Meet the Queen!

The bonds, friendships and interactions between staff and clients at St. Ann Center mean as much to the staff member as it does to the client. One example is Sandy who works in our Southwest Unit, nick-named The Queen, and Jo-Ann who comes to the center Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Jo-Ann spent 3 weeks creating a special sign, crown, cape and royal staff for Sandy as a surprise birthday present, even though no one knows when Sandy's birthday is. Sandy spent all afternoon showing off the card that reads:

To the Queen: Your kindness has made all the difference. Thank you very, very much.

 “I’m glad you are there for me every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I look forward to seeing you. Also I like helping you around St. Ann’s. I’m glad that you ask me to help you. I’m so happy that you welcome me back when I miss a day or two. I hope you enjoy your birthday present (whenever your birthday is) also enjoy your sign. I’m happy I have a good friend like you.” - Jo-Ann

Thank you to our clients and staff who do the little things to show they care, because those little things make the biggest difference.

Darby's Dash Welcomes Special Guest - Wickett!!

St. Ann Center is excited to welcome Wickett as our special guest at Darby’s Dash. Wickett is a 5 year old Shih Tzu/Pekingese Mix on wheels. In 2010 Wickett and his owner Sarah were in a car accident that left the young dog paralyzed. From then on his life in a two-wheel cart could not slow down this exceptional little dog. Still full of life, he immediately took to his wheels and now, he is even training to be a certified therapy dog. 

At Darby’s Dash – St. Ann Center’s first ever pet-friendly and family-fun 5K run/1mile walk – participants will have the chance to meet Wickett and Sarah.  Darby’s Dash was created to honor the amazing volunteer dogs that visit St. Ann Center on a daily basis to spend time with our adults and children at St. Ann Center.  Wickett will not be staying home just because of his condition, and this event invites our pets, family, and friends to come outdoors and enjoy a community event and engage in an active lifestyle regardless of life’s challenges. Wickett and Sarah’s story relates closely to the lives of St. Ann Center’s clients – especially those who have their own wheelchairs. Read Sarah's perspective on how Wickett has changed her life; plus, how he continues to inspire her and everyone they meet.

Wickett on Wheels

“To say that my experience with Wickett has changed my world would be an understatement. Our car accident and what happened to him was the worst day of my life, but it turned into something really unique and beautiful. It has changed every part of my life, from my career to the way that I think about the world and being more attuned to the needs and situations of animals and people around me.”

In Early 2010 Sarah and her energetic Shih Tzu / Pekingese mix were on their way to work when they were T-boned by another driver speeding through a residential neighborhood.   Both Sarah and Wickett were badly injured.  Wickett shattered one of his spinal vertebrae and was instantly paralyzed.

“I asked my Grandma, who lost her leg below the knee to complications from a heart attack 10 years ago, what she thought about the idea of a dog in a cart. As a person living in a wheelchair, did she think it was mean to do this to a dog? Did she think his life would be happy? Her answer was the only one I needed to know, that I was making the right choice with Wickett. She said that yes her life was different after she lost her leg, but it was still her life and she loved it, and, if anyone tried to put her down she'd BITE them--and she thought that Wickett would say the same!”

For Sarah, caring for Wickett and his new needs was never a question, it was just a continuation of the promise she made when she adopted him.  After much medical care and casts, they created a wheeled cart to allow Wickett to continue living a fairly normal dog’s life.  It took some adjusting, but Wickett quickly learned that he could still do many things that other dogs do. Wickett is a perfect example of how happy and healthy an animal with a disability can be, given the right home care and love. 

“When we go to the dog park he is always a topic of conversation and a really good opportunity for people to see his smiling face and maybe change the way they think about handicapped pets. He is very physically independent with the help of his cart, and at the dog park he will run across the field faster than I can to go meet new people and visit. I get every reaction from ‘Aww’ to ‘That's so awesome’ to ‘That poor thing, you should put him down’ to ‘I couldn’t do that’.  People often praise me for caring for him.”

Sarah’s sentiments resonate with caregivers and so many clients’ stories at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, where people of all ages and abilities receive day services.   Whether loved ones are elderly, disabled or 4-legged, they all deserve to experience life and quality care even through life’s toughest challenges. 

“I never imagined how much Wickett would change my life. I have a best friend and companion in everything I do, and I have an opportunity in a compelling way to educate people and to pass on Wickett's love of life. He inspires me to be grateful and smile and always remember that the worst day of your life can turn into the best path life ever set you on.”

