Aldersgate Square is taking shape! Windows are in, drywall is going up, cabinetry is being installed, and exterior facings are being added as the beauty of the East and West Buildings comes to life. |
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Hello Everyone!
The early arrival of lovely cool fall weather here in Winston-Salem has taken us all by surprise, but we are not complaining! The summer was a hot one! This e-newsletter shares some of the highlights that kept us all hopping this summer despite the heat.
Construction on Aldersgate Square is moving along smoothly. Now that the exterior walls are up and the roofs are on, it's exciting to see Aldersgate Square take shape! The project remains on schedule for completion by the end of the first quarter of 2023, and we are hoping to begin the move-in process in April 2023, barring unforeseen delays.
This year's resident-selected fundraising campaign, which raised money for the Forsyth Backpack Program, exceeded its goal. Residents celebrated with an exceptional Octoberfest full of fun, fellowship and amazing food!
Construction has begun on a new building that will house large woodworking and beekeeping work spaces, giving residents more room to do what they love. Completion is scheduled for early next year.
Arbor Acres recently welcomed a new Fitness Coordinator, who brings a wealth of experience and creative ideas to her goal of keeping residents as healthy as possible.
The Dining Arts staff have been knocking their food creations out of the park lately, from a Caribbean-themed grill, to a NC-only sourced fine dining menu, to charcuterie boards that are works of art. We share some of the highlights in this e-newsletter.
COVID-19 is still top of mind, but perhaps not for the reasons you might think. Below, we share a portion of a letter Arbor Acres President/CEO Andrew Applegate distributed recently in response to the misleading COVID-19 numbers the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and local media attribute to Arbor Acres.
The stories in this e-newsletter bring you up to date on some of the happenings at Arbor Acres from the past few months. We had--and continue to have--a lot going on! If you live near by and would like to experience Arbor Acres' vibrant community with access to activities and amenities, consider joining the Advantage Program, our off-campus residency program. This program allows you to b ecome residents of Arbor Acres without the requirement of making an immediate move to our campus. Give us a call if you're interested in learning more!
As always, don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have questions or would like to schedule a visit to campus. We'd love to see you!
--The Arbor Acres Marketing Team: Lynn, Pam and Martha
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Aldersgate Square Comes Into Focus
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Blum Construction continues to make great progress on the 56-apartment Aldersgate Square project!
With exterior walls and roofs in place, inclement weather no longer hampers indoor crews. Often workers representing seven different trades are hard at work in the same building at the same time, offering a master class in project planning and coordination.
In the four-story East Building, the windows are in, drywall is up, apartments are being painted, bathrooms are being tiled, cabinetry is getting installed, and exterior details are coming into focus.
In the smaller three-story West Building, windows are going in and drywall is going up, but it won't be long before the West Building catches up with the East Building.
Assuming nothing unforeseen delays the project, Aldersgate Square should be completed on schedule by March 31, 2023. We are already in the early stages of planning the move-in process, which we hope will begin next April.
In June, Blum arranged a hard hat tour for incoming Aldersgate Square residents to get a first look at four first-floor apartments. This video captured the excitement and shows how far construction has come in the past four months.
Aldersgate Square remains fully reserved, but we have started waiting lists for each of the floor plans. If you are interested in getting on a waiting list or learning more about Aldersgate Square, give us a call! We would be pleased to share a presentation of these apartments with you, either in person or via Zoom.
- Lynn Ross, lross@arboracres.org,
- 336-748-4645
- Pam Rosenberger, prosenberger@arboracres.org,
- 336-464-0481
- Martha Murphy, mmurphy@arboracres.org, 336-722-0962
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Interested in Learning More about Aldersgate Square?
Please join us for one of the following hour-long Zoom sessions, "An Aldersgate Square Overview." To confirm your interest, email Martha Murphy at mmurphy@arboracres.org, and she will send you a Zoom link to the meeting of your choice.
- 2:00 pm, Thursday, October 20, 2022
- 10:00 am, Thursday, November 17, 2022
- 2:00 pm, Thursday, December 15, 2022
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Residents Exceed Fundraiser Goal,
Celebrate with Octoberfest
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Every two years, Arbor Acres residents select a local non-profit organization to support as a way of giving back to the community. This year, residents chose the Forsyth Backpack Program as their philanthropic cause.
The mission of the program resonated deeply with residents. The Backpack Program provides nutritious food in backpacks on weekends and holidays to local school children who have been identified by school personnel as not having reliable sources of food outside school-provided meals.
Since the beginning of this year, residents worked hard to raise awareness for this fundraiser in order to reach their $75,000 goal. Over the summer, they held three "Backpack Blitzes" to pack food for students at Kimberly Park Elementary School. The fundraiser was a huge success! Residents packed 5,000 meals and raised $77,568, exceeding their original goal by more than $2,000!
The children especially loved the special note cards hand-made by resident artists that they found in their backpacks.
This video, created during the first "Backpack Blitz," offers insight into the difference this program makes in the lives of food-insecure children and the enthusiasm residents brought to this special project. |
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To celebrate the success of the Resident Fundraiser Project for the Forsyth Back Program, the Philanthropic Arts department dedicated this year's Octoberfest in honor of the residents and their hard work.
Staff across all departments helped make this a memorable event with amazing food and beautiful décor--it was a night to remember.
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When Arbor Acres' next-door neighbor, Crossnore Communities for Children, bales its fall harvest of hay, residents know that the first frost of the season is just around the corner. |
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Lakeside Dining Assistant Kitchen Manager Steven Schlotzhauer had an idea. His love of growing tomatoes in Arbor Acres' Community Garden this summer, which he incorporated into seasonal menu items, and his network of growers and farmers across North Carolina (NC), inspired him to create an all-NC dinner menu.
