Every year, the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition (AALC) hosts a Photo & Testimonial Contest. Our Gardant-managed communities are encouraged to participate, and this year’s theme was to capture what Supportive Living means to residents and families.
This year’s winners were recently announced, and we are proud to have some communities honored.
2020 Photo Contest
Heritage Woods of Ottawa was awarded third place in the Photo Contest, with a photo entitled “A Special Thank You”.
Heritage Woods of DeKalb, Heritage Woods of Flora, Heritage Woods of Manteno, John Evans Supportive Living and Lacey Creek Supportive Living were all awarded Honorable Mention.
2020 Testimonial Contest
Grand Prairie of Macomb took home first place for this year’s Testimonial Contest with remarks from resident Jan Kinman:
“When I first made my move to Grand Prairie, I was recovering from an illness. All the staff was and continue to be friendly and very encouraging. They encouraged me to partake in activities and it helped so much in my recovery. The Resident Services Coordinator asks what we want to do and is very ogod about coming up with fun and rewarding ideas. The whole staff at Grand Prairie has been great during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been extremely helpful to get us through this difficult time.”
Heritage Woods of Bolingbrook was honored with second place with words from residentRosalia Rivera.
Rosalia’s Motto: “The more you learn, the better you feel!” Rosalia has spent her life learning new crafts including painting, crocheting, embroidery, floral arranging and gardening. At 86, Rosalia is full of energy and walks the halls and exercises daily so she can continue to do the things she loves.
Deer Path of Huntley won third place this year with a testimonial about resident Marcia Ybarra.
Marcia Ybarra stays very active at Deer Path of Huntley. Being independent and making friends helped her adjust to her new lifestyle. Her advice to anyone moving into Deer Path is, “make friends; don’t be in solitude; be kind to everyone; you’ll enjoy your own space; you’ll be treated well.”
Honorable Mention went to Heritage Woods of Flora, Heritage Woods of Freeport, Heritage Woods of Ottawa, Heritage Woods of Rockford and Heritage Woods of South Elgin.