by Rick Nash
About two years ago, my son Bryan, who is a resident at Shannon Apartments, told me on the phone that he was late for “Man Cave”. Man Cave? What the heck is Man Cave? Bryan just said he needed to be there and hung up the phone. Later, I learned that Man Cave was a program started by one of the Shannon Qs. It’s part physical fitness, part team building, part motivational exercise, part dance party, and really a lot of fun. Here's how the Shannon Q describes the Man Cave:
"Man Cave was created to address the challenges faced by the guys at Shannon Apartments, especially some of their health issues related to weight gain and not-so-great eating habits. Many of them struggled to express these concerns, so I wanted to provide a safe, open space for them to come together and be vulnerable without feeling less than a man. The program encourages physical fitness and unity, teaching the guys not only how to work out, but also valuable life lessons like motivation, accountability, and teamwork.
by Judy Wall
About a month ago, Bob Erlenbaugh (of “Bob and Madge” fame) passed away, leaving a big hole in the hearts of many of us at Misericordia. Below are thoughts from a handful of folks--staff, residents, parents--that his kind heart touched over the years here at Mis.
“Bob, along with Madge, of course, became a fixture at all things Misericordia, from formal events, like directing the Heartzingers Choir at the MFA dinners and Family Fest, to informal visits at resident homes...and spontaneous conversations anywhere and everywhere in between (i.e., sidewalks, GHI, etc.). Much of this had to do with his general enthusiasm towards life - "Never better!" - was his ready response to, "How's it going?" - but also his zeal towards faith and family. In the people and mission of Misericordia, he recognized and delighted in an opportunity to attend to both and did so for years and years with ever ready hands and an open heart.”
by Barb Quaintance
One of the most important roles on the Misericordia Family Association (MFA) Board is that of a Site Representative. There is a Site Rep, or Site Rep couple, for each of the residential areas: CILAs, Marian Center, McAuley, Mercy Glen, Rosemary Connelly/McGowan, Quinlan Terrace, Shannon Apartments, and the Village.
The Site Reps are communicators and organizers. They attend MFA Board meetings and share pertinent information and Board decisions with families/guardians in their residential area. They also participate in the Nominating Committee and staff family tables at the MFA general meetings. The Site Reps work with families to recognize and support the staff.
by Merrily Smith
Like most Misericordia parents, I have a deep appreciation for the staff that serves my son, Tyler. I am grateful for their hard work and dedication, and I try not to take that for granted.
Day after day, they are there making sure our guys are safe and well cared for. It is not something we usually think of, but they spend more time with our kids than we do, and because of that, they sometimes pick up on things that we may not notice during home visits or when we visit them on campus. Once such time really stands out to me…
by Judy Wall
Every Christmas, I send a tin of Misericordia brownies to my brother and his family in Atlanta. I address it to one of his kids, my 24-year-old nephew, Price. Price LOVES them, and my card with the brownies always says, "Dear Price, Please distribute these as you see fit." He MIGHT share a few of them with the rest of the family every now and again, but it’s rare. It's become a family tradition/joke.
Price also came to Misericordia a few years ago. He visited his cousin Christy at DT and brought McDonald’s lunch to her room there. During his visit, Price caught the heart of Mis, of the people who care for Christy and her friends, and of the life they have. We look forward to his thank-you notes after Christmas each year. Maybe others will enjoy them, too. Here are a couple of the notes:
by Barb Quaintance
Day Services is a broad term used to describe all the programming that happens on the Misericordia campus, as well as in the surrounding community. This includes work opportunities, volunteering, art, fitness, horticulture and educational classes. Not only is there something for every resident, but there are also many things for every resident!
Within Day Services, there are three divisions:
by Barb Quaintance
Misericordia takes care of the physical needs of its residents, of course. It also offers them day services and recreation and employment opportunities and fun and friendship. But Misericordia also tends to their spiritual and religious needs, a privilege and responsibility joyfully attended to by the Ministry Department: Father Bart Winters (VP of Mission), Andrew Blomquist (Director of Ministry) and Kathy Morris (Ministry Coordinator). Under the overall guidance of Fr. Jack Clair, who began his journey at Misericordia as Chaplain (and who now serves as President), they approach their ministry as one of “presence”, accompanying residents, staff and families alike along their journey of life and faith.
by Sue Hartemayer
On Sunday, October 6, Misericordia CILA residents and their families gathered at the Walsh-Slattery CILA in Lincolnwood for a Good Ole’ Fashioned Picnic! A glorious, autumn day brought 175 residents, parents and assorted staff members together for food, games, music and merriment. Lunch was provided by Chipotle, and no one went home hungry. Games were played on the spacious Walsh-Slattery lawn, while the crowd was entertained by music from Misericordia’s very own resident, "Dj-Hermannator-X". Two television viewing areas inside kept the group apprised of "Da Bears" game, and a good time was had by all!
by Barb Quaintance
Family Fest doesn’t happen by accident. Dozens of Misericordia staff work year-round to produce the event. But they don’t act alone. Literally hundreds of volunteers work on the day of the Fest, as well as beforehand, setting it up and then taking it all down. And a big thanks goes to Paul Schwartz and many others for pulling together the volunteer person-power!
Want to learn more about Family Fest volunteers?
by Barb Quaintance
When you were at Family Fest last weekend, eating a hot dog or enjoying a beer, did you wonder just how much food it takes to feed everyone at Fest? The answer: a lot! Take a look at these numbers:
1,000 pounds of fried chicken
500 half chickens
150 corned beef sandwiches
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