Meet Sarah and Wickett at Darby’s Dash on Saturday, October 4th at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care. This event will be our first pet-friendly and family fun 5K & 1 Mile Walk/Run. All ages and abilities are welcome to participate.  For more information and to register for this great event please click here>

Massage Therapy: Every “Body” Benefits

Everyone benefits from the Massage Therapy Services at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care.

The goal is to nurture and promote good health for the mind, body and spirit. Besides the typical Massage Therapy services (i.e. therapeutic and relaxation massage, pregnancy massage, infant/child massage and chair massage), additional therapies are also offered. The newer services consist of Hot Stone Massage therapy and CranioSacral therapy. These massages are available to the St. Ann Center Day Care clients, caregivers, volunteers, employees and the community. Four Massage Therapy professionals provide over 2500 services per year - approximately 225 treatments per month are provided. People of all ages and abilities are relaxed and rejuvenated. Quality of life is enhanced when one experiences Wellness through a massage at St. Ann Center.

Another component of the Massage Therapy Services is the Benevolent Touch courses. These 4 hour educational workshops teach caregivers and health care professionals how to give a nurturing, caring touch to older adults, people with special need - everybody. Each year over 150 people learn how to enhance the quality of life for their loved ones. In addition, the Benevolent Touch - National Instructor Certification course certifies health care professionals to teach the BT workshop within the community and their facility.

For more information about these services, please visit our websites at www.stanncenter.org/MassageTherapy or www.stanncenter.org/BenevolentTouch or call 414-977-5056

- Sandy Anderson
 Certified Massage Therapist
 St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care
 414-977-5056 | sandya@stanncenter.org

Our Aquatic Program teams up with the Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center!

Level 3 Swim Lesson

"Back in July 2013, I was approached by Bob and Ann White who run the Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center, an indoor swim facility for children in the Brown Deer area. We began an informal referral partnership with St. Ann Center's aquatic program. They had just started a swim team for the kids on the south side at Deer Creek Elementary School and were looking for strong swimmers who completed all the swim levels we offer to join the team. I had several kids who were completing level 4 and decided to recommend them to tryout for the team. 3 have made the team currently compete. Any children who tried out and they felt needed a little more work, Bob and Ann referred back to us. As they grow their team, I grow my lessons.

Level 3 Swim Lesson

They continue to send me children and I continue to refer to families whose kids I think could be strong competitors. As a swimmer, I am happy to endorse a well-rounded, fun and healthy sport. I am also very proud of all the kids who made the team from our Aquatic Program!  For more information on the Schroeder South swim team, click here> 

- Nicole Michalak,  Aquatic Center Director 
Phone: 414-977-5015, nmichalak@stanncenter.org
View our current swim schedule at: http://www.stanncenter.org/AquaticCenter

Bumblebee Friendship Books

I am sure I can speak for everyone when I say, "There have been times in our lives when we have been down and hearing something positive about ourselves from a friend has lifted our spirits."

Children are no different. They need to be uplifted and encouraged just as much, if not more, than adults do. As a class we decided to make "Friendship Books" for each child in the classroom. Each child thought of something nice about each one of their classmates. We wrote it down, and they drew a picture.

About two weeks into the project, Lilly came to me and asked, "What are you and Ms. Mali going to do when you get sad? Maybe we should make books for you too!" So each child made a page for us as well. That's 15 pages for each child! It took over a month to complete and compile everything but we finally have finished "Friendship Books" for all of the Bumblebees to take home and treasure.

My favorite part was seeing the children's faces light up when they heard the nice things their friends said about them. Our hope is that these books will always bring those smiles to their faces.
 - Diana Koppa, Bumblebee Teacher

The Bumblebees pictured with a favorite page of their "Friendship Book."

Pumpkin-less Jack-O-Lanterns!

These Jack-O-Lanterns are require no knives, no seeds and no candle flames, making them an easy minimal mess craft, safe for inside, outside and all ages.

Brought to you by St. Ann Center's Afterschool Group.

Items You'll Need:

• One Empty Milk Carton for Each Pumpkin
• Orange Tempera Paint 
• Black Paper
• Scissors
• Tape or Glue

Step 1 - Pour paint into the milk carton, and shake until paint completely covers the inside.

This part is a lot of the fun for the kids. Encourage them to shake the carton as hard as they can and watch them laugh and make funny faces. Make sure the cap on tight! You may have to add a little more paint or pour out the extra when the carton is completely covered.

