Seniors Online: Tips for Being Safe Contents

ife has changed dramatically for individuals who are currently in their eighth and ninth decades of life. They were born into a world without television or internet, without antibiotics or commercial air travel, without a telephone in every home much less a cell phone in every pocket. Communication meant a rare phone conversation or waiting for a letter, and news came via the radio or the daily paper. It was a slower way of life requiring far more patience than our “Google it” instantaneous culture has today.

Although the average age of current United Methodist Homes residents is 86½, many are far more tech-savvy than you’d think. Said Marketing and Public Relations Director Sarah Soden, “I continue to be surprised by the number of residents who use computers and the internet. The first time a resident asked if I could email something as a PDF I was blown away, but I’ve learned that just because someone is older doesn’t mean they don’t keep up with technology.”

United Methodist Homes residents are active technology users, ranging from email to video phone calls via Skype, as well as online shopping, social networking, monitoring the stock market, following news and much more. A December 2010 Pew Research Center survey revealed that 46% of Americans 65 and older use the internet. The survey also delved into what adult internet users are doing with their time online – results showed that 92% read or send email, 66% shop, 61% use social networking sites and 58% complete banking tasks online.

But with increased internet use comes increased risk – the Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2010 report showed that individuals age 60 and over had the most dramatic rise in complaints of internet fraud over the last 10 years. With these statistics in mind, United

Methodist Homes would like to take this opportunity to provide definitions of common internet scams and “stay-safe” guidelines, which are applicable for internet users of any age.

Scam: Phishing (pronounced the same as “fishing”)

What it is: Phishing is typically carried out via email, with the message designed to look as though it’s from your bank, the Social Security Administration or other reputable source. Messages often say that you should reply to the message with your Social Security number and account number in order to verify current balance, establish online account access, or may even say that your account will be closed if you don’t reply.

Stay safe: Reputable organizations should not ask you to send this type of information electronically. If you do think the email is legitimate, check with the business the email claims to represent, either by phone or in person, before taking any action.

Scam: Credit card theft

What it is: A scammer doesn’t need your physical card to shop on your dime –

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I use the computer and internet for pretty much everything – email, news, stocks, paying bills and more. I only make purchases or give out

information online where I’m pretty sure it’s protected, and I find most

major companies are. I’m a curious person, so I find the computer

a useful tool for learning what I want to know and forming opinions.

Computers are fairly simple – I think if you can balance a checkbook

you can learn to use one.—Dan Knight, Highlands resident

Editorial ....................2Martha Wright, MS, RN, RD, LDN, Vice-President of Dietary and Clinical Nutrition Services

Around the Block .....2A series featuring our amazing residents

Letters of Appreciation.............7Notes of thanks

Elizabeth Church Campus, Binghamton, NY(607) 722-3463Independent living, adult care, assisted living, skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation Hilltop Campus, Johnson City, NY(607) 798-7818Independent living, adult care, assisted living, skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation Tunkhannock Campus, Tunkhannock, PA(570) 836-2983Personal care Wesley Village Campus, Pittston, PA(570) 655-2891Independent living, personal care, skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation

A newSletter fOr StAff, reSidentS & friendS Of United MethOdiSt hOMeS

July 2011

United Methodist hoMes

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Get ready to walk!Staff, residents, family members and friends of the organization

are invited to join United Methodist Homes’ 2011 Walk to End Alzheimer’s team!

The walk is Sunday, September 18 at NYSEG Stadium in Binghamton.

Sign up online at www.alzcny.org.

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In early 2011, after long consideration, United Methodist Homes made the decision to switch from an external dining services

vendor and bring this service in-house on its New York campuses (Pennsylvania campuses have always administered dining services internally). The change took place on June 1, and thanks to the teamwork, coordination and dedication of staff at all four United Methodist Homes campuses, the transition was smooth. This change would not have been successful without their commitment.

