Housing, Help and Hope for Older Adults | | |
Two New Grants
Christy's Corner
Volunteer Profile
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Resident Profile
Staff Update
65th Anniversary Spotlight
| | Fellowship Square Awarded Two Grants for Supportive Services | | Director of Resident Services, Shari Carlson, and Director of Fundraising, Zach Cummings, receive a "check" from INOVA Health Systems. | | |
Fellowship Square received two highly competitive grants totaling more than $50,000 that will allow us to enhance current resident programs and expand our Fellowship Fresh food program.
INOVA Community Health Funds awarded $22,724 to fund enhancements to programming around our Areas of Wellness: Intellectual, Spiritual, Physical, and Social. Residents at both Hunters Woods Fellowship House and the Lake Anne House will enjoy new music instruction and musical instruments, performances, and more opportunities to socialize together.
The Howard L. Greenhouse Grant, administered by the Potomac Health Foundation, awarded $27,750 to help support and expand the Fellowship Fresh program at the Lake Ridge Fellowship House. Funds will be used to fill our pantry with shelf-stable, nutrient-rich foods that are given to residents throughout the month and create new nutrition programs that educate residents on healthy eating. Additionally, the grant funds will help us pay for additional bus trips to grocery stores and farmers markets, as well as help us purchase tools, seeds, soil, and other supplies so that more residents can start their own gardens to grow fresh produce.
This is the first time Fellowship Square has been selected to receive each of these grants. We are both honored and excited to have greater resources that will help us improve the lives of our residents.
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Volunteer with Fellowship Square!
We offer a wide variety of fun, engaging, and IMPACTFUL opportunities to support seniors in your community. Contact Tiffany Bowe, Fellowship Square Volunteer Coordinator, to learn how you can help make the world a better place for an older adult who struggles to make ends meet.
| | | | Independence Day Every Day | | |
In July, Independence Day was celebrated across the country and at Fellowship Square properties. “Independence” has a special meaning for older adults – we all want to stay as independent as possible as we age.
A report released by the University of Chicago found that frailty actually declines once an older adult moves into a senior living community. While medical care and other specialized interventions can play a part, it was noted in the report that nonmedical support – social engagement, community involvement, balanced nutrition, transportation and exercise – were all
contributing factors to better health.
While seniors prefer to live at home and not have to downsize and move to smaller living arrangements, the benefits of such move are well documented.
We’re very proud of the many ways we seek to keep Fellowship House residents engaged and active. But our work requires support from individuals like you. Consider getting involved in the work we do – as a volunteer at Fellowship House, as a donor, or Board or Committee member.
We appreciate the generous support from the hundreds of people and companies that make our work possible. I hope to see your name listed among them.
In gratitude,
| | It's Never Too Late to Volunteer | |
Our volunteers come from a wide variety of backgrounds, with many being family members of our residents, individuals, members of organizations and businesses looking to give back, or local students working on service projects. But others – as in the case of Mr. Tyrone Hayes of Largo Landing Fellowship House – are residents!
Mr. Hayes is a long-time volunteer at his Church, New Hope and Life Church of God. He has a heart for serving and saw an opportunity to get involved at Largo Landing Fellowship House to help neighbors and support the programs and activities the staff had planned. Mr. Hayes is a dedicated volunteer for our Fellowship Fresh program, helping sort food donations and deliver them to the doorstep of residents’ apartments.
When asked what he hopes to gain from his volunteer efforts, he replied, “Not a thing. I simply like doing something good for others."
Thank you, Mr. Hayes, for your service – we love having you at Fellowship Square!
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Every Family Needs a Connector
With a strong commitment to meeting the social needs of our residents – along with their intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs – we’ve made a friendly and warm living environment at Fellowship House that promotes the development of strong bonds and friendships among residents. Of course, residents are an important part of what makes Fellowship House a great place to live – they create a supportive and loving environment through their interest and willingness to get involved and support one another – a gift that Ms. Connie Williams exemplifies every day.
Ms. Williams is the “glue” that all big families need – including the 110 residents at Largo Landing Fellowship House, where she has lived since 2017. She is a member of the Resident Advisory Committee (RAC), always willing to help advise the management team on the needs of residents. And, as a Floor Captain, she befriends those residents who need a little extra help or just someone to talk with.
“Since I’ve been living here for the last eight years, I’ve really bonded with other residents and become true friends … we’re one big family now. I think my focus on ‘family’ started with my own, and the lasting impact my childhood had on me, as I, in turn, taught my own children the values I was taught. My mother and my children have had the biggest influence on me – my mother for her words of wisdom; my children who stand by me, pray for me, and are always there for me.
My dream has always been to be a positive role model for others, and I feel like I’m fulfilling that dream as I continue to strive to do unto others as you would like them to do unto you. Something else I was taught – praise in public and criticize behind closed doors – is borne from the same philosophy. Serving others has always meant a lot to me, and I think of my years delivering Meals on Wheels as one of my best achievements. Seeing the smiles on people’s faces when I delivered was such a blessing.
No matter what life brings me, I pray, I keep my faith in God, and I turn to my best friends to talk and share.”
| | | | Service Coordinators Join Fellowship Square | |
Please join us in welcoming Ahmad Jalali and Ivana Uzunic to our Service Coordinator (SC) team! Fellowship Square’s SCs help motivate residents to maintain healthy, active lifestyles to empower them to become more self-sufficient and to maintain control of decisions that affect them. SCs are an integral part of the Fellowship Square team, also getting to know residents’ family members, keeping them informed and engaged in their loved ones’ care.
Jalali is a seasoned humanitarian and social services professional with over 15 years of experience in program management, refugee resettlement, and community engagement. He holds a MBA in Data Science, a master’s in international law, and a bachelor’s in diplomacy and administration. In his new role as Service Coordinator at Lake Ridge Fellowship House, he brings a deep passion for advocacy and empowerment, helping older adults live independently with dignity. Fluent in several languages and committed to community service, Ahmad is driven by a mission to create a lasting and positive impact.
Uzunic originates from Serbia with 11 years as a physical therapist. She relocated to the U.S. in 2019, earning an associate’s degree at Northern Virginia Community College and a bachelor's degree in health sciences and administration from George Mason University. Now pursuing a master's degree in public health, she is eager to apply her expertise as a Service Coordinator at Hunters Woods Fellowship House, building supportive relationships and making a meaningful impact on residents' lives. Beyond work, she enjoys volunteering, cooking, hiking, reading, practicing Pilates, and advocating for environmental conservation.
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65th Anniversary Spotlight
| | Family Fun at Hunters Woods Fellowship House | |
Residents celebrated Fellowship Square’s 65th anniversary at the Family Fun Fair at Hunters Woods Fellowship House in July.
They all enjoyed a delicious cookout, fresh watermelon, and special treats from Thrivent, which brought an ice cream truck and handed out free t-shirts. It was a fantastic day of fun, community, and creating sweet memories!
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Special thanks you to Victoria Neeley, a financial advisor with Thrivent (middle), and Will Grandberry, Thrivent’s community engagement leader (right), for bringing The Inside Scoop to serve up some cold treats for residents, families and friends.
Also pictured is Tiffany Bowe, our Volunteer Coordinator (left), who joined them at their information table.
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Left: Resident Lin Li, 87, readies her plate along the buffet line at the Family Fun Fair’s cookout.
Right: Resident Tingli Wang, 78, plays basketball with his grandson at the Hunters Woods’ Family Fun Fair in July.
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