Step 2 and 3 - Draw shapes for a Jack-O-Lantern Face, cut them out & stick or glue the to the "Pumpkin".

Leave the cap off the milk carton and set it to the side while the kids draw their face. Use a white crayon on the black paper to draw the outline of the shapes. The Afterschool group got really creative and made shapes like bows for the top of the pumpkin and glasses in addition to the normal facial features. There is room for endless creativity! The Afterschool group put glue in bowls and used paintbrushes to apply it to the paper but you can use tape for a cleaner short cut.

Final Step - Admire Your Jack-O-Lantern!

While you can't put an actual candle in the these because the plastic would melt, they are fun and easy craft to recycle some old milk cartons.

If you do this craft, take a picture and share it with us on Facebook so we can see what you create. 

Need more ideas? Try using green paint to make a Frankenstein, like some of the Afterschool Group. Or black paint could make a black cat face! Check out more fun family Halloween crafts here>

Comment with your favorite Halloween crafts!

Generations United Program of Distinction

St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care has been renewed as a Generations United Program of Distinction! We feel very blessed to receive this honor for another year.

Generations United describes this designation as:

Generations United annually recognizes outstanding intergenerational programs with the Program of Distinction designation. This designation developed and launched in 2010 with support from the New York Life Foundation, serves as the U.S. benchmark for intergenerational programs and is based on the criteria that underpin the effectiveness of any intergenerational program. The intention of the designation is to recognize excellence while celebrating the rich diversity among intergenerational programs.

 Click here to read more about this honor on Generations United site>

A special thank you to our staff, volunteers, clients, youth and all who offer support because the people in St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care's community are what make it such a special place.

"The Fox" Parody by St. Ann Center

Have you seen the "The Fox" by Ylvis? It is a hilarious song asking "What sound does a Fox make?" The song got millions of views on youtube. You can watch it by clicking here>

Kids in St. Ann Center's Childcare enjoy dancing to the song so much that we decided to make our own version. Kids singing about animal sounds? Perfect for a fun project that all the classes could be involved in.

We spent two weeks taking video and laughing, while listening to the song on repeat. Lily, Miette and Teagan sang the lyrics to the verses and the After School group joined in for a lot of the dancing. The Firefly class had the part of the animal noises and danced to the song as well. The bumblebee added the last lines of the video and more great dance moves. A big "Thank You!" to everyone in and all who helped with the video! The whole project was amazing and had so much fun!!

Here is our feature presentation!!



Just for fun we created a behind the scenes, "Making of the Fox" Video. Check it for cute clips that didn't make the final cut!

Katie's Story

Thank you for spending
the summer with us Katie!

Meet Katie, who volunteered at St. Ann Center for 8 weeks as part of her Summer Service Learning Program. 

During her time here, she was able to help in all of the adult and child care units in ways ranging from leading activities to doing puzzles with the clients. At the end of her program, Katie wrote an essay describing her experiences and sharing her reflections on her time spent at St. Ann Center. We'd like to share some of her thoughts with you. 

I wish I could better capture in words what my experience at St. Ann Center meant to me, but I have done my best. Thank you for the part that you played in that experience and to all the beautiful people at St. Ann Center who touched my life this summer! - to Delma, Our Volunteer Coordinator 

But before I could dwell too long on my fears, Thomas, a middle aged man with a mental disability, came right up to me, grasped my hand in a intimate two-handed hand shake, introduced himself, and with a heartfelt squeeze and the most genuine smile said, 'You have a great day now, Katie.' - Katie's First Day 

... I realized that my listed strengths and talents were much less important than one ability I shared with all human beings: the ability to love and be loved. 

... I decided to dedicate my eight weeks of service to loving the people of St. Ann Center and showing them that no matter what society tells them, they are infinitely valuable as children of God. Little did I know that I would not be teaching this lesson ... so much as learning it from them. 

All my life I have received awards and accolades for my intelligence, athleticism or artistic ability, but never in my life have I felt as valuable as at St. Ann Center, where I was loved and valued for doing nothing other than being me.  

Entering into a Darla's pain was difficult and uncomfortable, but if I were to go back in time and have to choose between a puzzle with Emily and that conversation with Darla, I would again displace myself from my comfort zone and spend that time with Darla. - After Darla cried while sharing about her accident 

I learned that one should never underestimate someone's abilities based on his or her disability. Emily demonstrated this to me as she put together puzzles with no eyesight by feeling the edges of the pieces with her fingertips . . . 

I also learned that disabilities are not always entirely negative misfortunes, and that dependence is not a bad thing, for it brings us closer together as we live in solidarity and help one another.  