The menu was rolled out for two weeks in September to great acclaim in the Arbor Room, Arbor Acres' on-campus fine dining option.
Every ingredient in each dish was sourced in NC!
Take a look at this video where Steven introduces his amazing culinary creations.
Residents can't wait to see what themed menus Steven and the Lakeside Dining Arts staff come up with next!
At Arbor Acres, residents aren't the only ones who are encouraged to live artfully and creatively--staff are, too!
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Bees & Wood Find New Home |
Arbor Acres encourages residents to stay as active as possible, learn new skills, and follow their passions. Among the many residents who take this wisdom to heart are the woodworkers and beekeepers.
The popularity of these two special interest groups has grown so fast over the past few years that both groups now need larger spaces in which to work.
Enter "The Shop."
Construction recently began on a unique workshop space that will house a woodworking room with state-of-the-art equipment, and a large area where beekeepers will be able to extract and jar annual honey harvests.
This short video was taken the day The Shop's foundation was being poured. Hopefully none of the crew members stood too long in one place! The Shop is expected to open in early 2023.
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Fitness: All in a Day's Work |
In September, Arbor Acres welcomed new Fitness Coordinator, Heidi Day!
Heidi comes to Arbor Acres from Bermuda Village in Bermuda Run, NC, where she served as the LifeFit/Activities director for more than 19 years.
Heidi holds certifications in personal training, yoga and weight management.
As the Fitness Coordinator at Arbor Acres, Heidi plans to increase the number of group class offerings at different fitness levels, encourage residents' participation in their own wellness journeys, and introduce new ideas to help residents live their healthiest lives.
Heidi graduated from Ball State University with a degree in Exercise Science. She was also a college gymnast.
Welcome, Heidi!
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COVID-19 Continues to Vex |
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When the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, Arbor Acres was one of the first organizations that committed to total transparency when reporting active COVID-19 cases. We used our website to share real-time updates on residents and staff who had positive test results, a practice we continue to this day here.
Over the past few months, the number of positive cases we have had at any one time have appeared misleading in data published by the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services (NCDHHS) and picked up by local media.
The number of cases reported by the state is a cumulative number, which continues to increase until a community has no new cases for 28 days.
After several attempts to clarify the discrepancies with the state as well as local media, Arbor Acres President/CEO Andrew Applegate, in consultation with his healthcare leadership team, distributed recently a letter to family members and responsible parties to set the record straight clearly and transparently. A portion of that letter follows:
"While I cannot speak for how other communities report, I can say that we [Arbor Acres] are following the law. We could employ perfectly legal methods to artificially lower the number of positive test results simply by not proactively testing our staff, leaving them to determine the need for, and obtain, testing for themselves. If Arbor Acres does not conduct testing, we have nothing to report, and that would prevent us from standing out from the crowd. However, that would not reflect our value of caring for those we serve, nor would it embody the ethical behavior you and I expect from Arbor Acres.
"Our approach to protecting residents is preemptive. We are not obligated by state regulation to routinely test vaccinated staff, except when they exhibit certain symptoms or a resident tests positive, in which case rounds of testing ensue to determine those affected.
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"While this is a reasonable approach, in many ways it is like closing the barn door after the horse has escaped.
"At Arbor Acres, we employ a more proactive approach, which is to encourage staff with even mild symptoms (that could be attributed to seasonal allergies, etc.) to be tested in-house. We have found this to be the most prudent approach, regardless of the cost of the tests and the resulting bad press. Knowing with certainty that we have a positive case is preferable to not knowing. It demonstrates our concern for those we serve, and for the health and wellbeing of our staff and their families. It is also important to point out that we make no distinction between our Healthcare staff and our Independent Living staff regarding testing. As a result, our reported positive cases will be higher. I am perfectly fine with taking a hit in the media for this stand.
"As has been our practice since early 2020, we remain committed to following the law and being transparent about COVID-19 cases in our community. I recognize that this is a double-edged sword, but we will continue to do the right thing for the right reasons. I would also remind you that when you want to know the current state of COVID-19 at Arbor Acres, please visit our website www.arboracres.org, select the “Learn More” button at the top of the page and select ' Arbor Acres COVID-19 Dashboard Update.'
"I hope that [this note] demonstrates to you just how seriously we continue to seek to preserve the health and wellbeing of the individuals you entrust to our care."
Arbor Acres has done an exceptional job of exceeding its regulatory obligations for positive COVID-19 case reporting and will continue to follow all required reporting guidelines for as long as necessary.
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The summer of 2022 was filled with fun, enriching activities. Here's a look back at the season that was! |
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Art Opening in the Galleria for Still-Life Oil Paintings of Resident and Artist Mary Martha McKinkey |
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End-of-Summer Grill'n & Chill'n Perfect Pairing: Caribbean Feast and Steve Cain on Steel Drums |
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Annual Trip to Ben Owens Pottery in Seagrove, NC, with Chance Meeting with Ben Owen III
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Croquet Team Play at NC Clubs Teams Tournament (Linville Ridge, Grandfather Mtn. & Eseeola Croquet Courts) |
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Tour of Andy Griffith Playhouse & Museum in Mt. Airy, NC |
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All-Day Visit to the NC Zoo! |
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It makes my heart feel good to have participated in the Forsyth Backpack Fundraiser this year. We made a big difference with a splash of fun and camaraderie.
--Resident Who Participated in the Backpack Blitzes
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