Friendship Village is looking especially beautiful these days, thanks to a painting created by Tiffani McCann.  Tiffani is the very talented wife of lifestyles director Mike McCann. Tiffani painted her own beautiful rendition of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Nights on the mirror in the fitness center.  Be sure to stop in a see this wonderful piece of artwork!

Residents along with their friends and family have started celebrating the upcoming holidays, with festive musical performances, holiday bazaars, and fun visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Click here to see additional holiday pictures from Friendship Village.

We wish you wonderful holidays

Religion is not synonymous with spirituality according to Reverend Shawn Kafader, a chaplain at Friendship Village.  “In my own voice, I believe that every person has spirituality, whether or not they are aware of it. Spirituality is the part of us that connects with something beyond ourselves.  Something greater than ourselves,” he said.  Religion, he added, is one way to live out one’s spirituality. As a chaplain at the retirement community, Kafader helps residents maintain or find a spiritual practice rooted in a religion or faith tradition, with which they are comfortable and in which they can find great meaning.

As ages increase, so too does the inclination to become more spiritual. The cause and effect makes great sense.  It is inevitable that as people age, they are faced with increasing physical, cognitive, emotional and social challenges.  A natural and in fact healthy response to this is to seek coping mechanisms in which spirituality and/or religion can play a tremendous role.  Spiritual well-being promotes a sense of peace, purpose and connection to others.  Studies show that spiritual involvement amongst seniors often results in better physical and emotional health.

Kafader said that the aging process puts adults into a mode in which they’re constantly assessing what is truly important in their lives; what is really needed for their continued journey in life. “This forces them to reflect about what is important in their faith, what questions they have about their faith, and what kind of relationship they can have with something beyond this life.  A hope and peace-searching attitude develops,” Kafader said. The practice of a faith tradition “opens a door for them to explore things greater than themselves; power beyond themselves,” he said.

Kafader said that what is interesting and particularly challenging as a chaplain at Friendship Village is the varied religious make up of the resident population.   Virtually every faith tradition is represented at Friendship Village, and the spiritual team tries to accommodate them all. “We try to be sensitive to all people who will be attending any type of worship service,” he said. “Our stand is that we provide religious services in our residents’ traditions. We are very diverse and make sure that what we offer is diverse as well.”Often times, religious leaders from various faiths come to Friendship Village to help.

While the holiday season is one that many people eagerly anticipate, Kafader is sensitive to the fact that it is also one that some people dread due to loneliness and grief from their losses. “Some have outlived their families and friends and would be alone for the holidays.  So we create more community, more opportunities for people to be together. Our religious service is a wonderful opportunity for that. The message is that everyone is loved. That God loves them, and God understands their pain too,” he said.

During the holiday season, the message that Kafader likes to share with his community is that they should remember and celebrate the traditions that they’ve had through their lifetimes. “It’s a wonderful time to reminisce with people about the memories of their holiday celebrations, the simplicity of gifts they received while growing up, the baking and recipes they had, the traditions they had around their faith,” he said. “Some are gone now, but they can create new traditions for themselves and for their families.”

Friendship Village’s Project Linus volunteers, fondly known as blanketeers responded to a call for help from area shelters for abused women and children.   Almost 80 hand-made blankets, afghans and quilts were delivered to the shelters for distribution to people using their services.

Click here to read more about Friendship Village’s work with Project Linus

Friendship Village’s Project Linus volunteers are receiving some help from an unexpected, but well-appreciated source.  KarlHeintz Megger, a second grade student at Michael Collins Elementary School in Schaumburg is launching a drive to collect supplies for the Friendship Village team of volunteers, known as blanketeers.

Project Linus is a national not-for-profit organization that supplies hand-made blankets and afghans to children in hospitals, shelters, social service agencies and more.  Friendship Village’s very committed group of blanketeers is responsible for having created approximately 3000 blankets for Project Linus.