Dining services employees at both New York campuses welcomed the new dining management staff warmly, and continued their duties while keeping the focus on resident needs. A number of people have commented to me that the transition was so smooth no one even realized there had been a change in management staff, which I consider a high compliment for our entire team.

Discontinuing the relationship with an external dining service vendor and bringing management, food procurement and menu planning in-house is the first step in a larger process. In the coming months, we will continue to improve dining services throughout the

organization using best practices with a goal of meeting – and hopefully exceeding – expectations.

As we continue to refine operations, I encourage residents and family members with comments or concerns to share them with the new management staff or to contact me. The dining and clinical nutrition services team strives to meet our residents’ needs and provide a quality dining experience, and I am so proud to be a member of this exceptional group. I am looking forward to working with the residents and staff on each of our campuses as this new venture continues to unfold.

AroundBlock

Nick Stefanoski Myers Manor, Wesley Village CampusThe young man recognized for valor on a Solomon Islands battlefield didn’t have a cushy ride to get there.

Orphaned at a young age and taken in by an abusive uncle, Nick Stefanoski was so desperate to escape the north end Wilkes-Barre neighborhood where he grew up that he wrote to an aunt in Ohio, asking if he could come live with her and work on her farm. “I told her, ‘I don’t even need to go to school,’ and she said, ‘Oh yes you do,’” Stefanoski remembers. And go to school he did – graduating as president of his class at Chauncey-Dover High School in Chauncey, Ohio. It was boom time in Detroit, and to put his high school mechanic’s coursework to use, he

set out for the Motor City, finding work as a grease monkey in a Ford plant in the suburb of Hamtramck, Michigan.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Stefanoski went straight to the Navy recruiting office, but there was so much interest in that branch of the service they sent him away. The next day, he went to the Army recruiter and asked how long it would be before the Army could get him into training. “The recruiter told me he could have me on a bus the next day, and he did,” Stefanoski recalls. He completed infantry training in Maryland and Tennessee, and then boarded a troop ship. Their destination was unannounced, and with the entire complement aboard the ship issued overcoats, they were surprised to end up in the Pacific Theater! His division patrolled the Fiji Islands, then went to Guadalcanal to reinforce the entrenched Marine units, and finally to the Solomons in March 1944, where Stefanoski, now a platoon sergeant, participated in the firefight that earned him the Distinguished Service Cross and resulted in his discharge from active service due to injury.

In a battle at Bougainville, Stefanoski saw Japanese troops set an American tank ablaze 75 yards beyond the front lines, with an unarmed tank crew inside. He alerted the crew and covered their evacuation, singlehandedly holding off heavy fire from atop the tank. A grenade explosion shattered his upper left arm, but he continued firing until the entire

TheA series featuring our amazing residents

EditoriAL Martha Wright, MS, rN, rd, LdN Vice-President of dietary and Clinical Nutrition Services

Our “Around the Block” series profiles United Methodist Homes residents who explain what their lives have been like, what their big adventures have been, how they’ve made a difference, and how they want to be remembered. In honor of Independence Day, Seasons is pleased to present the profile of a decorated World War Two veteran.

tank crew reached safety. At the battalion aid station, the first doctor to examine Stefanoski wanted to amputate his arm, but a second doctor advocated sending him to the rear for surgery, and his arm was saved. Sixty-seven years later, he still takes care with the fragile bones in his left arm, saying, “I pull the garden hoses on campus with my right hand instead!”

His injury qualified him for 40% disability, and while considering where to study on the GI bill, he also took the civil service exam. The 89 points he earned were augmented by the 10 points President Roosevelt had mandated be

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Mary and Nick Stefanoski on their wedding day, 1947.

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donald PrutistoDonald Prutisto has joined United Methodist Homes as Compliance Officer. He comes to the Homes from Guthrie Healthcare System in Sayre, PA, where he was the corporate compliance officer for a decade.

