Austin Seniors Celebrated On Earth Day for Going Green All Year

Austin Seniors Celebrated On Earth Day for Going Green All Year

Austin Seniors Celebrated On Earth Day for Going Green All Year

Two Austin Businesses Honor Local Seniors with Video Showcasing Their Efforts to Protect the Planet

AUSTIN, TX (April 18, 2014) – On Earth Day, April 22, two Austin businesses have come together to chronicle and celebrate the efforts of several local seniors, whose efforts to protect the planet span not just one day, but the entire year. Realizing the extraordinary efforts of these seniors, Live Oak Legacies, a family story capture service, and The Clairmont retirement community, where the seniors live, have donated their time and services to encapsulate and preserve on video the group’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding the environment.

The video, which will also serve to educate and inspire other seniors through private screenings and social media postings, http://youtu.be/GOp_9FRueCY, features three of the seniors, who spend numerous hours each year to protect the environment while also helping others in need through their efforts.

“We all care about our Earth, we all care about our homes, and we need to take care of what we have,” said Rita Giblin, who was featured in the video. “Earth Day means everything about what we do and making the best of it.”

The Clairmont is managed by Bend, OR based Sunshine Retirement Living, which owns and operates 19 retirement communities in seven states, including five in TX In 2012, Sunshine Retirement Living developed a companywide program that seeks to support and encourage residents to “go green.” The residents at The Clairmont substantially evolved the program beyond its initial roots to include not only recycling but also a community garden and yearlong activities to benefit the community at large. In fact, this particular group of seniors, spent days weaving discarded plastic bags into mats for the homeless, who could use them for comfort and as protection from the cold and rain.

“We grew up during the depression, when every penny, every piece of bread counted,” said Wanda Hammock, also featured in the video. “Now that everything is so plentiful, we still want to find ways to save and in doing so, we are also protecting our environment. We are so appreciative that Live Oak Legacies and The Clairmont support what means so much to us. The video is a gift that we can give future generations to encourage them to continue our efforts.”

“One would assume that ‘going green’ is quest for the young, but our seniors lived through exceptionally desperate times and may indeed be more educated on the topics of sustainability and recycling,” said Denise Park, Director of Wellness and Activities, Sunshine Retirement Living, who created the “Seniors Going Green” program. “We have so much to learn from the older generations about how they respect our planet and what it truly means to be a dedicated member of our communities.”

About Live Oak Legacies

Live Oak Legacies is a family story capture service that specializes in gathering and preserving senior loved ones’ most important anecdotes, recipes, old sayings and chuckles so they can be shared now and passed down for generations to come. The company conducts meaningful, in-person interviews with clients and their families, and then produces legacy videos, books and privates family websites that capture the essence of the subjects. Live Oak Legacies also offers in-home photo and video archiving and heirloom preservation services.

About Sunshine Retirement Living

Based in Bend, OR Sunshine Retirement Living manages 19 retirement communities in seven states, offering senior apartments, independent living, assisted living and memory care. A family-owned business with more than 20 years in the senior housing industry, Sunshine Retirement Living’s mission is to be the preferred senior living provider offering value, choice and independence while promoting health and social interaction that exceeds residents’ expectations and enriches the lives of both residents and staff. By providing meals, housekeeping, activities, transportation, utilities and in-house management staff, Sunshine Retirement Living continues to build an unparalleled community feeling in each property. For more information, visit www.SunshineRet.com or connect socially.

*This blog was first published here: Sunshine Retirement Living