In this Issue:

• Holiday Fun and Christmas Parties
• Chaska Staff Spotlight on Jessica "Jess" Nepomuceno
• The "G G's" Club
• Waconia Staff Spotlight on Katie Steinhagen
• January Activities
• AHS Residents Predict the Future
• The Pastor's Corner with Reverend Cathy Kowley
• Staff Anniversaries and Birthdays
• Nikki Becker, Manor TMA, Announces January Donation Drive
• AHS Family Notifications

Holiday Fun and Christmas Parties

Auburn Homes & Services celebrated the holidays with their residents throughout the month of December; whether it was playing Christmas bingo, Jingle Bell Rock & Roll, eating a delicious Christmas dinner or being visited by Santa Claus and the Grinch, our residents had plenty of fun activities to attend!

We hope you enjoy all of the moments we caught in the photos below.

Chaska Staff Spotlight on Jessica "Jess" Nepomuceno 

My job description is Lead Care Attendant in the evenings. 

Key responsibilities are administering medications and assisting residents with their ADLs while maintaining as much of their independence as possible in Assisted Living/Courts.

My family consists of myself, my boyfriend Rory, two kitties Athena and Ophelia, and multiple fishies.

My favorite past time is cooking Sunday dinner.

Favorite travel destination is anywhere while a beach and sun.

When I retire I hope to read and write philosophy.



"Service to others is the rent we pay for our time here on earth. So it is an honor and a privilege to be spend my days at Auburn helping the residents who became my friends and like family to age gracefully with as much of their spirit and grace as possible, and to hear their stories. "

The "G G's" Club

Auburn Courts residents, Malinda and Rose Marie, enjoy baking and along with Courts Café manager, Kathi W., started a baking club that meets every Thursday morning. The two bake everything from cookies, bread to bars that they share later in the day with other residents who come to the café for coffee and good conversation. They even gave themselves the nickname of the "GG's" which stands for Great Grandmas. Kathi had aprons made for them to wear while baking which they proudly wear while creating delicious treats for staff and friends.

The G G's even used their love for baking to help raise money for AHS by donating 6 dozen cookies to The Festival of Trees silent auction last month; the winning bid for the cookies went for $315! Thank you, GG's!

The 6 dozen cookies the GG's baked for the winner of their silent auction donation.

Waconia Staff Highlight on Katie Steinhagen

Name: Katie Steinhagen

Job Title: Activities Assistant

Key Responsibilities: Engaging and leading residents in therapeutic programming and enhancing their lives.

Family: I live alone. I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers who live in the St. Boni and Norwood area.

Favorite Past-time: Painting, reading books that enrich my faith, time with family and friends.

Favorite Travel Destination: So far it is Michigan to visit family.

When I retire I hope to: I am not planning to retire.

"I started working as an activities assistant at Auburn Home in June of 2013. It has been the most rewarding job ever! I have countless opportunities to use my talents in redirecting boredom or pain and sadness into smiles of loving care. I’m the person they recognize in appearance and in voice as the one who knows what’s going on. I don’t think most people know how hard working through Covid has been. One talent I haven’t been able to do for over 2 years is to sing with the residents on a regular basis. However, this challenge has sparked new inspirations to bring joy! I decided to create masks to cover up the ones I was so tired of seeing to bring new life to some of our activities. Here are some examples; Ground Hog Day, Cupid, Bossy for Dairy Day, The Grinch, Puss & Boots, Octoberfest, and the Chicken comes out when we do flicking chickens. I have adapted some bean bag activities like shoot for the stars and incorporated ground hog targets and cupid targets to heighten the game. Noodle ball is the resident’s favorite activity! This October I began working in activities at Meadows. The reason I work with the elderly is to give back to them for all they have given me while growing up in the area. Most of the residents who live here were people who attended parishes that I have attended, some have been my friends or parents of friends, and some have been neighbors. Sharing life stories is living life to the fullest, because in doing so we support each other as faith teaches us to do."

How can it possibly be 2023?!? Time flies when you are having fun and our resident's have lots of great activities to look forward to this month including a Carver County Quilt Tour Outing, Entertainment with The Singing Cowgirl, Bob the Beachcomber, Chuck Thiel and Cletus Gorblirsh, lunch outings to Ox Yoke Inn, Culvers and Lions Tap as well as resident favorites Bingo, Po-Ke-No, Uno, worship services and lots more!

Check out your resident's January's Activities Calendar to see which ones are available to them by clicking on the appropriate link below:



Auburn Home, Auburn Meadows, 

Auburn Manor, Auburn Courts

AHS Residents Predict the Future

Dear Auburn Family & Friends,

Just as our Advent season had us preparing for the joy of the coming Christmas, we are now in the season of Christmastide, which is preparing us for EPIPHANY. The twelve days of Christmas is not just a song to sing with all the other carols, it is the twelve days between Christmas Day (December 25) and Epiphany (January 6). So what is Epiphany?