I thought that I never wanted to play another game of Crazy Eights  after playing it for an entire afternoon, until I realized that it wasn't about the game itself, but about the people with whom I was playing it.  

It taught me that what is comfortable is not always preferable, as some of my most fulfilling encounters happened because I stepped out of my comfort zone. 

This has inspired me to live each day to the fullest. Working at St. Ann Center this summer has revealed to me that whatever profession I choose, I want to be serving people directly and forming personal relationships with them.  

A huge thank you to Katie for sharing her essay, her personal experiences with us. It honestly touches our hearts to know how much the summer impacted her. We look forward to having Katie back to visit soon! We hope others can relate to her experience and are inspired by her story.

Bumblebee Class discovers Discovery World!

The Bumblebee's theme for July is "Under the Sea." Each day, they are focusing on something new and exciting from the coral reefs to the many different animals that live in the ocean.

Wednesday, the group traveled to Discovery World to visit the aquarium and see many of the things they had been learning about. The aquarium area had so many things to do but the first challenge for the kids was to overcome the fear of walking over the glass floor. They were afraid they would fall through because the they could see the fish directly below! Diana, a Bumblebee teacher, had to show the class how strong the glass was by jumping on it. Being reassured, the kids even sat on the glass to observe the fish.

The group had studied jellyfish the day prior to the trip, so the kids were very excited to watch them swim and pointed out the tentacles when they reached the jellyfish tank. At one point while walking through a tunnel in the aquarium Makayla exclaimed,

"It feels like we are swimming with the fishies!"

Diana feels that Bumblebee's favorite part of the aquarium visit was the area where they actually could touch sting rays and sturgeon! She laughed hearing Maya, with a huge smile on her face while petting a sting ray, comment,

"It's so squishy!" 

The class also spent some time on a replica of a giant boat and of course, got their group picture in from of the fish tank.






















After lunch there was time to venture over to the technology side of Discovery World. Each kid enjoyed having their picture taken sitting in a bubble chair. On the way out they were fascinated by a bed of nails. 5 of the 10 kids were brave enough to try it out! Everyone was very proud of them because they did so well. Jackson stated,

"It felt like the nails were going to pinch me, but it didn't hurt."

Seamus added,

"It tickled!"

Through the entire trip, the Bumblebee class was very well behaved and have a great adventure. When asked what their favorite part was, the unanimous answer was,

"The Fishies!" 

Help St. Ann Center Reach Oprah!

It has been one week since the launch of our online campaign to reach Oprah with the story of our northside project. We've shared our video on Facebook & Twitter,  as well as posted the story on our new North Side Blog. To date, we have 301 views!




There are still many ways you can help. 

 1. Keep sharing and talking about the video! More views means a better chance of Oprah seeing it.
 2. Add this image as your cover photo on Facebook to show your support.
 

Horse Races at St. Ann Center

Check out the excitement at St. Ann Center as we host our very own Kentucky Derby! Laughter filled the atrium as staff members raced around on their broom horses.

"Embrace Change" - St. Ann Center highlighted in BizTimes!

Christine McMahon, a business strategist for BizTimes, highlighted St. Ann Center in a recent article, "Embrace Change." 

At St. Ann's Center for Intergenerational Care, Sister Edna Lonergan identified the need in the early 1980s for an intergenerational community-based center that supports family well-being. Today, St. Ann's Center provides loving support for family members with dementia, Alzheimer's, or individuals in need of adult care, child-care, grooming, message therapy, counseling or respite care, regardless of their economic means. Her goal "to lift the human spirit" through intergenerational care, has earned St. Ann's Center numerous local and national awards. Their approach to serve the whole person – mind, body and spirit – and enhance the quality of life for both caregivers and family members has created a unique and valued resource for the Milwaukee community.

What these organizations share in common is a relentless commitment to adapt and optimize market opportunities. They each have developed their own systematic approach to change that allows them to shift gears swiftly and deliberately. They refuse to allow circumstance to dictate their future. Rather, they have figured out how to be the master of it.

Read the full article here> 

Leprechaun Hunting with Bumblebee!

With St. Patricks Day coming up, throughout the week our children in the Bumblebee classroom brainstormed and creatively planned how they could catch a Leprechaun! 

They constructed a trap all by themselves, from gathering the materials - to putting it together. After finishing it yesterday all the kids left for home, anxiously waiting to see if their Leprechaun trap would be successful.

