Country Meadows Retirement Communities has designated April as Practice Random Acts of Kindness Month at our campuses to honor the memory of its co-founder and former Pennsylvania First Lady, Mary Jane Leader. Mrs. Leader and her husband, the late Gov. George M. Leader, founded Country Meadows as a kind and hospitable senior living community for Pennsylvania and Maryland retirees.
Michael Leader, son of Gov. and Mrs. Leader, and President and CEO of Country Meadows, says, “I am encouraged and inspired when I observe an everyday act of kindness—big or small—by a co-worker or a stranger. It reminds me of my parents’ compassion and what they instilled in my family and in turn, the Country Meadows culture.”
Echoing a favorite phrase of Mrs. Leader, all Country Meadows vehicles sport bumper stickers with the message “Practice Random Acts of Kindness” to share and spread her philosophy. These are free to anyone who asks. If you would like a bumper sticker or window cling with this simple but powerful message, just stop by the front desk of any Country Meadows location.
Acts of kindness enhance senior living
In honor of our residents at Country Meadows and all seniors everywhere, we invite you to make a special effort during April to brighten the day of an older adult, whether a friend, family member or even a complete stranger. It will make his or her day better—and yours, too! Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking, but we hope you will look over our full list of suggested “51 Random Acts of Kindness Toward Seniors.”
- Seek their advice about something in your personal or professional life.
- Surprise them with a baked dessert or home-cooked meal.
- Offer to plant flowers to brighten their residence.
- Wash their car.
- Volunteer to take them to the store or somewhere else they would like to go.
- Spend time talking with them and getting to know them better.
- Make cards for them with your children and deliver them during a visit.
Michael Leader shares a recent kind gesture that was observed at Country Meadows: “A resident was waiting to meet her friend for their weekly lunch out during which the friend always treats. One of our drivers, aware of this ritual, greeted her as usual and chatted with her until her friend arrived. Right before the ladies left, he gave the resident $20 so she could treat her friend that day! The resident was moved to tears and smiled from ear to ear. What a simple and beautiful way to express his compassion.”
Such acts of kindness benefit the giver as well as the recipient. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, kind-hearted, giving people have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability and lower rates of depression than those who are not.
Residents of our senior community are givers, too
Our residents also like to express kindness to others. We provide them with opportunities for giving through a number of volunteer activities, both in our independent living communities and our assisted living or personal care homes. For example, our resident volunteers help young students learn to read, prepare meals for soup kitchens, pack supplies for overseas military personnel, crochet hats and lap robes for cancer patients, bake dog biscuits for animal shelters and raise funds for charities.
If you like to volunteer and are choosing a retirement community, ask prospects on your list how you might be able to share your time and talent. We would be glad to show you any of our Pennsylvania retirement communities or our retirement community in Maryland and tell you about their volunteer activities.
In Pennsylvania, we have senior apartments at 10 retirement homes—in Lancaster County as well as Dauphin, Cumberland, York (South and West), Berks, Lehigh, Northampton (Bethlehem and Easton) and Allegheny. Our Maryland retirement home is in Frederick County. Please contact us for information or to schedule a visit so we can introduce you to our campus, staff and wide array of services.
Country Meadows
