Last week, 18 residents boarded the Still Hopes bus and headed to Cheraw, SC. Pictured left to right: Sarah Spruill, our local tour guide, Nell Barr, Nell’s daughter Beverly, Jennie Guyton, her niece Beverly, and Pat Finlayson. Nell lived in Cheraw for five years, and Pat and Jennie were both born in Cheraw. Our day was filled with a driving tour of the town, visits to historic landmarks, and a lovely luncheon in a private home, catered by the Episcopal Church Women of St. David’s Episcopal Church. The azaleas and dogwoods lined every corner, and we all agreed that Cheraw lived up to its nickname, “The Prettiest Town in Dixie”.
This past Tuesday, 12 residents enjoyed a guided nature hike at the USC Belser Arboretum. The group was guided by retired USC professor Dr. Pat DeCoursey. We could not have asked for a better day; the weather was sunny and the trees had just begun leafing out. We followed the Arboretum Trail Loop which took us for a 3/5 mile hike around the perimeter of the nature preserve. Along the way, Dr. DeCoursey pointed out interesting plantings like the newest addition, an October Glory Red Maple. She also explained the long restoration process that began 4 years ago, and the future of this ongoing project. Everyone enjoyed being able to stretch their legs outdoors after the long winter, and plans were made to return to the Arboretum for a picnic in the near future.
Wow! Our winter/spring concert series has been awesome. More to come with Peter Kolkay, USC Asst. Professor, Bassoon on Monday night, March 29th at 7:30. The April event calendar is full of fun, with more great music, day and overnight trips, and Volunteer Appreciation Day!
The Luck of the Irish was with the three teams competing in the 2010 Winter Wii Bowling Tournament at Still Hopes!
This past Wednesday on St. Patrick’s Day, the final round of the tournament took place at Still Hopes. A great group of spectators were in attendance to cheer on their favorite players. The teams were: “Still on a Roll” with Ed and Junie Hickman, Richard Kennedy, and Anne Beazley, “The Rolling Pins” with Margia Peeples, Charles Culbertson, Eliza Horton, and Nevin Betts, and “The Silver Strikers” with Lottie McLain, Emma Byars, Bobby Sumwalt, and Bill Strohecker. “The Rolling Pins” had the highest total score over the four rounds, and Margia Peeples had the highest individual total score. The winning team was awarded the traveling bowling pin trophy and bragging rights until the next tournament. Everyone enjoyed the refreshments, bowling ball cookies, and green sherbet punch.
Click Here to find out more about all the exciting events taking place at Still Hopes.
Herb Guerry, a resident of Still Hopes, talks about his experience using the Brain Fitness program.
Mr. Guerry was filmed by a BGT student partner. Still Hopes was selected as one of three BGTime Centers in the Columbia area. Developed to bridge the gap between today’s digital media and seniors, the program gives participants “opportunity and voice” so that their stories can be heard across the internet.
Visit the BGTime.org website to learn more about Bridging Generations through Technology, Information, Media and Engagement.
Think Faster. Focus Better. Remember More. Drive Safer.
At Still Hopes we now offer the PositScience® Brain Fitness Training Program.
Yes, you can Train Your Brain! You can also help maintain your driving independence with DriveSharp™. This program will help improve visual processing, sharpen visual precision and improve visual working memory.
Contact the Still Hopes Director of Wellness at 803-739-5034. Or visit our websitefor more information about the DriveSharp™ course and all of the Wellness and Fitness Classesoffered at Still Hopes.
This cutting edge site has all the information anyone would want to know about Still Hopes in one convenient place. www.stillhopes.org
“We are proud of our new user- friendly, information-packed website and look forward to extending our reach to the community and the world with social media tools, a Blog and photo albums on our Face Book page.” Jon Keith, Still Hopes Director of Marketing.
The new website is multi-faceted and interactive. The website will be a source of information for current residents, future residents, employees and those who just want to learn more about Still Hopes. We’re presenting everything from our new Google Calendar for fitness classes, to lists of on-site educational sessions, concerts andjob opportunities. It’s all there.
Visit www.stillhopes.org where you can join our E-list, subscribe to email alerts from our blog page and become a fan of our Facebook page.
The Still Hopes Annual Fund for Resident Assistance provides financial care for residents whose resources can no longer support their needs. The donations made to this ministry provide everything from the cost of total care to special needs such as equipment, clothing, footwear or personal items.
Donations to the Annual Fund for Resident Assistance have enabled Still Hopes to respect individual circumstances and to honor the dignity of all residents.
Please visit our website to learn more about the Resident Assistance Fund and other Ways to Give to Still Hopes.
Still Hopes is a faith-based CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community) and a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit with tax exemption organization.
It has been statistically proven that seniors, who share their lives with others, live longer and richer lives than those who live alone. I have the joy of living in a wonderful community [Still Hopes] located in West Columbia, just minutes from downtown with all of the amenities Columbia has to offer: churches of all denominations; theaters; concert halls; The Art Museum; Riverbanks Zoo; several shopping malls; the historic houses; beautiful parks; good hospitals and medical care and the list goes on and on. Having your own car is nice, but not necessary because transportation to most of these places is offered on our very own tour bus or van.
The food is excellent. It is purchased, prepared, displayed attractively and the dirty dishes are done for us when a meal is over. How is that for a plus?
The grass is cut, the bushes fertilized and trimmed; the sprinkler system works and the leaves are cared for in the fall.
I look forward to busy days filled with pleasant activities and worthwhile things; to expanding my horizons through reading, developing new hobbies such as watercolors and photography to say nothing of playing bridge. We are never too old to learn, to love, and to have fruitful lives and if all of this can be done better in a community with others then I would have to say that the pros in this case win hands down.
Excerpts from “The Joys and Challenges of Retirement Community Living” by Still Hopes resident Hazel Fitzsimmons. Click on the title to read the full story on BGTime.org. The BGTIME program was developed to help bridge the divide between seniors and digital media.
The social media wave has everyone clicking to stay connected. Studies show that the fastest growing population of Facebook users are those over 55. Residents at Still Hopes are enjoying staying connected with friends, family and news around the world.
Join our e-list and we’ll keep you up-to-date and connected with Still Hopes. At Still Hopes we utilize a safe, spam-free method of distributing e-news and information about activities, wellness and fitness classes, on-site events and other opportunities at Still Hopes.
To stay connected, please visit our new website and click on the Join our E-list button. While there, you can also sign up for e-mail posts from our Blog or join us on Facebook and Twitter.
