Our Recreation

Editor's Note on Events

Winter Tag Sales 

Spring Tack sale

coming

Mane Stream seeks

horse related items

for next tack sale

CCA Winter Classes

Garden Club

of Hunterdon Hills

   

   

WCTT Senior Outreach

During Covid and sheltering, we have suspended group get-togethers for our senior friends, so skipped our traditional holiday theater and lunch at Hunterdon Hills. What has gone on has been holiday card writing, and birthday card writing. Carol Hontz, who has helped the seniors for years and years, volunteered to help me send out December birthday cards and holiday cards to our friends at Little Brook and Hunterdon Hills.

    Here’s Carol, at my home as we wrote:


    We were delighted to have more card gifts from the generous Nicole Panzarella, who also donated snowmen containing chocolates. 
    Thank you so much, Nicole. And later in the month Chris Acocella also donated more cards for our program, who previously donated abundantly with gifts. Thanks, Chris. Our supplies had dwindled, and are now in great shape. I realized I had not made contact with the remarkable Jim Reed, President of the Senior Club at Oldwick, which has also not been meeting due to Covid, so I gave him a call at his new home in Flemington. The Senior Club is also on hold. I learned Jim has just had surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, so with a holiday card to him and wife Shirley, I sent several of the snowmen from Nicole containing holiday chocolates. Jim has been a member of the Oldwick Fire Company for 68 years, 61 of them as an active member. Talk about community spirit! I glanced through photos from the past to find one of Carol helping in past years and found a photo of her with Carol Madigan from 2008, when both were packing Valentine bags for seniors.

    That same year, 2008, we had card writers who were photographed by neighbor Paul Kuehne for the DAISY CHAIN and The Tewksbury Times. l-r: Merilee Dely, Marilou Muglia, Barb Barre, and Phyllis Oberg.


    This is sentimental as Barb has passed away after chairing the program for years and years. And Carol moved away years ago. Merilee and Marilou no longer join our writing. In a sentimental mood I also found a photo of myself playing the accordion at our holiday luncheon that year, 2008.


    At that time we took Little Brook, Hunterdon Hills, and Seniors from Tewksbury to a local restaurant and had local talent. I was the talent that year, playing holiday songs on my accordion. They had no piano there. The restaurant was Mountainview Chalet, at Exit 11 of I-78.

    We still like holiday and birthday cards. Little Brook has asked that we collect small nail clippers, nail files, and orange sticks so they can have winter manicures. I will share what we plan for their Valentine Parties in future posts. Meanwhile, be safe as Covid seems to be getting more vicious.
Heather Greenagel Ross
        Chair of Senior and Social Services, WCTT

Early Pfizer Vaccinations

at Little Brook

Nursing Home

a Success

    In January, three pharmacists from Walgreens came out to Little Brook Nursing and Convalescent Home in Califon to administer Pfizer Vaccines to residents and staff there, joining 90 other nursing homes in New Jersey getting the COVID-19 Vaccine this week. Adetoun Adebowale, Chief Administrator at Little Brook, noted that 90 percent of residents and staff were inoculated. "The other 10 percent mostly had pre-existing conditions or contraindications that prevented their inoculation at this time," she said, adding that to receive the vaccine, patients must be symptom-free.

    "After nearly eleven arduous and anxiety-provoking COVID-19 months, we are on the verge of conquering this dreaded disease," said Ms. Adebowale. "Our staff's cautious, non-complacent, tireless efforts here, at home and elsewhere have kept our residents and colleagues safe."

    Since the Pandemic began, Little Brook has had no deaths from and no instances of residents getting COVID-19, Ade (as she is known to staff and residents) noted. A few staff members did come down with COVID-19 from contacts outside the nursing home, but remained away until they were cleared of all symptoms and had finished quarantining. Two employees were hospitalized but have recovered completely since that time. All staff returned to work after treatment for COVID-19.

    The oldest resident to receive her vaccination was 102 year-old Ruth Hahn, who lived in Califon all her life before moving to Little Brook, also in Califon, according to Adebowale.

    Adebowale noted that when she received her vaccination "It was similar to the flu vaccine. A bit more pain in the arm. It was okay for the most part. I can feel where I got the shot, but have no flu symptoms."

    Adebowale began working on getting the vaccine for residents and staff over three months ago, corresponding with pharmacist Daniel Shaloub from Walgreens. Little Brook had to fill in paperwork for residents and staff. And they were among the first to complete this requirement and to secure the vaccine.

    "We've been doing the best we can with our families. And we're grateful for all the equipment and help from the community and the county. We look forward to leading our Little Brook community to continued safety and good health," Adebowale concluded. I must agree, for I have worked with Activities Director Anne McLean for more than 10 years and have found Little Brook to be a caring, stimulating environment, with photos of resident activities on the walls, upcoming events noted, weather and weather forecasts displayed, and more. And, typically, many, many visitors -- now on hold for a while more until we, too, get the vaccine.

l-r Rear: Mr. Lambert Strong, Pharmacist; Mr. Ahmed Yousef, Pharmacist; Ms. Suzanne Collins, Pharmacy Technician; and Ms. Adetoun Adebowale, Little Brook Administrator. Front: Ms. Effie Hampilos, Little Brook Resident, who, when asked about the COVID-19 Vaccination, said in Greek that she was "eternally grateful."
Heather Greenagel Ross
Chair of Senior and Social Services, WCTT

NJ AniMeals

Seeks Donors

   Pets are important friends and a great comfort to all animal lovers.  Unfortunately, many people have insufficient finances or lack transportation to purchase food for their beloved companions.  New Jersey AniMeals is a volunteer program that has been delivering dog and cat food plus kitty litter to shut-ins, low income and disabled residents since 2007. Volunteers with the 501(c)(3) nonprofit  feed nearly 200 cats and dogs throughout Hunterdon and Warren counties in 94 households.

   Lynn Henderson, founder and President of New Jersey AniMeals, reports, “Our clients are very grateful for the food and litter we provide.  Often our supplies make it possible for pets to remain in their loving homes and not be surrendered to a shelter.  Frequently these animals are our clients’ only companions, and contribute to their owners’ emotional and physical health.”

   For more information ab out donating to New Jersey AniMeals,  phone 908-752-1927, e-mail, or write to New Jersey AniMeals, at PO Box 32, Stanton, NJ 08885, or visit the NJ AniMeals website and on social media.

WCTT 

Makes a Difference!