Passover is right around the corner.  Will you be sharing any of the holiday with us?  It is always such a wonderful time for our Cedar Village family to come together.  We will, as always, being doing some new things this year, always looking for ways in which to improve the holiday experience for our residents. 

We're delighted that our newly renovated dining rooms on Apple and Azalea are fully operational in time for Passover.  They came back into service yesterday and it is a great relief to all to move out of temporary space and back to where dining belongs!  They look absolutely beautiful, with much improved lighting and lots more natural light. The rooms are much more open and brighter and I know they are going to be a huge hit with residents.

Lest you think we missed it, we did have a wonderful Resident of the Month program for April.  We had seven honorees (actually eight people as one was a couple) and it was, as always, an inspirational and educational evening.  We hear such amazing stories of the resident's lives and they share words of wisdom with us.  Each one is unique and powerful and it is such a joy to be a part of the event.  We've now begun to offer family photos of the honorees on that evening as well.  We set up a simple backdrop and, after the program, we take photos of any groups that might like to commemorate the evening.  That has been a huge hit as there are not always opportunities for families to come together and preserve their memories in this way.

On Thursday April 14, we all enjoyed the annual Volunteer Recognition event, which was a brunch this year.  We had almost 100 volunteers present and it gave us a chance to thank them for all that they do for Cedar Village.  Volunteers make a tremendous difference in the lives of our residents, whether the time they devote is dedicated to direct service or projects that have an indirect impact.  It all matters and it is all vital.  The President of the Friends of Cedar Village, Leigh Faulk, presented us with a "check" for over $250,000 which represents the value of the 2010 volunteer hours donated to Cedar Village. Wow!

Here are two items we are proud of this week-first, Cedar Village was presented with an Achievement Award by the Warren County Safety Council, Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.  The award recognizes our efforts in preventing accidents and injuries in the workplace. The other item of pride is on an entirely different note.  We've had a Weight Watchers at Work program running here since August 2010.  It's been a great success with our staff, helping people work towards their health and wellness goals.  Our ongoing attendance at WW has been around 15 members and, to date, they've achieved a combined weight loss of 461.5 pounds.  Kudos to all!!

We wish you and your family a happy and healthy Passover.  May this holiday be one of joy, blessings and peace for you and all those you love.

All the best,