Bumblebee teacher, Diana met the children when arrived with some interesting news.  The Leprechaun had left a her a note stating that the children had to follow his clues to find his treasure!

Off the children went looking for large shamrocks in the colors of the rainbow. They had to find each color shamrock in order: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple. Adult clients laughed as they watched and heard the youth yelling as they found each clue. The shamrock trail led around the atrium and back up the stairs to their room door. 

In front of the door hung a sign that the children had left the night before:

"Do Not Enter - Today we might have a visit from a Leprechaun. We ask that nobody, including parents  open the door. We don't want the Leprechaun to get scared and not the gold for us! Thanks, Bumblebee Class"

Knowing the last clue would be inside their room, the children crept through the door, hoping they had caught the Leprechaun in their trap. 

Watch this video to see what they found!

The Leprechaun was not amused by their attempt to trap him and messed up the Bumblebee room! However, as a nice gesture, he did leave gold treasure for each child before he escaped. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day from St. Ann Center. 

Medicare Rewrites the Rules on Therapy Services

 “This is absolutely wonderful news for the clients of our center” says Carol Dickert, Vice President of Outpatient Therapy Services at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care.

Thousands of people with chronic conditions and disabilities may
find it easier to qualify for Medicare coverage for outpatient therapy
under policy changes in Medicare.

As a result of a recent nationwide class-action lawsuit, Medicare has agreed to scrap a decades-old practice that required many beneficiaries to show a likelihood of medical or functional improvement before Medicare would pay for skilled therapy services.

Under this significant change Medicare will rewrite the manual to make clear that its coverage rules will pay for “Skilled Maintenance Therapy” it is needed to maintain the patient’s current condition or prevent or slow further deterioration regardless of whether the patient’s condition is expected to improve.

This change will help people with chronic conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injury. It could also provide relief for families and caregivers who often find themselves stretched financially and personally by the need to provide care.

Disability frequently accompanies many chronic conditions and often there are no cures, so people are likely to experience progressive disability. Rehabilitation, including Physical and Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy, are incredibily important to maintain a person’s function and quality of life.

To find out more information or to schedule an appointment for therapy at St. Ann Center contact: Outpatient Therapy Services, Carol Dickert, 414-977-5005 or email csdickert@stanncenter.org

Always Room for Creativity at St. Ann Center

St. Ann Center has a new space for our artistic clients. 

Circular table in the new Art Therapy Room.

A variety of art supplies
are provided for clients. 

Our new Art Therapy room features a large circular table with plenty of room to spread out paper, markers, colored pencils and paint. Along the left side of the room, there is a table for working on more delicate crafts like ceramics and a large shelf stocked with varieties of art supplies. A second half of the room is being updated as a gallery space, giving clients the opportunity to have a beautiful space to display their art.

The large shelf stocked with endless
possibilities for creativity.

Yolanda, our art director, guides clients through a variety of art projects and is always there to lend a hand with final touches like drying a painting or adding a little border to a colored heart valentine. 

There is an wonderful feeling of community around the main table as clients share praise and the joy of making art together. We truly feel blessed that we are able to give them the opportunity to be creative and its easy to see how proud they are of their beautiful works of art.

A client creating a paint for her mom.

 Recently clients enjoyed coloring and painting Valentines for their loved ones. Check out the photo album on our facebook page here>

We also offer different art opportunities to the community including ceramic classes (414)977-5038, and the art room can be rented for parties. Visit our website for more details>

Announcing "Ageless Beauty Hair & Nail Salon"

We hosted a contest with the four local area high schools to name our hair and nail salon. Our salon staff selected the four following winners:

1st Place - 
"Ageless Beauty Hair & Nail Salon" by TaShae Goodman, Bay View High School Senior.

Kris Aderhold, Class of 1986 and Tashae Goodman, Class of 2013 
in the newly-named Ageless Beauty Salon in the St. Ann Center. —photo courtesy MPS

2nd Place - 
"Bella Bonita Hair & Nail Salon" by Joseph Hall, St. Francis High School Senior.
3rd Place - 
"Picture Perfect Hair & Nail Salon" by Savanna Thompson, Cudahy High School Sophomore.
4th Place - 
"The Cutting Edge Hair & Nail Salon"by Lydia Bestul, St. Thomas More High School Senior.

Congratulations to all the winners and many thanks to all of our contestants for their participation!


