Hearts for Haiti

by Melanie Jongsma, Director of Communications

Holland Home resident Mary Kelly sports a "Heart for Haiti" ribbon as she poses by a display made up of images from the Haiti Rescue Center blog.

When residents of Holland Home, our retirement community in South Holland, Illinois, first heard about the January 13 earthquake in Haiti, their knee-jerk reaction was, "What can we do to help?"

Barb Van Milligan, the Life Enrichment Director at Holland Home, had a personal connection to Haiti. Her daughter Roberta had traveled there the day after Thanksgiving to visit a ministry she'd been supporting — Real Hope for Haiti. A mother of five, Roberta's heart was drawn to the children being served at Real Hope's Rescue Center.

Roberta has an artistic side, so even before her visit to Haiti, she started a blog called Artists for Hope. The blog shows photos of a variety of artwork — jewelry, paintings, clay models, and more — and describes some of the fundraising activities Roberta and her artist friends are involved in, selling their own artwork and donating 100% of the purchase price to the Rescue Center. Since the earthquake they have been even busier than usual.

So when Holland Home residents began telling Barb Van Milligan, "We would love to make a donation to Haiti, but we don't know which ministry to support," she quickly responded, "I know a ministry where 100% of the donations go directly to buying baby formula, food staples, and medicines that the people need." Thus was launched the "Holland Home has a Heart for Haiti" campaign.

Residents and staff can give a donation of any amount and receive a Heart for Haiti ribbon to show their support. Barb and her Life Enrichment team hand-made 162 ribbons, and it's encouraging to see so many people around the building sporting them. Barb originally thought the campaign might raise "a couple hundred dollars" for Haiti, so she was overwhelmed to learn that $1,450.00 had been raised less in less than two weeks!

The campaign will end on Valentine's Day, less than two weeks from now, when Barb will mail a check for the grand total to the Haiti Rescue Center.

One resident said, "I knew I wanted to give, but I was unsure of the right organization to give to. Holland Home gave me the right opportunity to give."

People outside of Holland Home are welcome to contribute as well. There are three convenient ways to make a donation:

1. You can bring a check directly to the Holland Home business office and pick up a Heart for Haiti ribbon. Holland Home is located at 16300 Louis Avenue in South Holland, IL 60473.
2. You can visit the Artists for Hope blog and either make a donation or buy some artwork.
3. You can visit the Haiti Rescue Center blog and make a donation.

Many Holland Home residents have expressed appreciation for the opportunity to live out their faith and make a difference. "When I look at the pictures of Haiti children" said one grandmother. "I think of my great-grandchildren and of how blessed we are to live in this nation. 'Holland Home has a Heart for Haiti' reminded me of my daily blessings and my responsibility to share my blessings with others." Amen!

Want to work for Providence? Learn from some of our best employees

by Melanie Jongsma, Director of Communications

A lot of different people, websites, and books can give you advice on getting a job. And if you are searching for work right now, it's a great idea to learn as much as you can about the process.

If you're interested in the healthcare field, there are specific skills and qualifications that will be required, depending on the particular position you apply for. You'll need to make sure your education and certification and credentials are all in place before you apply.

And if you want to work at a Providence Life Services community, certain attitudes and "soft skills" will also be expected. Most Providence staff consider their work more than a career. It's a ministry.

If you are preparing for a job interview at a Providence location, you might find it helpful to view the video below. In it, a few of our best workers from Holland Home (our Retirement and Assisted Living community in South Holland, Illinois) describe why they love their jobs:

Interested in applying? Visit WorkAtProvidence.com to view current openings and apply online!

Winter Nutrition

guest post by Amy Unger L.D.,

Providence Life Services Regional Dietician

January is the perfect time to renew your resolve to eat well. Colder temperatures, shorter days, and the holiday celebrations of the previous month challenge our healthy intentions, but the beginning of a new year brings a feeling of new possibilities.

A few simple guidelines can help you make healthy choices throughout the winter months:

1. Accessibility

• Make sure you have fruits , vegetables, low-fat dips, and fat-free pretzels in stock, so you won't be tempted by high-calorie snacks. When you're in the mood to munch, if raisins and baby carrots are the only snacks in the house, you're less likely to gain winter pounds.

2. Quality

• Carbs are not bad, but some carbs are better than others. When you choose high-quality carbs from whole grains, sweet potatoes, yams, squash, and pumpkin, you are serving yourself loads of nutrients rather than empty calories.

3. Variety

• Look for seasonal produce, such as pomegranates, cranberries, purple grapes, and citrus fruit. These can add some interest to your healthy diet.

4. Supplements

• During the winter it can be more difficult to get Vitamin D and Vitamin C through sunshine and diet, so consider talking to your doctor about supplements. Or consider adding Vitamin D to your diet with fortified dairy products, fish, and egg yolks. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, cabbage, broccoli, and spinach.

5. Energy

• Don’t hibernate from exercise just because it's cold outside! Spend time walking the halls, going up and down the stairs, even walking in place while you're watching TV. If you have access to a Wii station, get together with friends for Wii bowling or tennis. Keep moving!

Don't let winter put a freeze on your healthy lifestyle. Grab some grapes, phone some friends, and start walking the hallways today!

Need further inspiration? Check out this photo of four Providence ladies — all over 90 —who work out faithfully every day at Royal Park Place, our Retirement Living community in Zeeland, Michigan!