Spread Your Joy: September Events

September signifies the end of summer with Labor Day celebrations and the Autumnal Equinox on the 23^rd. In this last month of our “Stay Connected” series we aspire to connect with our friends and embrace the theme of Spread Your Joy.

The Mayo Clinic tells us that friends are good for your health. They can help you celebrate good times, provide support during bad times, prevent loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. Friends increase your sense of belonging and purpose, boost happiness, reduce stress, and improve your self-confidence and self-worth. Friends can also encourage you to increase healthy habits – it’s always better to walk, run, swim or exercise with a friend. And friends don’t always have to be of the human kind either! Several studies have shown that heart attack patients who have pets survive longer than those without.

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our Grandparents’ Day Ice Cream Social featuring entertainment and delectable frosty treats on September 7^th at 3:00 pm; our Dementia Support Group meeting for those who have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia on September 10^th at 1:30 pm; our Cherish the Memories presentation on how best to preserve photographs on September 20^th at 11:00 am; our Seniors for Safe Driving Course to help equip elders with the skills they need to safely navigate the roads and remain behind the wheel on September 23^rd from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm; or our Diabetes Support Group meeting for those suffering from any form of Diabetes and/or their loved ones on September 23^rd at 1:30 pm.

Please look through our calendar and join us for any events that can help you stay connected, cultivate friendships and Spread Your Joy!

Jimmy Sapienza and Five Guys Named Moe

Although the event had to be held inside,  the rainy weather didn't dampen the spirits at Juniper Village at Forest Hills 3rd Annual Summer Concert.  The rocking music from Jimmy Sapienza and Five Guys Named Moe, had everyone in the crowd moving in their seats and dancing in the aisles.

The Birds Have Landed in Forest Hills!

On Friday, August 15 residents, visitors and guests at Juniper Village at Forest Hills received a visit from "The Birdman"!  Local bird rescuer, trainer and performer, John Lege, known as "The Birdman" developed his love for feathered friends as a child, and has had birds all of his life. John has been rescuing and rehabilitating birds since 1980.  He now travels all over the country presenting entertaining and educational programs about the world of birds. With his guitar, some magical illusions and some audience participation, John's program informs and delights people of all ages. on August 15th John amazed the residents, family members and guests at Juniper Village with his show of over 15 exotic parrots who sang, danced and performed tricks.

Breathe in Life: August Events

Our Alive in All Seasons’ theme for August is The Environment. Our communities will focus their efforts on maintaining healthy environments through environmentally conscious activities. Our “Green Canopy” program emphasizes designing and operating buildings that meet new standards of environmental sustainability. We are proud to be the first long-term care company with a building in the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

According to research by Go Green, Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour; 25 billion Styrofoam cups and 40 billion soft drink bottles and cans each year. Eighty-four percent of the average American’s household trash can be recycled. If we recycled just 1/10 of our newspapers 25 million trees could be saved. Are we all doing our part?

Join us this month as we learn more about the environment, expand our wide-scale recycling program, learn more about environmental sustainability programs and work with our community Green Teams to promote our “Green Canopy” initiative. We encourage you to accompany us on this environmental journey so that we can all continue to Breathe in Life!

Our fabulous activity offerings this month include our Recycle America collection of newspapers and portable durable medical equipment for recycling from August 4^th to August 29^th from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; our Caregiver Support Group Meeting where we will discuss how the environment can affect dementia patients and ways to create a more calming environment for your loved one on August 13^th at 1:30 pm; our Home Safety For Seniors presentation to learn how to make your home safer by discovering what to look for, obstacles to remove, and ways to prevent trips and falls in your elderly loved one’s home on August 19^th at 2:30 pm; our 3rd Annual Outdoor Summer Concert featuring  a variety of memorable songs from the 50s as performed by members of the local band “Jimmy Sapienza’s 5 Guys Named Moe” with refreshments out on the lawn (bring a blanket or folding chairs) on August 21^st at 6:30 pm; or our Diabetes Support Group Meeting providing  knowledge, education and understanding of the illness to make living with Diabetes a little easier (open to all Borderline, Pre, Type I and Type II Diabetics and their families) on August 26^th at 1:30 pm. Take a look at our calendar and join us for any and all activities that will help you make the most of these last few weeks of summer. 

Deliziosa!!

On Monday, July 14 members of the Italian Sons & Daughters of America Club - Lodge 224 - Forest Hills Chapter shared their love for their Italian heritage by hosting an Italian Day at Juniper Village at Forest Hills.  Organizer, Mary Giulianelli from the Forest Hills ISDA said this event was just one of the many community service projects they will be doing this week.  Members of the ISDA treated the residents of Juniper Village to an Italian dinner of Pizza, Italian Ice, Pizzelles and Italian Cookies, along with Italian music by local accordion player and performer, Edwardo. Grazie!!

Sight-Seeing Adventure Cruise

What a great day for a boat ride! On Thursday, July 10 Residents from Juniper Village at Forest Hills set sail for an adventurous sight-seeing cruise on the high seas of the mighty Allegheny River aboard the Gateway Clipper fleet. The residents attending enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch and an enjoyable afternoon sight seeing cruise.

Independence Day BBQ

What better way to celebrate the 4th of July than with a traditional BBQ!!  Residents, families and friends here at Juniper Village celebrated their 4th with a delicious 4th of July BBQ Lunch and a patriotic musical presentation by local entertainer, Jean Horner.