Masonic Villages

Masonic Village at Elizabethtown was looking a little more colorful this morning after some early rain showers. Thanks to our staff and residents for catching the rainbow before it faded away!
📸s: Thad Campbell, chef manager and resident Ralph Detrick

Whether lifelong or later-in-life gardeners, many Masonic Village residents enjoy using their green thumbs to grow something beautiful and delicious. Check out the tomatoes that Masonic Village at Warminster residents recently harvested!

Happy early birthday to Masonic Village at Elizabethtown resident Barbara Cortright, who turns 100 tomorrow! Join us in wishing her a happy 100th birthday.

Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill celebrated French-American Heritage Month and the upcoming Summer Olympics with "An Evening in Paris." Residents enjoyed the finest French cuisine, right here at home! We're already looking forward to next month's theme dinner, which will be a Hawaiian luau.

Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill residents enjoyed cocktails and competition during an afternoon of board, card and dice games accompanied by strawberry daiquiris. Residents brought their competitive spirit to win at Uno, Yahtzee and other classic games!

Staff and residents from the Lafayette neighborhoods in Masonic Village at Elizabethtown's Masonic Health Care Center, along with their families, enjoyed a patriotic beach picnic in the courtyard. In addition to eating delicious food, the group had fun with water activities and a sandbox where they dug for shells and built castles!

Many people tend to focus on the negatives of getting older, but what are the actual BENEFITS of aging? That's what members of the Retirement Living Health Committee at Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill want to know. They've placed a large box in the library where residents can express anonymously their positive feelings about growing older. Some responses included, "lots of leisure time," "every day is Saturday," "hoping to be growing wiser" and "doing things on my own schedule." Health Committee member Marge Johnson said she "thought it would be interesting to see what some thoughts might be and if there might be any programs needed." What positive thoughts do you have on aging?

As of this August, Masonic Village at Sewickley residents Dick and Mollie Cotten will have lived at Masonic Village for four years. The campus' continuity of care, green spaces and friendly people drew them here. Almost four years later, they've continued to enjoy the outdoors and the company of their neighbors and friends. Learn more about their Masonic Village experience before and after the move below.
https://masonicvillagesewickley.org/best-of-all-worlds/.

Best of All Worlds - Masonic Village Sewickley Dick and Mollie Cotten moved to Masonic Village at Sewickley in August 2020. Without worrying about home maintenance, yard work or meal planning, they've been busy making new friends and learning new things. The two visit the wellness center and participate in aquatics classes. They play mahjong and

The pickleball craze has swept Masonic Village at Elizabethtown! Residents enjoy this sport that's part tennis, part badminton, with regularly scheduled games several days a week. Employees also have opportunities to learn the game through free classes offered.

Thanks to the Social Committee at Masonic Village at Dallas, residents can fill their days with social gatherings indoors and out, card games, movies, picnics, volunteering at Habitat for Humanity or a local food pantry, visits to local parks and recreation areas, holiday parties and more. Events and activities are listed in a monthly calendar. All residents are encouraged to attend the monthly committee meetings and share ideas. This team makes fun happen!

At Masonic Village at Elizabethtown's resident garden this year, 80+ resident gardeners are caring for 65 garden plots. A team of five residents act as garden managers. Resident gardeners share their produce with each other, Masonic Village's restaurants and local food banks/pantries. Stop by the resident gardens to see what's growing!

Masonic Village at Warminster residents, staff and families all enjoyed their recent community picnic! Many happy memories were made as they enjoyed the delicious food and live music.

Instead of pet therapy, Masonic Village at Sewickley residents had "pig therapy" when they visited with Lucy the pig, whose owner, Kat Allen, works as a cook on campus. They even got to feed her a favorite summer treat: watermelon!

Masonic Village at Elizabethtown celebrated a century of memories as resident Robert “Bob” Emberger turned 100 today! He received a 100th birthday citation from both PA State Rep. Tom Jones and a representative from Senator Ryan P. Aument's office. Bob, who served as a pilot in the U.S. Navy during World War II, shared his words of wisdom: “Never be afraid to take chances.” Join us in wishing Bob a happy birthday!
https://townlively.com/world-war-ii-veteran-marks-100-years-with-a-look-back/

Nothing says summer like a trip to the farmers' market for some fresh-picked produce or homemade baked goods! In addition to off-campus trips to local markets, Masonic Village residents have had several opportunities that brought the experience to them. Masonic Village Farm & Farm Market temporarily set up in the Masonic Health Care Center at Masonic Village at Elizabethtown so all residents could taste the local products. (Upcoming Farm Market days: July 18 and Aug. 22, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., in the Roosevelt Assembly Room.) Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill hosted Stoltzfus Family Foods for a one-day pop-up event where residents and staff could purchase some of their pies, breads and other desserts without having to travel to their Ardmore Farmers Market location.

Masonic Village at Sewickley residents and staff put on their best 1920s-inspired attire and put their heads together to solve the "Murder at Gatsby's Gala" during a murder mystery dinner on campus. Don't worry - they closed the case!

Happy Independence Day from Masonic Villages! Patriotic crafts are one way our residents are celebrating this year. See some of their renditions of the red, white and blue below. (Thanks to Masonic Village at Elizabethtown resident Berniece Shultz for crocheting the American flag in tribute to all military members.)

