Sunshine Resident Spotlight

Here at Sunshine Terrace Foundation we get to work with some wonderful people, and the best part is that you can too through our Adopt-a-Grandparent program. 

The Adopt-a-Grandparent program is a volunteer program in which we ask people to come and spend some one on one time with our residents. We want to make our residents have individual attention where they can tell their stories, play games, or go for a walk with an "adopted grandchild". 

To help anyone who might be sitting on the fence about participating in this AWESOME program we are going to do the occasional spotlight on some of our residents. This should help you come to know who it is we need your help visiting.    

This is Joan. 

Joan is a native of Paris, Idaho. 

Interests: 

Joan loves dancing, especially the Hula. As a matter of fact, Joan told us she met her husband at a dance. 

When Joan was younger, she used to race horses at the county fair. She also raised many animals, her most recent dog was a poodle named, Suzie. 

Joan loves spending her free time working on puzzles and attending the various activities that are planned each day. 

What does she love about Sunshine Terrace?:

 Joan told us she really loves the people here, fellow residents and staff alike.

This is Caryle.

Caryle was born in St. George, but grew up in Idaho on a farm. She helped her father milk cows and take care of their little farm while he went to work as a teacher and soil conservationist. 

Caryle met her husband one cold and bleak winter night while walking to a basketball game with her roommate at Utah State. On their way to the game, a pink Buick pulled up and the two boys inside asked the girls where Caryle and her roommate where headed? 

           "To the grave yard," said Caryle trying to get the boys to leave them alone. 

Eventually the boys convinced the girls to let them give the girls a ride. They drove to the grave yard and talked for a while and then went for a drive and talked some more. Caryle and her, then furture, husband dated from that December until they were married the following October. They were married nearly 50 years before her husband passed away.

Interests:

Caryle loves anything that has to do with sports. She played basketball, softball, and volleyball all the time. 

Caryle and her Husband loved raising Arabian Horses together. They would train, breed, and sell the horses. They also took their horses to many horse shows. Once they got to old to handle the very spirited Arabian Horses, they switched to Welch ponies and gave little kids horse rides as a side income. 

She and her husband both worked at Cache Valley Dairy. Caryle worked as a book keeper, and her husband as a supervisor. They had one child and spent as much time as they could in the great outdoors. 

What does she like about SST?

Caryle loves everyone she gets to see at Sunshine Terrace. "Not only are the other residents great, so is the whole staff, " she said. 

Caryle loves to participate in the daily activities  and does a good job of motivating more reluctant residents to participate. Her favorite game we played was balloon volleyball. 

We Have Been Busy!

Here are some photos from the past two weeks to show you what we have been up to in the recreation therapy department here at the Sunshine Terrace Foundation.

First, we went to the fair with a group of our residents. They had a blast! We are very grateful to all our volunteers who came out to help us. We could not have done it without you.

Later in the same week we did a service project in which we made flower pens for all out nursing stations. The nurses were very glad to have pens that won't walk away so easily.

Our major event of the month went off without a hitch! We hosted a thank you breakfast for all out Conservice volunteers who come each month so faithfully. To show you what wonderful volunteers they are, they served us and our residents at their own thank you breakfast! We can't do big activities without the help of great volunteers. Thank you!

Finally we ended this week with a celebration of Africa. We made African Fry Bread called Magwenyas and Richard, our Volunteer Coordinator, gave a slide show presentation on his two trips to Africa. It was a ton of fun.

Why You Should Volunteer

As a volunteer coordinator I am constantly looking for ways to motivate people to come and provide service at Sunshine Terrace. The biggest challenge I face in convincing people is that an hour of volunteering is worth their time.

We all know what it is like to be so busy you hardly have time to eat and sleep, let alone spend an hour volunteering at a skilled nursing facility such as the Sunshine Terrace. However, let me give those who want to come but don't feel they have the time a few reasons why they should take time to volunteer.

Volunteering Connects You With Others

When you volunteer you will interact not just with those you are serving, but with other volunteers. People who serve together in meaningful ways tend to form lasting relationships that will benefit their lives for years to come.

When I was seventeen I had the chance to go to Africa to build a school in Nairobi, Kenya. While there I worked with some wonderful people and formed some very strong friendships. Not only did I gain great friends from the experience, but many of these friends helped shape me into the person I am today. I received letters of recommendation from some and great advice and help in getting into my current career from others. Staying connected with these friends has also lead to other great service experiences that have made me into a much better person.

Volunteering is Good for Your Mind and Body

According to a Harvard study  volunteer service can also benefit your personal heath in several ways.

         1: Volunteering increases self confidence.

Often when you volunteer you may be placed in a situation that you are not accustomed to. For example at the Sunshine Terrace you will work with people who have some disabilities you may never have been exposed to. In time, you will learn how to best serve those who cannot help themselves and you become more confident in your ability to adapt to meeting people from diverse backgrounds. You will develop a profound sense of accomplishment as you fulfill your volunteer obligations. Your volunteering will also give you a sense of belonging to a community and pride in your work.

Sometimes you may be in situations you aren't completely comfortable with, but soon enough, you will learn to work well outside of your comfort zone.

         2: Volunteering Combats Depression

Strange as is seems, volunteer service has been proven to make people happier. When you're helping you're happy. Volunteering reduces stress levels and eliminates one of the key factors in depression, which is social isolation. Volunteering helps you develop a group of people you can rely on and get support from when you face challenges.

         3: Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy

As said before, volunteering reduces stress and high stress is a major factor in heart disease and unhealthy weight gain. Not to mention when you volunteer at the Sunshine Terrace you can always count on moving around a lot, which helps keep your energy up. Finally studies have shown that those who volunteer have a longer life expectancy than those who don't.

Volunteering Can Advance Your Career

Employers love to see volunteer service on a resume. It shows that the potential employee cares about the community in which he or she works. It can show them you are a person who can go the extra mile when needed.

Volunteering can teach you very valuable job skills, such as social interactions, the ability to change plans when things are not working right, and initiative. These are only a few of the many many skills you can learn and develop as a volunteer.

Finally you will make valuable connections with people who you may someday work with.

All in all, there is really no down side to volunteering. One hour, at least once a week or even once a month. What do you stand to lose when you volunteer? Probably nothing.  On the contrary though, think of all you will be missing out on if you don't volunteer.