Life Enrichment Programs & Events
Scroll through the image slideshow to see a variety of events and programs offered by Life Enrichment.
From the Apple Core Band and Gettysburg Civic Chorus, to the St. John’s Bell Ringers, residents at The Village at Gettysburg have enjoyed a variety of Christmas concerts this holiday season! Plus, the Village Voices, a musical group at The Village at Gettysburg, performed its Christmas concert for all! As part of the concert, audience members participated in a sing along. 
On November 18, residents, team members, those from the community and a few pups participated in the 8th annual Village Turkey trot! Team members Mark Peck, chef, and Maria McCauslin, beautician, were awarded pies for winning first place in their categories.
It was a fun morning participating in this event and supporting South Central Community Action Programs (SCCAP).
A few cottage residents enjoyed being tourists at the Gettysburg National Military Park! A big thank you to Nikki Richwine, Life Enrichment leader, for walking the distance to read the plaque at General Mead’s monument. Everyone enjoyed observing the monuments and taking in the local history!
After a few pointers and thoughts on color schemes and shape, this group of residents went to town creative these beautiful arrangements with seasonal, locally grown flowers. Each vase full had a unique style and residents now proudly display them in their homes!
After a few pointers and thoughts on color schemes and shape, this group of residents went to town creative these beautiful arrangements with seasonal, locally grown flowers. Each vase full had a unique style and residents now proudly display them in their homes!
Residents prepared, assembled and built their very own fruit arrangements! A few arrangements were gifted to family members and friends! A big thank you to the Life Enrichment team for orchestrating and assisting with this event! 
Residents prepared, assembled and built their very own fruit arrangements! A few arrangements were gifted to family members and friends! A big thank you to the Life Enrichment team for orchestrating and assisting with this event!
Some residents gifted their edible arrangements to family members and friends! Although a bit messy at times, this fruit-tastic event was both tasty and fun! A big thank you to the Life Enrichment team for assisting the residents with their one-of-a-kind edible displays!
Congratulations to the Rev. Carl Greenawald, resident at The Village at Gettysburg, on the 70th anniversary of his ordination as a Lutheran minister. In honor of Rev. Greenawald, the village team held a celebration on June 26 to recognize this milestone. Rev. Greenawald was ordained on May 27, 1953. During his time as an ordained minister, he served four congregations in Pennsylvania and provided hospital chaplaincy services. For 29 years, he served as the first chaplain at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland. In that role, he offered pastoral care and grief support for patients and family members. When asked what position he enjoyed the most, Rev. Greenawald said he enjoyed teaching chaplaincy at the hospital.
Thank you to residents, team members, families and friends for honoring loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease and those who care for them by participating in The Longest Day Walk at The Village at Gettysburg on June 21, the summer solstice. Between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., 63 walkers showed their support for the cause and fought the darkness of Alzheimer’s by walking the three-quarter mile Hope Trail around the campus. In total, the first day of summer event raised $1,173 for the Alzheimer’s Association. Worldwide people celebrate “The Longest Day”, the day of the year with the most light, by hosting events to raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association. 
Residents of the skilled care center celebrated the Kentucky Derby by wearing fashionable hats and sipping mint julep mocktails! Also, residents participated in their own “derby” by crafting horse game pieces and moving their “horses” across the track! The residents named their horses Spirit, Ginger, Daisy and Rainbow. Winners received patriotic wreaths and a big cheer from their competitors! A big thank you to the Life Enrichment team for orchestrating this event!
To honor and observe Earth Day, a group of residential living residents, along with Life Enrichment director Jess Sheahan, participated in The Village at Gettysburg Campus Cleanup! Residents gathered branches, removed weeds and swept mulch from the walking trail. A big thank you to everyone who participated in the Campus Cleanup.
To honor and observe Earth Day, a group of residential living residents, along with Life Enrichment director Jess Sheahan, participated in The Village at Gettysburg Campus Cleanup! Residents gathered branches, removed weeds and swept mulch from the walking trail. A big thank you to everyone who participated in the Campus Cleanup.
To honor and observe Earth Day, a group of residential living residents, along with director of Life Enrichment, Jess Sheahan, participated in The Village at Gettysburg Campus Cleanup! Residents gathered branches, removed weeds and swept mulch from the walking trail. A big thank you to everyone who participated in the Campus Cleanup.
Resident volunteers were honored during the April Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Volunteers enjoyed a delicious meal and great conversation with their fellow volunteers. A big thank you to Teresa Lawyer, Volunteer Services coordinator, for orchestrating this event. Also, thank you, volunteers for faithfully and unselfishly sharing your time, talents and gifts to benefit residents at The Village at Gettysburg! 
Congratulations to the 32 residents who participated in the “Passport to Wellness” program! Led by the Life Enrichment team, the "Passport to Wellness" program strives to keep residents active in both body and mind during the winter months. This year's virtual trip took residents on the Orient Express across many European countries. From beginning in Paris and “traveling” to Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest and Istanbul, residents enjoyed learning about the stops and the original history of the Orient Express. Residents tasted authentic foods from each city and listened to their fellow program participants share personal travel stories during the weekly destinations!
Throughout the six-week program, 19 residents participated in the program's optional exercise component. Collectively, they exercised 21,915 minutes by walking, biking, lifting, stretching and attending organized fitness classes on campus. Their "passport" was stamped weekly as they journeyed to new destinations by exercising 30 minutes a day, six days a week. To conclude their journey, residents enjoyed a delicious luncheon of items served on the very first Orient Express: Chicken Chausser, homemade chocolate pudding and petit fours with champagne and coffee. Residents dressed up and took pictures with fancy hats and enjoyed the wonderful meal and delightful company!