Traditionally celebrated at the day that the Kings arrive to meet the baby Jesus and bring their gifts to bless the holy family, Epiphany is celebrated on January 6th and marks the end of the holiday season that starts at the beginning of Advent. In some countries around the world, Epiphany is the day that gift-giving is done because it mirrors the gift-giving of the Kings (which is why Epiphany is also known as Three Kings Day, El Dia del los Reyes, or Theophany). In my own family, we have a tradition of giving three small Epiphany gifts on January 6th: something that is extravagant (gold), something that cares for the soul (frankincense), and something that tends to the body (myrrh).



Epiphany can mean more than just the day the Kings arrive though. When we think of the definition of an epiphany as “a revelation, an intuitive grasp of something, or a moment when you suddenly have deep understanding” we can start to think of Epiphany not just as the end of Christmas, but as a moment when can gain a greater consciousness about ourselves and our lives. As many of us reflect on our years and make goals for the new year ahead, Epiphany provides us with a moment to ponder what God is doing in our lives once again. Having Christmas draw to a close and going into a New Year, I wonder if you might make time to celebrate Epiphany by asking yourselves a few questions:

What about this Christmas and Christ coming again felt new to me this year?

What is God manifesting in my life for the New Year?

What will my personal Epiphany be?

As you ponder those things with the wonder of the Christmas season still warm in your heart, I wish you all Epiphany blessings and hope that your entire holiday season (Advent+Christmas+Epiphany) were filled with the hope, peace, love, and joy of Christmas.

Blessings and peace to your New Year,

Rev. Cathy M. Kolwey

Director of Chaplaincy

Thank you to our dedicated and hard working staff for their years of service:

Maria Saulsbury CORP, 2 years

Corin Ellingson COURTS, 3 years

Ava Kloke COURTS, 2 years

Lisa Brueggemeier, HOME 5 years

Emily Maloney HOME, 5 years

Karen Arneson HOME, 3 years

Skyler Siddons HOME, 3 years

Chris Mueller HOME, 1 year

Bailey Blomquist HOME, 1 year

Kathi Waller MANOR, 8 years

Alysha Grow MANOR, 4 years

Nasra Ismail MANOR, 2 years

Kim Lemay MANOR, 2 years

Sabrina Pinney MANOR, 1 year

Judith Lallak MANOR, 1 year

Lori Cole MEADOWS, 10 years

Flora Bernal MEADOWS, 7 years

Jennifer McCabe MEADOWS, 5 years

Theresa Boon MEADOWS, 5 years

Brianna Meier MEADOWS, 3 years

Fiona Williams MEADOWS, 1 year

Happy Birthday to the following staff members celebrating a Birthday in January:

Kelly Ehlers, Corin Ellingson, Ava Bloke, Fatoumata Sanneh, Mya Pestorious, Deka Abdi, Jada Millegan, Kadra Ahmed, Barbara Heusinkveld, Lisa Brueggemeier, Elizabeth Lien, Sophie Remer, Taylor Braun, Sophia Morschen, Kristin Wolff, Caroline Mwarenge, Leoana Enger, Yana Meng, Maria Galicia, Stacia Boyum, Kylie Fick, Florencia Montalvo, Christin Liwa, Kaitlyn Goodman, Yurily Miguel, Fathi Osman, Hani Abdullahi, Fartun Abdullahi, Samantha Grow, Lorena Valenzuela Guerrero, Ayan Ibrahim, Maryan Mohamud, Mary Traxler, Lori Cole, Trista Peitz, Maria Sosa, Allison Saunders, Alexa Langley, Linda Chouinard, Emma Scheuble, Ella Robinson, Brianna Morchen, Daniel Van Winkel, Sarah Senden

Manor Staff Member Continues her Charitable Efforts by Announcing January's Donations Recipient,

People Serving People

Nikki Becker, a TMA at Auburn Manor, started gathering much needed, donated items for different charities/organizations well over a year ago at AHS and continues her philanthropic deeds to this day. Starting in January, Nikki will be collecting items for "People Serving People", the largest homeless shelter in the state of Minnesota. This 99 hotel-style emergency shelter housing units for children and families experiencing homelessness includes a bathroom, beds, basic furniture, and a door families can lock behind them to feel safe. Three nutritious meals are served daily in our cafeteria, and diapers and other basic necessities are provided free of charge. 

When asked what kind of items does the shelter need, Nikki replied, "Basically if you have it in your house, they could use it in theirs, so almost anything goes. Most things need to be new and they don’t accept clothing of any kind. However, baby/toddler sleep sacks, coats, hats and mittens are not included in clothing, so those things are fair game. "

Please consider donating to this worthwhile charity; donations can be dropped off at the front desks at both of our locations in Chaska and Waconia through January 31st.

AHS Family Notifications

• Chaska campus has new receptionist desk hours with a change to when the main front doors are locked for the evening: new hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm. Doors are locked at 4:00pm. If you are entering the building after hours, please use the intercom located in the vestibule at main entrance.

Auburn Homes & Services

Mission, Vision and Values Statement

Auburn Homes & Services

www.auburnhomes.org