September 2024

A view from Hickory Neighborhood as the leaves begin to change

The Hornbeam Fairy Garden

A close up of the details of the Hornbeam Fairy Garden

For the uninitiated, we start with a definition: Fairy Gardens—also called enchanted gardens—are minuscule plots that include live plants, tiny statues, and other accessories such as furniture, fountains, or swings. They’re constructed indoors or out from items you already own, purchased from a store, or things you find: pine cones, sticks, stones, miniature decorations. Maybe pumpkins!

In a small plot of soil next to the entrance to the Hornbeam building, you will find Wake Robin’s newest sitework…our very own Fairy Garden. The garden’s creator, Sue G., worked her way up to this fantasy project through her lifelong interest in gardening.

Through two previous house moves, Sue said she missed the greenspaces she had cultivated over the years and left behind. Coming to Wake Robin, she quickly volunteered to work as a helper with our landscape crew. Her tasks included weeding and dead-heading gardens around Hornbeam; then she thought she might try something more whimsical. 

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Ask Wake Robin

An LNA working in Linden Health Center

Question of the Month:

How is Wake Robin doing with staffing and hiring?

Scan the economic news any day and you’ll see a lot of stories about staffing shortages and the problems of hiring. We want to let you know how Wake Robin is faring on both of those fronts.

The main responsibility for staff recruitment falls to Molly Spillane, our Workforce Builder. This position is better known as a recruiter in the field of Human Resources and Molly has been hard at it since she joined Wake Robin in January of this year. Currently, we have 206 employees serving the needs of our 400 residents.

The day-to-day challenge is the need to find the right people for a variety of jobs with vastly different skill requirements. We have people providing services in nursing, dining, facilities management, housekeeping, landscaping, security, and several administrative areas including finance and marketing. Molly has tried a lot of job posting mediums and says, by far, the best lead generator today is Indeed.

Sometimes you have to be a little more active in your outreach, and that is why our Health Services team is hosting an open house on October 15. We are especially looking for people who are already an LNA (Licensed Nursing Assistant) or would like to become one. Wake Robin covers the training and offers great benefits, a beautiful campus, and up to date facilities. If you would like to launch your career in healthcare, this could be the way in. If you would like to know more, please call 802-861-1872.  

Cedar Landing opens!

The ribbon cutting for Cedar Landing

The Cedar level of the Linden Health Center has a walkway that leads to the main parking lot. It has always been a convenient place to pick up a resident to spend time with family, or to get on one of the Wake Robin buses to go to an appointment or perhaps go for a scenic ride. That’s how it came to be known as the Bus Stop. Not exactly a poetic name but it was practical and descriptive.

Outdoor spaces are highly valued at Wake Robin. There are numerous green spaces around the campus and some have special meaning, such as the Secret Garden in the Juniper neighborhood. Cedar did not have a designated outdoor space besides a temporary shelter, a simple structure for those waiting for transportation. This was a natural spot for an upgraded waiting area.

Andrea Longe, Manager of Recreation Services, describes the transition from the Bus Stop to Cedar Landing as a planned enhancement transforming it into “a destination rather than a pass-through” feature. It is “bright and airy, and very inviting,” according to Andrea.

The creation of Cedar Landing was a collaboration of our Health Services and Environmental Services teams. The design process was handled in-house, from the structure to the finishes and furnishings, while an outside vendor was hired to build it. “The temporary bus stop had had its day,” said Leslie Parker, Director of Environmental Services. “Now we have this great space with real windows, beadboard walls and ceiling, a ceiling fan, and a pair of lanterns for exterior lighting. It feels like a summer camp.”

Wake Robin residents had a hand in choosing the new name and they are also defining how the new space is used. It is still a pick-up location, and it has also become a comfortable hangout spot for reading, socializing, and enjoying the day, rain or shine.

The Wake Robin Fund

The Wake Robin Fund brochure explains opportunities for giving

The future. What will you need? How do you plan for it?

At Wake Robin, we have a strategic plan that is our vision for the next few years. It’s a vision for what we plan will happen in the near future, but going out further than that, long-range planning, is full of questions, conditions, and possibilities that we can’t even imagine today.

One way to plan ahead is to have funding in place to take advantage of future opportunities. Enter the Wake Robin Fund, a planned giving program that you adapt to your wishes to make your own legacy. It’s a way to share your good fortune with others, for today and tomorrow for the benefit of Wake Robin.

There are funds in existence today that you can support or you can start your own special cause. There are a number of ways to structure a philanthropic gift and various categories for giving. We have an endowment fund and a mission enhancement fund. You might consider a gift that provides for Wellness and Community Life, Environmental Stewardship, or Staff Education. Begin the discussion with us or engage an estate planner if you prefer.

We may not know exactly what the future will bring, but we can help direct it and make it more of what we want it to be.     

When walking through the Wake Robin Community Center and the Linden Health Center, you cannot help but notice all the beautiful bouquets brightening up the hallways and sitting areas. This is thanks to the Wake Robin Flower Committee. Not only do they arrange bouquets and change them out weekly, but they manage a plot in the community gardens that contains all different varieties of flowers. We appreciate all their hard work! Thank you!