Meals On Wheels: JVB Delivery Day

Juniper Village at Brookline associates recently took to the roads of State College and beyond to serve up meals on behalf of State College Area Meals On Wheels. Six staff members teamed up with delivery drivers to provide hot and cold prepackaged food to nearly 170 local residents in need. Handing out nutritious meals, Juniper goodies, and a whole lot of smiles made for a great day!

CELEBRATE: Happy 1st Anniversary!

Today's the day! Juniper Village at Brookline did it up big for our one-year anniversary as a part of the Juniper family. We would like to extend a BIG thank you to Juniper Communities, our residents, associates, and resident family members for embarking on this journey with us. We've had a wonderful year and are already looking forward to many more.

With cake, balloons, prizes, and our mascot Miles the Giraffe at the piano, we could not have asked for a better day. Happy Anniversary, everyone!

July 2015 Events in State College, PA: Stand in Integrity

With our July 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care this month we kick off our summer quarter Alive In All Seasons theme “Stay Connected” where we will strive to stay connected to the community and the environment. Throughout July we will focus on staying connected to our community through Volunteerism, where we Stand In Integrity. The biggest and most visible benefit of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers work magic in unifying communities. Through volunteer work you are able to connect with your community on a deeper level and help to make it a better place to live and grow. But what we don’t always realize is that volunteering is a two-way street. Volunteers benefit as much as the causes they support. Through volunteering you make new friends, expand your professional, social and support networks and boost your social skills. So, give it a try and experience the benefits of giving of yourself.

If you are looking for opportunities to share your time, check with our Connections Directors to see what opportunities we have, or join us in one of our volunteer projects. Also plan to join us during our July 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care as we recognize our Ambassador Program, focus on our Resident Computer Center and training or any other calendar item that catches your eye.

Our fabulous July 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care include our:

• Green Thumbs Wanted Growing a Community Garden to help us develop a bountiful harvest and perhaps learn how to spruce up your own yard on July 23^rd at 2:30 pm.

• Dinner and Discussion with Dr. Gong Chen for an informative presentation by this Penn State University leading researcher into Alzheimer’s Disease accompanied by a tasty meal on July 29^th at 6:00 pm.

• American Red Cross Community Blood Drive because each blood donation can save up to 3 lives, so together we can give the gift of life this summer on July 31^st from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. 

We look forward to sharing our July 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehab and Skilled Care with you as we Stand in Integrity.

Fun for everyone: FAMILY PICNIC!

It's a tradition that residents, friends, and family members look forward to all year long: Juniper Village at Brookline's annual family picnic, the largest and most popular event held throughout the campus. On Sunday, nearly 700 guests enjoyed a fun-filled day that included some of summer's best sights, sounds and tastes of summer.

Though raindrops were falling, outlooks were bright as picnic-goers noshed on hot dogs and hamburgers, fresh grilled chicken, potato salad and baked beans, and pies with Penn State's Berkey Creamery ice cream. Back for another year, was crowd favorite, Deacons of Dixieland, and the Happy Valley Alley Clown troupe, with their in-demand balloon animal menagerie.

All attendees were thoroughly pleased with the get together, with one thank you note perhaps stating it best, saying, "Awesome picnic done by awesome people!"

Brookline Welcomes Connections Director, Larry Glace!

Juniper Village Rehabilitation and Skilled Care at Brookline is pleased to introduce Larry Glace as our new Connections Director. A Recreation Management and Therapeutic Recreation graduate of Lock Haven University, Glace is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist who credits a close relationship with his grandparents for his passion of working with the geriatric population. A native of Tyrone, PA, Larry spent much of his youth spending time enjoying outdoor activities like hunting and fishing with his grandfather, and was especially close with his grandmother, as well. 

With a little less than a month with Juniper, Larry says that besides working with residents, it is the great team work and collaborative efforts between departments and communities within Brookline that he enjoys the most. Please join us in welcoming Larry to our Juniper family!

A Murderously Good Time!

Juniper Village at Brookline and the State College Community Theater recently teamed up for a great cause and hilariously-fun evening with their very own murder mystery dinner fundraiser. "The Wedding from Hell" performance filled the house and raised more than $800 for the American Heart Association's annual Heart Walk, held this September in State College. Team JVB kicked off its charity efforts with its own twist on the Theater's popular murder mystery series.

The "ceremony" consisted of a drunken judge, broken bridal shoes, funeral flowers, tons of exes, and of course, a murder. Members of the SCCT worked with audience members to sort through clues and solve the mystery. A wonderful time was had by those in attendance, all while helping a tremendously worthwhile cause. If you would like more information on how you can join and/or support Juniper Village at Brookline's Heart Walk team, please e-mail Anissa Rupert Ilie for more details.

June 2015 Events in State College, PA: Live in Wellness

We close this quarter’s theme of Healthy Aging: “Let Wellbeing Thrive” with a focus on Food, as we Live in Wellness through our June 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Care. Hippocrates advises, “Let food be thy medicine”. Research shows that eating a well-planned, balanced mix of foods every day has many health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, bone loss, some kinds of cancer, and anemia. But, food has other benefits. There are also emotional needs that are satisfied by food. Most of us have fond memories of food from days gone by. Whether it was our mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies, a hotdog from a street vendor or our wedding cake, food has a way of transporting us back to the past. It is in that spirit that Juniper’s dining program is called the H’art and Soul of Dining. The philosophy is that we impart spirited service, companionship and nourishment through the sharing of good food. In addition to meeting our resident’s unique nutritional needs, we also meet their emotional and social needs as well.

Join us for our June 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Care to share in our hydration program, complete with healthy snacks and learn more about healthy food and wellness with our dietitian presentations as we continue to Live in Wellness.

Our fabulous June 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Care include our:

§  What is a CSA Event to get to know your local farmers with Friends& Farmers, Plow Share, Tait Farm, and other local Community Sustainable Agriculture participants with an on-site fresh foods cooking demonstration and discussion of Juniper Village at Brookline’s new role as a pick-up location on June 10^th at 2:30 pm.

§  Father’s Day Barbeque and Bluegrass to celebrate your Father’s Day with a delicious “Man Size Meal” that Dad will surely love and spend some time with the patriarchs of Juniper Village at Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Care and the community at large this special day enjoying the delicious food and entertainment that we will be featuring on June 13^th at noon. (RSVP to 814-238-3139.)

§  Penn State Hershey “Live in Wellness” Lunch & Learn to join us for a delicious take on healthy eating and living your best life with Penn State Hershey’s Katelyn Bodenschatz, RN, who will discuss heart healthy, low-salt and low-fat, diets and how to live well at any age with a nutritious lunch provided on June 16^th at noon. (RSVP to 814-235-2041.)

§  Farm to Table Juniper Family Picnic a hometown affair, complete with a band, clowns for the kids, and plenty of fresh locally-sourced treats for residents, friends, and family of Juniper Village at Brookline on June 28^th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. (RSVPs required; see invitation.)

We hope to see you at one or more of our June 2015 events in State College, PA at Juniper Village at Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Care!