At St. Ann Center we believe it feels good to look good. That is why we dedicate ourselves to delivering the best, and most up-to-date haircuts, styling, hair color and treatments available. Expert nail, facial, and waxing services complete your experience. Our professional stylists are licensed and experienced. We currently have four stylists available for all your facial, nail, and hair care needs.

Our Salon is open to the public and serves frail elderly, adults, children, and everyone in between! Stop in, we would love to meet you! Click here to find our hours and a special offer>

Our Non-Profit Excellence Award

We’ve received the Excellence in Innovation Award from the Non-Profit Center of Milwaukee!

On Thursday December 6th, St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care was presented with the Non Profit Spirit of Excellence Award, “Excellence in Innovation.” The award recognizes a non-profit that is a leader in management and operational

strategies and also has innovative applications of best practices or new methods in a specific area as well as operating at a level of overall excellence.

St. Ann Center embodies these qualities. There are daily accomplishments at St. Ann Center with the activities revolving around the intergenerational day care program. They include child day services from six weeks to five years of age, after school care, summer camp and our “Buddy Program,” in which at risk youth are paired with adults of different ability levels. Adult overnight respite care, outpatient rehabilitation of all levels is available. Clients participate in a myriad of art projects, cultural activities and special events. All age levels enjoy dancing together at Friday Sing-A-Longs with Danny and recently were delighted with a performance by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

For the community, St. Ann Center provides various educational and enrichment

programs. One of the most popular courses is the Benevolent Touch Therapy

Education, teaching participants how to give gentle and calming touches to

reassure agitated clients. Ongoing support groups for caregivers and persons with

Parkinson’s are provided monthly, as well as various counseling services to help

work through difficult emotions felt in situation of loss and care giving.

St. Ann Center’s innovation lies at the heart of our mission: to provide community-

based health and educational services for children and frail adults and to serve as

a resource for caregivers. Our intergenerational services have become a model and

inspiration for others locally, nationally and internationally. Visitors have come to

the Center from the United States and other countries including Germany, Ireland,

Israel and Japan to view a working model of intergenerational care. After Company

President Sr. Edna Lonergan visited Cameroon, Africa a similar program was

established there. The Center has received local, national and international awards.

St. Ann Center is truly honored to be a recipient of this award. We look to continue

our innovative services by establishing a new intergenerational program in

Milwaukee’s near north side. The impact of replicating this program would be felt

in many ways – new employment would be provided in an area of great need and

caregivers would be able to remain employed while their young and elderly loved

ones are well cared for. We would like to thank all those who have made everything

St. Ann Center does possible, and hope for your continued presence and support as

we grow to serve more people in need.

Gratitude

As Thanksgiving approaches we would like to share a reflection on gratitude with you.

GRATITUDE

If you look at a sunset, you might only see the disappearance of daylight.

If you look beneath, you may see darkness opening the splendor of stars.

If you look at illness and disease, you might see only physical diminishment.

If you look beneath, you may see it as a teacher bringing you vital wisdom.

If you look at a broken relationship, you might see only a harsh ending.

If you look beneath, you may see the courageous seeds of new growth.

If you look at lost dreams, you might see only disappointment and doubt.

If you look beneath, you may see that love lives on forever in the heart.

If you look at the death of a loved one, you might see only pervasive sorrow.

If you look beneath, you may see that love lives forever in the heart.

If you look at the planet’s pain and creature’s woe, you might only see despair.

If you look beneath, you may see hope woven in the compassionate care of many.

If you look at yourself, you might see only tarnished unfinishedness.

If you look beneath, you may see your basic goodness shining there.

If you look for the divine being, you might see mostly unresolved questions.

If you look beneath, you may be astounded at the availability of divine love.

Gratitude means taking time to look beneath out external lives for the unwavering love, the ceaseless peace, and the enduring strength that lies in the deep waters of our sole. The more we trust the “unknowable depths” of our existence, the more the power of gratitude becomes a song we daily sing. With what do you struggle today? What might lie beneath that struggle for which you can give thanks to our life-giving and loving God? – Author Unknown

On behalf of our entire staff and wonderful clients St. Ann Center would like to wish everyone a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo Source: Google Images and Cathy Feldkamp

Body Flex at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care

Monday, October 29th was a blast in Shepherd House - our Alzheimer's program. Clients had fun exercising in wheelchairs or no wheelchairs. They were having fun and being healthy too! Check out the YouTube video of the class in action HERE

Body Flex instructor Joyce Davis starts the class off with arm exercises.

Clients enjoy working out to the fun sounds of Classic Oldies Rock.

20 minutes into class and everybody is having fun getting into shape!