By Greg Asimakoupoulos, Chaplain, Covenant Shores
Pastor Rebecca Worl of Cedar Creek Covenant Church made the stay-at-home edict at Covenant Living at the Shores a little less lonely recently. Becca and her family created homemade greeting cards for the residents in the assisted living wing at the Shores.
For Becca, who has been a guest preacher at the Covenant Living Sunday morning worship service several times, the residents are like extended family. When she heard that the campus was closed off to all visitors (including family), her heart broke. She wanted to find a tangible way to express her love and remind her older friends they were not forgotten. So with construction paper, markers and glue this “working from home” mom found a way to counteract the impact of the coronavirus.
On a Sunday morning Becca drove up to the entrance to our campus and dropped off a grocery bag filled with handcrafted creations. These words from Scripture, lyrics from hymns and positive messages were personally delivered. You can see Becca dropping off a bag in the image at the top of this page.
The reactions from the residents was heartwarming. You would have thought they’d been given a hundred dollars. The cards are proudly displayed on the doors to the apartments or curio shelves or on the wall by their beds.
The staff at the Shores has been tireless in their efforts to keep the campus protected. For the duration of the outbreak, meals are being delivered to the residents since the dining rooms are closed. Staff make daily runs to the local grocery store and pharmacy for those in independent living to limit community exposure. In-house devotions and fitness workouts are broadcast daily on the closed-circuit TV system so residents can stay engaged in their apartments. And the abundance of caution by campus leadership has paid off. There are currently no active cases on the campus and community morale is very high.
To lift the spirits of the 350 residents who remain “sheltered in place,” the staff leads a daily procession down the main street of campus (while maintaining social distancing). The 4 o’clock “Daily Wave” gives the community a chance to stay connected while separated. The staff walks and waves to the residents while singing songs like “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” “We Shall Overcome” and “You are My Sunshine.” The residents sing along and wave back from their patios, decks and open windows. On a recent “Daily Wave” staff paraded with a banner and sang Happy Birthday outside the apartment of the Shores’ most recent centenarian who stood on her outdoor balcony beaming.
This story was also featured in a completely different article with additional information on the Covenant Companion Website. [Click Here] to see the article.