Prutisto earned his bachelor’s degree in business and public management from the

State University College at Utica/Rome, NY. In addition to his compliance background, he has three decades of experience in health care business office management and accounting.

Staff Announcements Elizabeth Church Manor Therapy

Staff Recognized for Excellence

hree rehabilitation staff members at Elizabeth Church Manor have been recognized for service and clinical excellence by the SunDance Rehabilitation Corporation, the rehabilitation vendor that serves United Methodist Homes’ New York skilled nursing facilities.

Speech Therapist Marianne Sivak, SLP, was named the northeast division Resident Advocate of the Year for Speech/Language Pathology, a service excellence award presented annually by SunDance based on nominations from peers and supervisors. Award recipients must demonstrate a high level of understanding and commitment related to total resident care – clinical, social, emotional and spiritual – as demonstrated by day-to-day care within each specific discipline’s scope of practice. Said Elizabeth Church Manor Therapy Program Manager Catherine Malarkey, MSPT, “This is an amazing honor and we are all so very proud of Marianne!”

In addition, three staff members – Malarkey, Sivak and Cristina Rossi, PTA – have met the requirements to be clinical specialists in SunDance’s Clinical Ladder program. Clinical Ladder allows therapists to grow professionally as they master advanced clinical skills and ultimately serve as expert consultants to peers in the field. To achieve clinical specialist status, therapists must apply, receive letters of recommendation and complete a formal interview with the program’s clinical director.

Congratulations, everyone!

T

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introduction Video Created nited Methodist Homes recently created an “Introducing United Methodist Homes” video to help prospective residents and families learn more about the Homes. The video is available on United Methodist Homes’ website and YouTube page. The Homes once again worked with producer Howey Mitsakos of Novel Studios in Vestal, New York, to create the video.

The video includes location shots from all four campuses as well as creative use of photos old and new to give viewers a sense of the Homes’ history. Interviews from existing videos were cut together with new interviews and B-roll (video without its own sound that runs behind voiceover) shot at the Highlands, Hilltop and Manor House on April 13.

Marketing and Public Relations Director Sarah Soden highlighted the helpfulness of Hilltop staff and residents: “We spent more than six hours shooting video on campus. Staff went above and beyond in anticipating our needs and adapting on the fly, in some cases helping us stage the shots we needed. Residents and staff were curious about what we were doing and supportive of the project, and helped us capture just what we needed!”

Special thanks to the residents who spoke on camera about choosing and living at the Homes, including Reverend Art and Marilyn Doersam (the Highlands), Reverend Leon and Dorothy Frank (Manor House), Peg Prentice (Hilltop) and short-term rehabilitation resident Irene Krivyanik, who appeared in the rehabilitation segment. Thanks also to staff including Chaplain Lea Harding (who was interviewed about the value of the chaplaincy program) and those who arranged and/or appeared in B-roll segments, including Activity Leader Adriane Bateman, Wait Staff Member Carol Mileti, Activity Leader Tara Scales, Activity Leader Jessica Scott and her daughter Teka, CNA Chuck Shay, Rehabilitation Manager Lindsey Stanton, STAR Unit Manager Rosalind Wright, RN; Hostess Theresa Tompkins, Driver Dave Wagstaff and Tatyana Yevsin, PTA.

Highlands residents Marilyn and Art Doersam, shown relaxing after the camera was off, were interviewed for the

video about how they selected United Methodist Homes and why they like living at the Highlands.

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Scam: Social engineering

What it is: We’re all wired to be helpful, and social engineering scams prey on this. Most often used in business settings, social engineering can involve someone who represents him/herself as an employee who has forgotten a username and password, or someone who comes in person dressed as repair or delivery staff and gains access to hard-copy or electronic files.

Stay safe: Don’t provide usernames and passwords by phone. Verify the identification of anyone physically entering your home or work location to provide service.

