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Good Friends are Always There Come Rain or Come Shine … |
Catalent Cares volunteers visited Mountain Shadows, sharing a Thanksgiving Day feast. Pictured: Ruth Cellery, Catalent, and MSCH resident Lupita.
Lupita on the best part of the day, “All of it!” |
by Sheryl Wilde
Catalent Cares Celebrates Thanksgiving with Residents
It could have been chaos. It was raining. HARD.
Long laid plans to gather in friendship, and share a delicious Thanksgiving meal outdoors at Mary Triplett Park, suddenly screeched
to a halt and 15 residents – most of them in wheelchairs – needed to be transported from the MSCH campus in Escondido to Mountain Shadows Outreach Services in San Marcos.
Last minute arrangements needed to be made to use the Mountain Shadows fleet of buses, drivers needed to be scheduled, staffing needed to be coordinated at MSOS and MSCH, medications and medical equipment needed to be transported to ensure resident safety and comfort. Alerts were sent out to Catalent Cares volunteers, “There’s a new location!” Several got lost in the driving rain.
It could have been chaos.
But that’s not the Mountain Shadows Way. You see, we’ve seen our share of cloudy days, and we know – life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain. |
Resident Jimmy playing BINGO – a Thanksgiving Day favorite. |
Catalent Cares is the volunteer and philanthropy arm of Catalent San Diego.
Says Ruth Cellery, Director of Human Resources, Catalent San Diego, “This is the eleventh year we’ve partnered with Mountain Shadows. It’s one of our longest-lasting partnerships. The Thanksgiving luncheon is an annual tradition.
“Our connection with Mountain Shadows is so important. We love the Mountain Shadows mission. This is one of our most treasured relationships.”
In addition to their annual Thanksgiving event, over the past decade, Catalent San Diego has provided many generous grants and other donations to help power our mission of enriching the lives of our residents. |
Resident Annie wins – for real – at BINGO! |
“Our Thanksgiving Day party mainstay is always BINGO,” says Ruth.
Adds Patricia Macias, MSCH, “Things really got lively during BINGO. Resident Annie was so excited, she was putting her hands up the whole time like she had BINGO – but she didn’t have BINGO!”
“Annie was just not going to have it if she didn’t get BINGO!” laughs Ruth. “We played until everyone that was playing got BINGO – including Annie. We weren’t going to let her trick us! We made her play all the way through until she had BINGO. “I think all the BINGO fun and excitement, it brought out the competitive spirit of the residents. And, we learned in past visits that we always have to have BINGO prizes, because BINGO is not just about winning. It’s about the prizes!” |
Resident Ty’marri mingles with Stacy Sullivan, Executive Director, MSSG/MSAS |
“One of the hits this visit was the music,” says Ruth. “There was a really great playlist. Ty’marri, sang along with every single song! It really set the tone for a fun holiday spirit. There was music the whole time, and people were dancing. It was really fun.” “The music was really a hit,” adds Patricia. “Dwayne from Spruce house, he loves music, and he was smiling really big. He was so happy. He was dancing and singing. He was just really enjoying the music.” |
Resident Dwayne enjoys Connect 4 |
“We also had an arts and crafts event that focused on gratitude,” says Ruth. “We made pumpkin art and crafts, and part of doing it was to write down what you’re thankful for. It gave our volunteers the opportunity to engage with the residents – to ask them what they are thankful for. And a lot of the residents said they were thankful for their friends that were around the table with them. “And the staff , they talked about being thankful for their families. It was a nice way to interact, because everybody has something to be thankful for.
“Sometimes, maybe you are not so thankful – maybe when it’s raining, and you are soaking wet, or it’s raining hard outside and you’re driving and getting lost. It’s just a nice thing to step back and engage with somebody else. To say, ‘Hey, what are you thankful for?’ And then it gives you a chance to talk about what you’re grateful for. “So, that focus on gratitude. It was a special highlight of the day.” |
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Resident Linda shares a laugh while coloring. |
Says Patricia, “Catalent brought a really great dinner for everyone – turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and four different types of pie. Everything was delicious! And the residents were really excited to have Thanksgiving food.”
“We brought in enough box lunches not just for the residents, but for the staff,” says Ruth. “We had 60 slices of pie! So, the participants that day all got pie, and they could also bring back pie to their homes. “In addition to those that came to the Thanksgiving celebration, seven more Catalent volunteers made goodie bags, filled with homemade baked goods for the Mountain Shadows staff. We wanted to thank the staff for all they do, to uplift them and make them feel special.” |
Resident Linda loves UNO! |
“Person by person, our volunteers are so appreciative of the relationship we have with our Mountain Shadows friends,” says Ruth. “Everybody always feels touched. Taking a little bit of time out of your day to meet someone new, it can brighten the residents’ day, and it can brighten their own day too. “Our time with the Mountain Shadows residents and staff is always uplifting. The residents’ smiles bring smiles to our volunteers too.” |
The Catalent Cares San Diego volunteer team. |
Adds Patricia, “We’d like to give a big shout out to Catalent for making this Thanksgiving event happen for the past eleven years. They bring great energy.
“The volunteers are really personable. They get really involved with the residents. They get up close, talk with them, laugh with them, play games with them. That’s really special.
“This year, the rain added some challenges, but Catalent’s attitude was, ‘We’re going to make this happen – rain or shine!’ And we did. Everyone showed up for the residents. That was really nice.
“We were all drenched in the beginning, just getting the residents, food, and games, unloaded from the buses and everyone’s cars. But the team effort was great. And it was just really fun to get the residents out, to have this experience. They enjoyed it. They were all smiles. You could tell by all the smiles.” |
The Catalent Cares and Mountain Shadows Family. |
Adds Bryan Knox, General Manager, Catalent San Diego:
“The partnership between the Mountain Shadows Foundation and Catalent San Diego goes back over 10 years. We always look forward to our annual Thanksgiving meal with the residents, including the conversations and games we play…especially Bingo!
“We recognize the significant impact Mountain Shadows has on our community, and we are honored to support your efforts. Catalent San Diego is proud to continue this relationship which began in 2014.” |
Thank you Catalent Cares for being our all-weather friends … Come Rain or Come Shine! |
If your company would like to volunteer at Mountain Shadows, creating moments of gratitude like these, please contact: Mandy Huiras
Mountain Shadows Foundation Director of Development
Contact Mandy today to learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation and how you can make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
The Mountain Shadows Foundation – Because We CARE |
Thanks to YOUR SUPPORT, the Mountain Shadows CARE program provides recreational and social experiences to residents and participants adding meaning and richness to their lives.
It’s easy for you to help us continue to provide activities like this – activities that improve the quality of our residents’ lives in fulfillment of their dreams. Here are some ways you can help ensure these crucial activities can continue for years to come: -
Make a one-time donation today by clicking on the donate button below.
- Make a monthly or annual contribution.
- Leave a Legacy Gift.
To learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society, to include us in your estate plan, or to let us know if you have already designated Mountain Shadows to receive a legacy gift, please contact Mandy Huiras, Director of Development at: mhuiras@mtnshadows.org, or visit our website by clicking here:
Learn More About the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society Please share this story with your family, friends and co-workers to help grow our Mountain Shadows Family!
To learn more about Mountain Shadows volunteer opportunities, please click below:
Learn about Mountain Shadows Volunteer Opportunities Here |
Mandy Huiras
Mountain Shadows Foundation Director of Development
Contact Mandy today to learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation and how you can continue to make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
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