KarlHeintz was required by his school to coordinate a community service project.  After careful consideration and having discussed it with his mother Beth Megger, he decided he wanted to do something in support of Project Linus, an organization with which he has a special bond.

Beth Megger explained that when KarlHeintz was 10 months old, his family visited a campground in the Wisconsin Dells area.  They had just arrived when KarlHeintz who had just started to walk, tripped and fell into an extinguished campfire pit.  The ashes were hot and KarlHeintz’s hands sustained third-degree burns.  He was rushed to the hospital. In treating him for his burns, the doctor cut off his clothes. Because KarlHeintz’s parents had rushed so quickly to the hospital, they had forgotten to bring a change of clothes.  KarlHeintz’s father was just about to wrap his own shirt around his son, when one of the nurses said she would be right back with something very special.  The nurse brought back a beautiful plaid blanket made by a Project Linus volunteer.  Today, this seven-year-old still holds his Project Linus blanket in the highest regard.  He sleeps with it, uses it to make tents and shares it joyfully with his little brother Otto.

KarlHeintz decided that because he had received so much from his blanket,  he would like for his community service project to support Project Linus volunteers.  He and his mom googled ‘Project Linus, Schaumburg’ and found out about Friendship Village’s blanketeers, who meet weekly under the leadership of resident Gert Rasmussen.

KarlHeintz and his family have met Gert and several other blanketeers.  During the meeting, he shared his story about what an impact his Project Linus blanket has had on his life, and how it inspired his community project of collecting supplies to support the program.

As the collection is about ready to start, we are very grateful to KarlHeintz and his mother for their thoughtfulness.  We wish him the best of luck, and we hope his community project is a huge success!

It’s a well-established truth at Friendship Village that our residents never cease wanting to learn.  Taking that a step further, we’ve observed that many of our residents never stop wanting to teach or share their experiences and knowledge. Earlier this fall, Friendship Village announced the inception of its In House Schoolhouse Program.  The series of weekly sessions covering a wide variety of topics is conducted by residents of Friendship Village with specialized expertise in their respective topic.  “It’s such a great thing, using the residents of Friendship Village as resources. We have so many residents with incredible knowledge, backgrounds and life experiences,” said Jeannette Magdaleno, lifelong learning coordinator for Friendship Village.

In-House School House was initiated by Henry Acres.  The resident of Friendship Village is a retired professor of English at Hofstra University in New York. Henry was also the founder of the Institute of Learning in Retirement at Cedar Crest College; an initiative which eventually drew 500 subscribers and from which the In House Schoolhouse was modeled.  His philosophy, which is consistent with that of Friendship Village, is that lifelong learning keeps minds, bodies and spirits young.  “It brings us pleasure to learn new things,” said Henry, who added that it’s also a pleasure for the residents who do the teaching.

Henry established a committee of residents to help develop the program.  Jeannette said that it wasn’t difficult to find presenters.  “Our residents have fascinating lives,” she said.

Examples include:

• Joe and Dot Gondek, who along with another couple, briefly owned Tortilla Flats, a tiny community in Arizona along the Historic Apache Trail. Their presentation was entitled A Life Story: Modern Pioneers.
• Winnie Christensen, who as a child of missionaries in China, was taken prisoner at the age of 12 or 13 and was separated from her parents for more than 5 years.  “She was eventually traded for Chinese prisoners held in the U.S.,” said Magdaleno.  “It’s a really incredible story.” Christensen’s presentation entitled A Life Story: Prison Camp in China was received with a standing ovation.
• Marilyn Kouba, who has a master’s degree in chemistry, presented Climate Change-Causes of Change.
• Robert Callanan, who has taught astronomy at Central Arizona College presented Astronomy for Debutantes and Benedicts.
• Judy Marren presented Social Networking and Its Effect on You and the World.
• Ruby Hirakawa recalled her early years in a Japanese internment camp in her presentation entitled A Life Story: I Remember.

Jeannette said that being amongst the residents of Friendship Village is like “being in a goldmine.  It’s been amazing finding these resources to share with everybody.”

