org/shareyourstory/alida-meyer to read the entire feature. thing or two from the abstract artist herself. “They all have a little bit of me,” Ali smiles. While everyone has their own style of art, Ali explains that if people do not particularly like abstract art, usually it is because they may not understand it. “Everyone has their own perception of what art is,” Ali states. Therapeutic recreation specialist Mandy Duritza, agrees. “Everyone has their own ideas or their own story to understand what the meaning behind the piece is. It could be anything you want to be.” It is obvious that Ali has been inspired by artists such as Virginia Cobb, Henry Miller, and Brian Rutenberg. Her real inspiration, however, comes from her last painting. “If you just start with a blank sheet of paper and put a dab of color on the brush and start, you will start to see something – anything – from that first stroke,” Ali continues. “When you get done with your painting but don’t like what you see, just cover it up and start again. This is how you get ideas; this is the start of your next painting.”
Families Friends Leadership Logic: Marketing is about Relationships Over the course of my career I have been asked more than once “What is marketing?” or “Why do we need marketing?” Allow me to share this perspective. . . At St. John’s, we know that the family members, who helped select St. John’s Home for their loved one or the senior residents, who chose St. John’s Meadows or Brickstone by St. John’s to be their next home, did not make this decision lightly. We also know that they had many provider options from which to consider. Overall, we would like to think that this decision was based on an initial connection—the beginning of a meaningful relationship— between their family and our St. John’s family. That is what “marketing” is in my definition. It is about seeking, forging, and nurturing relationships. What the St. John’s Marketing Team does every day is help to bridge connections/conversations between St. John’s and those in the market for senior services. We also seek to connect potential staff members, volunteers, and donors with the St. John’s family. Thinking about the marketing process in terms of a continuum of steps in “building a relationship,” our team’s emphasis on storytelling may also make more sense to you now. If you as a family member started the long-term care admissions process wondering, “why did they ask me for a signature to approve the use of my loved one’s photo?” or if as a St. John’s staff member, you are puzzled that the marketing team wants to interview you about your unique hobby of music box collecting---think about how you get to know a stranger. As you share common experiences with that stranger and you hear stories about that person, a relationship starts to build. Through newsletter stories, social media photo galleries, or event videos, the marketing team hopes we are helping seniors, families, human services professionals, among others, to get to know us. During tours or events, we also have the opportunity to share common experiences. The decision to find the place for your next home, to volunteer precious time, or to build your career, is an important one. At St. John’s, we know the significance of your choosing us. We are grateful you joined our family and chose to grow a relationship with us. That is this marketer’s ultimate proof of success. . . Jennifer Lesinski, Vice President of Marketing
Outings and Events Although winter seemed to stay longer than normal, we kept busy here at St. John’s. Follow us on social media and check out the photo galleries to keep up with our residents!
Date Night
Golf Tournament
A Night Under the Stars
Mother’s Day Tea Subscribe to the St. John’s YouTube channel and view dozens of videos of the great people who live and work here.
Volunteer Appreciation
Celebrating National Nursing Home Week June 4 - June 9 Monday, June 4 Wheel of Fortune supported by Tracy Koflanovich and Marketing
St. John’s Home volunteers gathered in the Wintergarden at Brickstone by St. John’s for a special adult luncheon to celebrate National Volunteer Week last month. Another event will be planned later this year for all St. John’s Home volunteers. We appreciate all of you! Stay tuned for details. Interested in volunteering? Contact Sandy Ferguson, volunteer services coordinator, at 585-760-1293 or visit stjohnsliving.org/volunteer.
Meet our
Tuesday, June 5 $100,000 Pyramid supported by Tracy Koflanovich and Marketing
Wednesday, June 6 Family Fued supported by Elaine Ingram and PS/Foundation/Laundry
Thursday, June 7 Hollywood Squares supported by Stacey Hall and the Business Office
Friday, June 8 The Price Is Right supported by Linda McCoy and Work Life
Saturday, June 9 Big Bucks BINGO supported by Linda McCoy and Tracy Koflanovich
*Times and locations to be determined.* From left to right: Garland Cummings, Nicole Fernandez, Jeannette Ross, Sherry Bentley, June Stohr, Libby Davis, Tracy Koflanovich
Everyone can give something. That is the motto the newly formed St. John’s Home volunteer group agrees upon. The group came together in hopes of giving back to fellow residents along with their local community. Their first group project involved a companion visitation with other residents. Volunteers visited The Garden Factory to buy houseplant flower pots and gave them to residents around St. John’s Home earlier this month. “The whole thing is about doing things for other people,” St. John’s resident Garland Cummings says. “And hopefully other people will want to join and be part of our group.” For more information on the volunteer group go to: http://bit.ly/2rklTP0
stjohnsliving.org
Annual Golf Tournament Approaching Fast! Save the date for St. John’s 29th Annual Golf Tournament on Monday, July 16, 2018. Join us at beautiful Midvale Country Club for a fun way to benefit the residents of St. John’s. Supporting this year’s event as a sponsor, golfer, or contributor will help improve the lives of residents across St. John’s. Help us ensure that each resident, no matter the circumstance, can truly “embrace living.” Visit stjohnsliving.org/golf_tournament or contact Taylor Freitas, development manager, at 585-7602464 for additional details.
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Families Friends
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Also follow us on: Editor Keaghlan Morrissey kmorrissey@stjohnsliving.org
Vice President, Marketing Jennifer Lesinski jlesinski@stjohnsliving.org
Marketing Communications Manager Tom Harner tharner@stjohnsliving.org
President and CEO Charlie Runyon
Vice President, Skilled Services Nate Sweeney
Big Changes Coming to Website The St. John’s Marketing Department is excited to announce a complete redesign of the St. John’s website. Major enhancements to the site will provide visitors with simpler navigation and a much more interactive user experience. Be sure to visit stjohnsliving.org today!