Scam: Non-delivery of merchandise

What it is: Non-delivery of merchandise scams involve a purported vendor accepting your payment without shipping you any goods in return. Scammers have come to rely on the increasing comfort people feel with shopping online, in many cases without looking too closely into the identity or reputation of the seller.

Stay safe: Verify the legitimacy of the vendor – check to see that there is a physical company address and valid phone number. Do a web search on the vendor’s reputation prior to making a purchase. Shop only on secure sites – look for an https in the web address or the little yellow security padlock on the lower part of the screen. Use a credit card for online purchases – this form of payment makes it easier to dispute a charge on the back end.

To learn more about protecting yourself online, visit www.fbi.gov and click on “Scams and Safety” on the main page, or www.ic3.gov, the Internet Crime Complaint Center. You can also check with your local bank or credit union about the availability of seminars or educational events related to financial fraud and internet banking scams.

just the number. Credit card numbers can be lifted in bulk by scammers who hack into a legitimate vendor’s website, and can also be obtained if you purchase from a non-reputable website.

Stay safe: When shopping online, buy from reputable sources and look for the small yellow padlock symbol in the lower right-hand corner of the screen or for the addition of an “s” (for secure) after the letters “http” in the web address, or URL. You may want to obtain a low-limit credit card exclusively for online use. Check with your bank or credit card company to see what your liability is for purchases you have not authorized.

Scam: Advance-fee fraud

What it is: The most familiar version of advance-fee fraud is the message from a supposed Nigerian prince who can get his fortune out of the country – and will then split it with you – if you will just send him enough money to bribe a bank official.

Stay safe: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do not reply to advance-fee fraud emails and do not send money to people who solicit you in this way.

Scam: Identity theft

What it is: Identity theft is a complicated scam that involves amassing enough details about you – full name, date of birth, Social Security number, credit card numbers and more – for the scammer to represent him/herself as you. This level of detail enables the scammer to open credit cards in your name, obtain loans or carry out other transactions that can damage your credit, which take years to correct and repair.

Stay safe: Be careful how much information you share about yourself on social networking sites. Don’t use easily-accessible or easily-guessable details (your pet’s name, for instance) as your password, don’t share your usernames and passwords, and be careful where and how you use your credit card for online purchases. Read your credit card statement(s) monthly and verify that the purchases shown are yours – if not, dispute them immediately. Check to see if your homeowner’s insurance includes an identity theft rider (which helps cover the cost of rebuilding your credit and identity) or if you can purchase it separately.

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I use the computer primarily for e-mail – it helps me stay in touch with people.

—Charlotte Houck, St. Louise Manor resident

I email with family members overseas, pay bills online, access my bank accounts, make doctor’s appointments and receive medical test results online. I also do most of my shopping via the internet. I really am a Google

nut – I can research any question or topic. The internet is like a window to the world right at your desk –

what a wonderful time to be alive!—Calli Berg, Board member and Brooks Estates resident

Seniors Online: Tips for Being Safe Continued from page 1

Agape Pavilion at Hilltop Now Taking Reservations!Looking for a place for your next outdoor event? See if the Hilltop Campus pavilion is available!

At no cost, use the handicapped-accessible, concrete-floor covered pavilion. Space features picnic tables, room for up to 30 people, three charcoal grills and a handicapped-accessible port-a-john. Carry in/carry out. Pavilion available through October.

To check availability or reserve the space, call Sue Stanley at (607) 798-1002, ext. 211. Reservation priority given to Hilltop resident families and Hilltop staff.

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If you would like to make a donation or consider a planned gift to

United Methodist Homes,please call Bonnie Slocum,

Development Director, at (607) 775-6400, ext. 281.

Checks may also be mailed to 10 Acre Place, Binghamton, NY 13904.

Donating Homesto the

Shorts

On June 22, Broome County Independent Living Admissions Coordinator Teresa Felter and Broome County Adult Care Admissions Coordinator Sharon Hauver represented United Methodist Homes at the Broome County Senior Picnic at Broome Community College. More than 1,100 seniors attended the event, including residents from the Elizabeth Church Campus.

