Oak Grove Stories

Everyday life has changed drastically for everyone over the past year due to COVID, but perhaps even more so for residents of retirement communities like Greencroft. With safety restrictions and social distancing measures, our residents have found a lot of free time on their hands. Some have gotten very creative, while others have leaned on tried and true methods of entertainment. Here are a few stories that share a little bit of what our residents’ lives have looked like recently, and how they have been occupying their time!

The residents at Greencroft Goshen’s Evergreen Place have begun quilting again! After a short pause due to COVID, our quilters are finally able to get back at it. With COVID precautions that included moving the quilting to the hall lounge one person at a time, not sharing any supplies, wearing masks, and remaining socially distanced, our residents are finally able to enjoy one of their favorite crafts again. The windows in the hall lounge provide great natural light so our quilters can focus on the details of their craft. One reason we are so excited to safely provide this option for our residents is because of the specific research into quilting that has shown it has positive benefits on a person’s mental health and wellbeing. We are thrilled to be able to once again provide this release for our residents.

The residents of Greencroft Goshen made the team members on campus feel extra special with a $10 gift card to Martin’s Super Markets, thanking them for the work they have done during the pandemic. It was such a wonderful show of love and generosity that there weren’t enough words to express how thankful they all were. Many of these same residents used their talents to create handmade masks for our staff as well. Their thoughtfulness will not be forgotten.

An Oak Grove resident, Betty W., has always been a performer. She shared her love for music with the other seniors by singing in the various hallways of the campus. From Frank Sinatra to Paul Anka, she knew just about every romantic ballad in existence. Social isolation couldn’t stop this “Singing Superstar!”

Southfield Village residents volunteered their time to help put masks together for our staff from supplies
that were generously donated from a local family. Our staff feels blessed that our residents cared about them enough to donate their time and skills to making these protective masks.

One of the best things about Greencroft Communities and our campuses is how close knit we are with the communities that surround us. Many of our campuses have enjoyed community led parades during the pandemic. From high school band
students to teams from local companies, our residents have been blessed to see vehicles covered with signs of support and love, marching bands performing music, and even a line of classic cars bringing joy, excitement, and energy to our campuses.

Our residents and staff have certainly been keeping busy despite the COVID restrictions surrounding us all. We feel lucky, in fact, to have a community to belong to in such strange times, and continue to find new ways to make eachother smile, laugh, and remain hopeful. Here, we’re a family, and there’s nothing we can’t overcome together.