Page 5 - August 2016 Rolling Stone

August, 2016
Page 5
Administrator’s Corner
By Andres Bardelas Administrator, Liberty Village of Freeport A Not-For-Profit Medicare 5-Star Rated Provider
Can you believe that we are already into August? For many, especially our teachers and children, it means summer is coming to an end and the start of a new school year. For them, it is a new beginning: new teach- ers, new students, new classes, new subjects, and new challenges.
August brings us National Senior Citizen Day on August 21st. It is a day to show our gratitude for what seniors have achieved in their lives and for their contributions to our communities. To those in our business, Senior Citi- zen Day is every day of the year. Seniors are our reason for existence and they present tremendous examples to all of us. We just celebrated Older Americans Month in the month of May. It encouraged older Americans to re- main active and involved in their lives and in their com- munities. We have countless residents on the Liberty Vil- lage of Freeport campus that have spent thousands of hours volunteering in our community – at nursing homes, at the hospital, at their church and with civic or- ganizations. For this commitment to all of us, I thank them. These wonderful people know how I admire and appreciate them for what they do for all of us. They are the Servant/Leaders of yesterday, today and they set the example for all of us to carry on.
Just like the students who will be returning to school this month and encountering a new beginning and new challenges, I encourage the senior citizens in our com- munity to remain or become involved in volunteer work. The volunteers I speak with always tell me that they do not consider their service work but, instead, an opportu- nity to help others while showing appreciation to our community for everything it provides.
Volunteer opportunities are endless. Schools are anx- ious to have senior volunteers assist educators in meet- ing the needs of their students. The use of technology is opening a new frontier in education. Email, the internet,
and using Facebook are examples of modern communi- cation tools. However, our children must have the op- portunity to have real life interactions in order to be- come life-long learners and effective communicators. Our senior citizens have wonderful stories and life les- sons to share. You will be amazed how a child reacts to the tales of your youth – “No television? Really!” Nurs- ing homes, hospitals, churches, the Senior Resource Cen- ter, community organizations and service clubs are al- ways looking for the extra assistance that volunteers provide. Not just for the extra pair of hands but mainly because your involvement enriches the lives of the indi- viduals they serve. If you wish to become involved, you can contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Stacy Chapman at (815) 233-2400, who will be happy to put you in touch with the school or organization you wish to support
Along with National Senior Citizen Day, the following is a list of some additional recognitions observed during the month of August. Have fun choosing which ones
Cont. on page 7, Corner