On June 30, the Hilltop Campus hosted an American Red Cross blood drive. Thank you to the donors who stepped up to give the gift of life!

On July 7, Hilltop Campus staff were recognized for achieving 150 days with no lost work-time accidents. Staff members were treated to a picnic lunch. Great work, everyone!

added to the exam results of wounded veterans, bringing his total within one point of perfect. He began work at Wilkes-Barre’s South Street post office, becoming a distribution clerk for the tri-state area. “I had to know not only the postal sorting protocols, but also the train schedules so bags for New York and New Jersey reached their destinations,” he says.

The young postal clerk enjoyed spending time with friends on Sundays, and at one dance noticed an attractive young woman across the room. He asked if anyone knew her, and one of his buddies said that Stefanoski had grown up down the street from her. “That was a good enough excuse for me to go ask her to dance, even though I didn’t know how to dance,” Stefanoski quips. He would go on to wed Mary, the pretty seamstress from Brookside Street, in 1947. Mary passed away in June 2011, but in their 63 years of marriage the couple had two daughters and enjoyed numerous adventures at home – touring the Grand Canyon by mule, visiting major Civil War battlefields and seeing Hawaii – and abroad, including a trip to Poland.

Stefanoski retired after 35 years with the post office. He stays active by taking care of flowers and vegetable gardens on the Wesley Village campus, and participating in a local walking group in the community.

To make a suggestion for the Around the Block series, contact Sarah Soden, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, at (607) 775-6400, ext. 288. Residents are welcome to suggest themselves!

Around the Block Continued from page 2

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Partridge-Tippett Nursing Facility residents, resident family members and staff enjoyed a Flag Day cookout on the Wesley Village Campus. Traditional picnic fare was accompanied by music from accordionist Pete Truszkowski. Shown at the event are Partridge-Tippett resident Theresa Cumbo (seated at far right) with her family members (seated from left) Carol Cumbo, Catherine Haduck, Charles Haduck (standing), and Truszkowski.

“…every heart beats true/ ’neath the red, white and blue…”

“So it’s root, root, root for the home team…”

On June 16, Tunkhannock Campus residents (front to back) Louise Cole, Hazelle Brooks and Madeline Smith waved their signs in support of the Tunkhannock Tigers boys’ baseball team as they headed to State College for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class AAA championship game. Said Activity Director Terri Tyler, “Even though they lost 6 to 3, the team provided the community with a great season of baseball!”

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CHilltop Hosts Sunshine olympics ompetition was both tasty and thought-provoking at the cookie-baking and trivia segments of the Sunshine Olympics, held at the Hilltop Campus on June 15. Residents from eight area long-term care organizations competed, including Absolut Care of Endicott, the Bridgewater Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, The Hearth at Castle Gardens, the James G. Johnston Memorial Nursing Home on the Hilltop Campus, Riverview Manor Nursing Home, Susquehanna Nursing Center, UHS Senior Living at Ideal and Willow Point Nursing Home.

The cookie competition – with each recipe featuring the secret ingredient zucchini – was judged on appearance, taste and texture by celebrity judges including FOX 40 meteorologists Mick Dwyer and Katie Thornton, pianist Rick Pedro, Wegman’s cookie baker Becky Anagnoson, Broome County Sheriff Deborah Phelps, and former Hilltop cook Coty Miller. First place went to James G. Johnston Memorial Nursing Home’s zucchini lemon delights, and the teams of residents who baked the first, second and third place recipes received medals on ribbons.

Meanwhile, in the auditorium, Administrator Jerry Halbert emceed the trivia contest, with questions on topics including music, history, politics and more. Castle Gardens won the trivia contest, with Hilltop residents placing second. After both events were complete, everyone enjoyed the cookies from the contest and had a chance to visit. WBNG-TV and NewsChannel 34 attended and covered the event, with Hilltop Activities Director Faye Clark and Activity Coordinator Denise Reilly both interviewed on camera.

