Pinebrook’s Elder Scouts and Holiday “Elves” Help Make the Season Bright
December 20, 2024
MILFORD, OH — ’Tis the season, of course, and residents at Pinebrook, a Watermark Retirement Community in this town near Cincinnati in southwest Ohio, cherish and practice throughout not just this season but the entire year. The residents are always looking to help others in need. This is exactly why the Elder Scouts, a new program at Pinebrook, is quickly becoming a favorite among the residents.
The Elder Scouts is a scouting program for seniors that focuses on nature, wellness, technology, science, advocacy, and outreach. Pinebrook’s Community Life Director, Karen DeHart, started the Elder Scouts program in June, and the residents in the troop enjoy completing projects that involve community service.
Residents in the Elder Scouts complete monthly community service projects, some of which include a silent auction of pink pumpkins that raised $277 for the American Cancer Society, collecting clothes for those in need, making thank you gifts for the local firefighters, collecting donations for the Ronald McDonald House, and much more.
While the Elder Scouts is an all-year endeavor, some of the Pinebrook residents also worked overtime this holiday season helping Santa.
Recently, kindergarten through second grade students at St. Louis School in nearby Owensville visited Pinebrook to join the residents for a day full of Christmas cheer. Together, they decorated cookies, participated in holiday activities, and the kids had a chance to see Santa. Before arriving at the community, the students wrote letters to Santa as part of their classwork. About 45 children wrote letters and placed them in Santa’s mailbox at Pinebrook.
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“The students loved experiencing Christmas joy with the residents and interacting with our community,” said Lottie Waldman, the principal at St. Louis School. “We were able to tie the visit in with our curriculum, too, because the kids learned how to write and format a letter.”
The residents at Pinebrook enjoyed the visit as well, and many were quick to volunteer to be Santa’s elves and write personal notes back to the children. The letters from the “elves” are being delivered to the school before the students leave for winter break. Pinebrook’s DeHart said the residents had fun writing the responses and were thrilled to spend time celebrating the holidays with the students.
“The residents love writing personalized messages to the kids and making the season even brighter for them,” said DeHart. “Our community members feel the holidays are about giving to others, and we all are thrilled the event and letters are giving joy to the young students.”
Based in Tucson, Arizona, Watermark Retirement Communities are known for a lifestyle built on choice, fine amenities, integrative wellness, and innovative programs including the award-winning Watermark University featuring a wide variety of engaging classes for residents and area seniors. Watermark has been named in the top 25 Best Workplaces for Aging Services in a national program conducted by the Great Place to Work Institute and published on Fortune.com. A privately held company with more than 30 years of service, Watermark manages senior living communities across the United States.