Dreading the winter blues?  Why deal with the harsh winter weather meteorologists are predicting: the snow, the ice, the cold, along with the annual migration of your “snow bird” friends which results in limiting your social activities.   For the duration of the Chicago area’s harshest months of the year, why not consider coming in out of the cold? Friendship Village’s Weather the Winter program gives individuals ages 62 and older, the opportunity to stay in our active and vibrant community for a no-strings-attached 90 days.

For a monthly fee, our Weather the Winter visitors stay in a beautifully furnished apartment with complete amenities.  They have access to all aspects of Friendship Village including the fitness and aquatic center, our wonderful dining options and dynamic programs and activities.  For further information on Friendship Village’s Weather the Winter program, call (847)490-6271 or (866)490-9010..

Friendship Village lifestyles director Michael McCann and chaplain Shawn Kafader will be teaching their program entitled Exploring the Male Journey: Understanding Your Past-Choosing Your Future at the Institute for Continued Learning of Roosevelt University early next year.

Mike and Shawn  developed the program over a year ago and have taught it successfully to residents of Friendship Village. Explaining the inception of the program, Mike said that a common and understandable phenomenon affecting retired men, is that they lose their purpose was they transition out of their professional lives. It is not unusual for retired men to have difficulty adjusting to life without identifiable quests, Mike said. This can result in depression and a loss of identity and feeling of value.  This impacts one’s health, as well as taking a toll on families and surrounding communities.

Mike and Shawn, who both have backgrounds in counseling, developed the program to help men navigate this potentially difficult time.  During the course, the participants will reflect on their past, grieve life’s losses, and be guided towards a path of wisdom in finishing their life’s journey.  The sessions include personal sharing, storytelling, and decision making.  The goal is to help the participants complete the program and assume the role of elder/mentor within their family and community.

The program will be available for members of ICLRU.

On Tuesday, October 25, Friendship Village lifestyles director Michael McCann presented Chicago Ghosts and the Macabre: retelling some of the Chicago area’s most bizarre true “ghost” stories.

The Friendship Village Annual Halloween Pet Parade held on Wednesday, October 26, proved that Halloween is not just for creatures of the two-legged variety.  Residents and family members were invited to participate in the parade with their canine best friends…a parade that literally, went to the dogs. The much beloved annual event drew pets, large and small, and dressed up in the spirit of the season.

Friendship Village’s Family Fest-Monster Bash, which was held this year on October 30, is among our most popular annual events.  Residents’ family members were invited to join in on an afternoon of fun including games, entertainment, a haunted house, decorating, face painting, trick or treating and more.

On October 28, Those Were the Days Radio Players entertained residents with an evening of chills and excitement presenting the best and scariest of old time radio.

The Halloween festivities culminated with our annual Halloween Party held on October 31.  Musical entertainment was provided by the Star Light Trio. Residents were encouraged to attend the party in costume.

See more photos on the Friendship Village online photo album

The Oktoberfest festivities started with a traditional (root)beer chugging contest and strudel eating contest.  Contestant Helen Moffett guzzled down her cups of root beer, soundly defeating her ten opponents.  The strudel eating contest drew 13 competitive eaters.   Contestant Dan Zelazek did not come in first in the contest, but was the sure winner.  Unlike the official winner Paul Fink who gobbled up his slices of strudel, Zelazek boasted that he had the opportunity to savor his delicious pastries.  Each contestant received three slices of strudel.  Because Zelazek had only finished enjoying the first piece by the time the contest was over, he was able to share the remainder with his table mates.  “They loved it,” he said. “The strudel was outstanding, absolutely outstanding,” said Zelazek.

Attendees at Oktoberfest received lunch which included hot dogs that were reportedly the best anywhere!  “They’re even better than Portillo’s,” enthused Zelazek.

The event concluded with a performance by the renowned Johnny Wagner Oompah Band. This lively group incited a considerable amount of singing, clapping and schunkeln (arms linked and swaying) on the part of the audience.