The Hilltop Campus also hosted the golf and bowling competitions on July 13.

Editor’s note: More photos from the June 15 events, as well as zucchini cookie recipes from the contest, are available on United Methodist Homes’ Facebook page.

Stalking the Wild Wii Turkey

At St. Louise Manor’s July 7 Wii bowling practice session, resident Arthur “Spike” Shear bowled six strikes in a row (a feat sometimes called a wild turkey) without even a warm-up frame, and later in the accomplishment. Said Activity Leader Karen Mayer, “Spike loves Wii bowling and always shows up to play. He is also a good coach to other players and has a great attitude whether he wins or not!” Have you ever bowled six or more strikes in a row on Wii bowling? Tell us about it on the United Methodist Homes Facebook page!

Exploring Potential CareersOn June 28, Marketing and Public Relations Director Sarah Soden hosted a student from Windsor High School (her alma mater) for a job shadowing day. Zachary Augustine, who will be a senior in the fall, spent the morning at the United Methodist Homes’ Corporate Office learning about what a marketing and public relations career involves. In the afternoon, Augustine and Soden toured Curcio Printing in Vestal, New York, the shop that designs and prints Seasons each month. Graphic designer Nancy Shuman explained the pre-press process and president Gina Curcio showcased the production floor. Curcio (left) is shown in one of her press rooms explaining to Augustine how the stacked printing job will be folded. Chocolate lab Charlie – one of four office dogs at Curcio – went along for the tour.

Members of the James G. Johnston Memorial Nursing Home’s first-place cookie-baking team are shown just after the announcement of their win. Congratulations to (front row, left to right) Clara Sarday, Alice Murphy, Mildred Bogdan (checking out her medal) and (back row, left to right) Cammy Bennett and Richard Cresente.

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See additional photos from events featured in Seasons, get alerts about upcoming events and much more! Visit www.facebook.com, create an account if you don’t already have one, and interact with United Methodist Homes! Access our page directly at www.facebook.com/UnitedMH.

Interact with us on

Letters of Appreciation

to the Hilltop CampusI would like to express my thanks to the Hilltop staff for their love and care for my mother. She lived there for many years until she recently passed away. You really do live up to your motto – we care about the people we care for.

to the Elizabeth Church CampusOur family would like to thank all the Elizabeth Church Manor staff who cared for our loved one and provided compassionate care. We were particularly impressed with the warm greeting Barb Rogers always gave us when we came to visit. Rebecca Hensley, LPN, and housekeeper Timnit Yishak were also considerate to our aunt and us when we were there.

to the Grand Care Children’s Center at the Hilltop CampusCarie, you are simply the best! You are the most fantastic teacher a child – and his parents – could ever want. How did we get so lucky? Our son has blossomed into such a fine young boy, and we give you a lot of the credit! Your patience, kindness, and ability to help children learn and grow is remarkable. We feel so blessed to have you be part of raising our son.

to the Wesley Village CampusI would like to thank the Myers Manor staff members for all they did for my father while he was a resident. Everyone we met during our visits was friendly and kind. If Dad did not go to the dining room because we were taking him out, someone always checked to make sure he was okay. During Dad’s recent move to Anderson Personal Care, the staff could not have been more helpful. I had been thinking that Dad needed personal care but had not yet raised the issue. I was impressed that staff identified the need and acted on it independent of my input. Ellen Machovec kept my brother and me informed and went above and beyond the call of duty to make Dad’s move efficient and comfortable for him. Every interaction I’ve had with Wesley Village staff has been positive. I know Dad will continue to be cared for with dignity and respect. Please convey to everyone,from caregivers to administrative staff, my gratitude and respect for all they do to care for Dad and every resident at Wesley Village.

