You don’t have to live in a Sunshine Retirement Living community near a military town to celebrate Memorial Day. But when you do, you wear your colors proudly.
Waterford Terrace Retirement Community serves La Mesa, California, a suburb of San Diego, which of course, is known for its Naval and Marine Corps training centers. Not surprisingly, Waterford Terrace is home to no less than 20 veterans who served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam – some in multiple wars and many in peacetime, as well.
Waterford Terrace honors these brave men and women with a Veteran’s Wall that displays pictures of its residents, as well as photos of them in active duty, set against a backdrop of the American flag. These walls full of photos and mementos can be found at senior living properties managed by Sunshine Retirement Living across eight states.
“To be recognized for service to their country means a lot to our residents” says Ken Rorabaugh, Executive Director of Waterford Terrace. “It gives them a great sense of pride to know that we value our freedom and those who fought and died in securing it.”
Each year, the community expresses its appreciation by hosting a Memorial Day BBQ for all residents and their family members, where they read off the names of each veteran and give them a flag pin. The chef cooks up hamburgers, ribs, chicken, hot dogs and other traditional American favorites to large crowds.
A highlight of the day is when current active-duty military come for the celebration. They enjoy bonding with Waterford’s veteran residents and sharing stories about their military experience. Rorabaugh provides them with tokens of appreciation, as well.
“Everybody loves a party,” he says. “And being in a military town, all of our residents make an effort to participate and show respect. Many of them wear red in support of the troops.”
Inevitably, the day can get pretty emotional.
“We always have a moment of silence for fallen soldiers, family members and friends,” says Rorabaugh. “And we turn over a chair at the table for the unknown soldier.”
From the unknown soldiers to the loved ones who have fought and given their lives for our country, we hope you’ll join us this Memorial Day at a Sunshine property near you in remembering and honoring.
*This blog was first published here: Sunshine Retirement Living
Decorating your space is one of the best ways to celebrate the season! We love seeing our residents celebrate with their favorite traditional seasonal decorations. Whether you love holiday photos from years past, a decorative item with a story behind it, or all of the classic holiday decor, we want to know:
How are you decorating this year?
#retirementliving #IndependentLiving #seniorliving #assistedliving #memorycare
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Cooking workshops are significantly enhancing the lives of our residents in our care communities!
Cooking activates both hemispheres of the brain, offering an amazing mental exercise. It engages memory, problem-solving, and creativity, aiding in the retention of cognitive skills. These cooking classes also encourage socializing and community spirit. We strive to always provide our residents a place to connect through shared tasks, exchanging stories, and forming valuable relationships, which helps to alleviate loneliness.
At Sunshine Retirement Living, we're dedicated to providing care that enriches the lives of our seniors. Our cooking classes in our care communities are a prime example of our commitment to creating engaging experiences that enhance their overall well-being.
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
