Age knows no limit to helping community
Published 12:38 pm Wednesday, December 23, 2015
- Dawn Burleigh/The Orange Leader Orange Villa Nursing and Rehab residents held a canned food and toy drive for the Salvation Army this month. Christine Eubanks, Jeannie Phillips, Lillie Arnold, Vera Eads, with the assistance of Linda Smith, LVN, and Administrator Joel Watts, presented the boxes to Salvation Army Captain Frankco Higdon last week.
Residents of Orange Villa Nursing and Rehabilitation were overheard talking about how once they did things to help the community and wished they still could.
Overhearing the conversations, Linda Smith, a nurse at the facility, presented an idea to Administrator Joel Watts.
“They talked about how much they helped when they were younger,” Smith said. “I just wanted to help them keep the dream alive.”
Smith suggested a canned food and toy drive to help bring residents and family together while helping residents feel more involved with the community.
“We are open to staff and community projects,” Watts said about the drive. “We are blessed to have Linda to make it happen.”
The event was such a success with several boxes of toys and food collected; the facility is considering turning the drive into an annual event.
“We hope to double the collections next year,” Watts said.
Vera Eads, 100, said she enjoyed helping collect the items for Salvation Army.
Orange Villa Nursing and Rehabilitation is located at 510 North 3rd Street in Orange.