to the Grand Care Children’s Center at the Hilltop CampusThank you for being such wonderful teachers. Words cannot express the gratitude we feel for the role each of you plays in our boys’ lives. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

to the Elizabeth Church CampusIt was great to visit with Activity Director Diana Husnay and remember some good times that we shared over the past two years. Thank you for everything that you and the activities department staff have done for our family during our time at Elizabeth Church. We are eternally grateful.

to the Hilltop CampusMy mother and sister both live at the Hilltop Campus, and I was unsure how the three of us should celebrate Mother’s Day this year. I wanted it to be special for both my sister and my mom. The staff served us a magnificent meal at a special table on my sister’s floor, we each got a flower, we giggled and shared some good times, and all of us felt like it was an extraordinary day. To me it was a miracle as I wasn’t sure how to plan the day, and it certainly did turn out to be beautiful. My mom continues to enjoy living at Hilltop – she is especially thrilled to watch the little ones from Grand Care walking by and playing in the grass outside her window. My son (now 26 years old) attended Grand Care and had a special friend at Hilltop with whom he would visit regularly. My son also went on walks to Hilltop and played on the lawn, and my mom remembers his time at Grand Care when she sees the current little ones. This is yet another example of how the Methodist Homes have been in our lives. I continue to be grateful beyond words that my Mom and sister are safe and loved by everyone at Hilltop.

to the Hilltop CampusThank you to our friends on Unit One at the James G. Johnston Memorial Nursing Home for taking such good care of our loved one over the past three years. You were his family in our absence. Unit staff, physical therapy staff, the social workers, nurses and aides gave him the chance to walk again and allowed us the gift of his company again outside the home. Each and every one of you who touched his life is truly an angel, and it gave us the great comfort knowing he was in such good, capable and loving hands.

to the Wesley Village CampusThank you to Ellen for everything that you did for me.

Doug’s Fish Fry Event at Hilltop11 AM to 6 PM Thurs., August 25Highlands Community Center Parking Lot

Prices range from $6-13

Proceeds benefit the 2011 Walk to End Alzheimer’s

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 197Binghamton, NY

is published monthly for the staff, residents, family members, friends and campus neighbors of United Methodist Homes. Please direct all inquiries about Seasons to Sarah Soden, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, at 10 Acre Place, Binghamton, NY 13904. If you no longer wish to receive this publication, please call Sarah at (607) 775-6400, ext. 288. If you are receiving duplicate copies of the newsletter, please let usknow so we can amend the mailing list.

Visit our website at www.unitedmethodisthomes.org to view contact information for each campus, as well as monthly activity calendars, news releases, or to view back issues of the newsletter electronically.

Visit our Facebook Page for updates, event info and photos. Go to www.facebook.com and search for United Methodist Homes.

Corporate Office10 Acre PlaceBinghamton, NY 13904

United Methodist hoMes

Zucchini Season in full Swing

The GROW Boxes at St. Louise Manor on the Elizabeth Church Campus are certainly overachievers this year – full-size zucchini and yellow squash were ready on July 4! Showing off the first crop are (from left) St. Louise residents Burr Smith, Ralph Efthimiou, Art Dewing and Pauline Major. Special thanks to Efthimiou and Dewing for planting the boxes and to Dewing for watering faithfully! Produce is available for purchase in the St. Louise Manor lobby, and proceeds benefit CHOW, the Binghamton-based Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse, which distributes nearly two million pounds of food annually.

Green thumbs All AroundThis spring, two raised gardening beds were installed at the Tunkhannock Campus, and residents wasted no time in getting them fully planted. By mid-June, seeds were in for acorn squash, green and yellow beans, broccoli, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, giant pumpkins, various herbs, peppers, summer squash and tomatoes. Once veggies begin to sprout, they’ll be delivered straight to the kitchen to be included in resident meals! Resident Otto Keil is shown busy on watering duty.

Green thumbs!