Across the state, Masonic Villages' mission extends to neighboring communities and individuals of all ages. In 2023, we provided charitable care and services worth $40 million across the state and gave back more than $417,595 in support to the Dallas, Elizabethtown, Lafayette Hill, Sewickley and Warminster communities. Efforts included:

🎓$32,400 = Scholarships awarded to teen volunteers

🚒$63,793 = Donations to fire and EMS companies, libraries and other causes

🎟$262,904 = Estimated cost of local residents' and organizations' use of our facilities, including outreach and home assistance

🏠$2.4 million = Paid to local boroughs, townships, counties and school districts through Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreements for Dallas, Elizabethtown, Lafayette Hill and Sewickley

🎒6,521 = Hours spent hosting 58 interns and students for clinical experiences

Donated laundry services for ECHOS, raised $11,000 for Relay For Life of Lancaster County, PA and $21,000 for the Susan G. Komen "More Than Pink" Walk and supported numerous community service projects and groups through residents' endeavors.
Learn more at https://masonicvillages.org/about/community-report/.

Community Impact Report - Masonic Villages of Pennsylvania 2023 Community Impact Report Outreach, donations and support Masonic Villages As part of our Mission of Love, Masonic Villages extends services to neighboring communities and individuals of all ages. The Masonic Villages proudly provided $40 million worth of charitable

Masonic Village at Elizabethtown youth volunteers recently had their summer orientation session. They participated in training and learning activities to prepare them for their assignments. Throughout the summer these teenagers will help our residents and staff in the Masonic Health Care Center by escorting residents, assisting with events and much more. Thank you to our incredible volunteers for spending your summer making a difference in the lives of our residents!

In addition to on-site clubs and fitness classes, Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill offers residents the unique opportunity to leave campus and take trips by van to nearby destinations, including the Jersey shore and Philadelphia. Recently, our residents visited Ocean City, New Jersey, for the day, shopping, breathing the salty beach air and walking the boardwalk. Everyone had a great time and made memories that will last a lifetime!

Masonic Village at Elizabethtown recently celebrated its third annual "June-A-Palooza." Both staff and residents had a great time playing different sports and games, from co****le to shuffleboard and golf, each offering a chance to win raffle tickets. Thank you to everyone who contributed to and took part in this exciting event!

Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill resident Ginny Glazier took residents on an underwater adventure Tuesday as she showcased her beautiful photos of the sea and aquatic life from a trip to Hawaii. Ginny and her husband, Rick, are avid snorkeling fans and used waterproof digital cameras to capture images of sea urchins and colorful tropical fish, such as saddle butterflyfish and rainbow parrotfish. They also shot photos on land of turtles, unique birds -- even flamingos! Over the years, Ginny and Rick have traveled to Tahiti, Antarctica, southeast Asia, Norway, Scotland and Alaska, among other locales. "I like traveling because when I come home, I appreciate what I have even more," Ginny said. "Every country has something special. My photos can't show you exactly what I saw, but I can talk about it with people and reflect on it."

Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill resident Dolores Rush had never lived alone before her move to Masonic Village, but, when she moved in less than a year ago, she found a community of people ready to welcome her. Now, she enjoys beautiful surroundings, friendly neighbors and much more. With outdoor maintenance, cooking and cleaning taken care of, she has more time for volunteering and recreational activities. Learn more about her journey to Masonic Village and the benefits she's found below.

Finding Where She Fit In - Masonic Village Lafayette Hill When she moved into her one-bedroom apartment at Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill, Dolores Lush immediately felt like she was on a “permanent vacation.” Her apartment felt like home, and the hallways looked like a hotel, she said. All her neighbors were nice, and she didn’t have to maintain a...

Masonic Village at Dallas residents, future residents and other supporters of Masonic Village celebrated the first day of summer with a cocktail party at the Greens at Irem Clubhouse. Everyone enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and delicious drinks and appetizers from the Greens, including strawberry shortcake!

Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill celebrated several centenarians with a special social this week. Lillian Gambale turned 100 on June 17, and Edith Kaplan will reach this milestone on July 13. We wish them both a Happy Birthday!

Celebrating the first day of summer with some beautiful Masonic Village views. Stay cool!

Masonic Village at Dallas resident Allen Henninger has been working with computers for 50 years - almost as long as his marriage to his beloved wife, Helen. He uses his technological aptitude to help other residents with their devices and emails, host digital Bingo in the residents' lounge and send out group emails about upcoming events on behalf of the Social Committee. Learn more about Allen and other tech-savvy residents in the summer Village Voice!
https://issuu.com/pr263/docs/villagevoice_summer_24_issuu/12

More Father's Day fun with our Masonic Village dads! Masonic Village at Sewickley residents posed with holiday-themed photo frames and went catch-and-release fishing.

A belated happy Father's Day to all our Masonic Village dads! We had fun celebrating them with barbecues (like Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill had for their residents, shown) and other activities this weekend.

Masonic Village at Elizabethtown residents gathered to celebrate the 100th birthdays of Jack Crow and Doris Beeler. A representative from Senator Ryan P. Aument's office presented the two centenarians certificates honoring this milestone birthday. Jack’s actual birthday is June 20th while Doris’ is June 30th. They both gave their secrets to a long life, with Jack saying to, “give more than you receive every day." Doris recommends reading to keep your mind healthy. Join us in wishing Jack and Doris a happy early birthday!