Feeling the luck of the Irish! Residential living residents gathered together to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! Rosie Ullrich, HR coordinator, even dressed up as a dino-leprechaun and performed an Irish jig with the Fit Medley class.
Residents of the skilled care center smiled for the camera during their Valentine’s Day glamour photo shoot! Maria McCauslin, beautician, styled the residents' hair, and Pennie Gidlbert, skilled care center Life Enrichment partner, accessorized the residents with scarves, hats and floral bouquets. Lastly, Linda Cooper, skilled care center Life Enrichment manager, took the photos! 
Did you hear the scoop? Residential living residents love celebrating National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day! Residents enjoyed fresh Belgian waffles, made by the Life Enrichment team! Residents topped their waffles with ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and many other delicious add-ons. Throughout the morning, the Life Enrichment team took donations for The Longest Day event in June and raised $150 for the Alzheimer’s Association. A few team members stopped by for this sweet delight, too! 
Lights, camera, action! Residential living residents put on their leather jackets and poodle skirts for a 1950s murder mystery! The residents enjoyed being actors and actresses for the afternoon and the audience thoroughly enjoyed guessing the suspect! At intermission, everyone enjoyed burgers and milkshakes, while also learning the Hand Jive taught by Life Enrichment director, Jess Sheahan. The Life Enrichment coordinator, Nikki Richwine, served as director of the murder mystery and kept the mystery alive throughout the show. It was a real whodunit!
Lights, camera, action! Residential living residents put on their leather jackets and poodle skirts for a 1950s murder mystery! The residents enjoyed being actors and actresses for the afternoon and the audience thoroughly enjoyed guessing the suspect! At intermission, everyone enjoyed burgers and milkshakes, while also learning the Hand Jive taught by Life Enrichment director, Jess Sheahan. The Life Enrichment coordinator, Nikki Richwine, served as director of the murder mystery and kept the mystery alive throughout the show. It was a real whodunit!
Participants in the Fit Medley class, taught by Jess Sheahan, Life Enrichment director, completed their annual “12 Days of Christmas” workout. Just like the song, this workout builds on itself until reaching the 12th day. “I pair an exercise with each day of Christmas starting with ‘one big back stretch’ going up to ‘12 drummers drumming,’” Sheahan said. “The fifth day is always ‘five biiiiiiiig squats!’ We repeat each day just like the song and keep adding a new exercise until we get to the 12th day. That means 40 squats by the end, but we are having so much fun you hardly notice!” 
On December 14, retired pastor Edward Gobrecht, a resident at The Village at Gettysburg, led The Village at Gettysburg in an Advent service on Saint Lucia.
To showcase Saint Lucia’s dress and crown, Chaplain Amy Wagner planned on displaying an American Girl doll dressed as Saint Lucia. When she could not locate the doll, Gobrecht suggested she dress like Saint Lucia and she did! This display put a smile on many faces and made Chaplain Wagner a few inches taller!
Saint Lucia Day honors the martyr Saint Lucia, who is said to have delivered food and water to hidden Christians in the ancient catacombs of Rome. To light her path, Saint Lucia wore a crown adorned with candles. Saint Lucia is remembered for her good deeds and strong faith.
A small but enthusiastic flock of “turkeys” came out for the Seventh Annual Turkey Trot and Family Waddle at The Village at Gettysburg! The temperatures may have been in the 20s, but residents bundled up and got their miles in for a good cause – to stock the food pantry at South Central Community Action Programs. 
Residential living residents at The Village at Gettysburg learned how to make ice cream. By using two electric ice cream makers and a blender for a dairy-free peach sorbet, residents made five different flavors of ice cream and even whipped two flavors with cookies. Thankfully, nobody had to use the old-fashioned hand crank ice cream maker! The dairy-free peach sorbet and banana were two popular flavors!
With Jess Sheahan, director of Life Enrichment, as their personal instructor, residential living residents at The Village at Gettysburg recently went to school on how to arrange flowers. Jess used flowers and filler from her cutting garden at Terra Farms and Fields and shared her expertise on design elements like space, line, heigh and shape. Once they had the technical aspects of flower arranging down, residents filled their vases with their own creative masterpieces!
Led by Andrew Kronmeyer, clinical dietician, residents at The Village at Gettysburg learned why garlic is sometimes referred to as “The Allicin Wonderland Drug" during Tasty Tips. When garlic is chopped, minced, sliced or mashed, it produces a phytochemical called allicin, which has been shown to have many cardiovascular benefits as well as prebiotic, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer properties. Kronmeyer then provided step-by-step instructions while preparing garlic honey, pickled garlic, broccoli and garlic ricotta toast, and marinated green beans for residents to sample. Residents delighted in expanding their cooking knowledge while enjoying a few tasty and healthy dishes!
The Village at Gettysburg held its annual Summer Fun and Games Week in July! Residents enjoyed a variety of games with friends and neighbors. Whether playing corn hole and fast-paced "Minute to Win-It" games or taking part in a fun obstacle course, the camaraderie, as well as some friendly competition, remained strong throughout the week.
Celebrating National Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day! Residents at The Village at Gettysburg were happy to help prove that ice cream is a sweet treat you can enjoy any time of year and any time of day! In celebration of National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, residents created their own morning desserts with an ice cream buffet featuring hot Belgian waffles. After indulging, several health-conscious residents were off to the gym to work off those extra calories!
Celebrating National Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day! Residents at The Village at Gettysburg were happy to help prove that ice cream is a sweet treat you can enjoy any time of year and any time of day! In celebration of National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, residents created their own morning desserts with an ice cream buffet featuring hot Belgian waffles. After indulging, several health-conscious residents were off to the gym to work off those extra calories!
Residents at The Village at Gettysburg celebrated “It Takes a Village Week” – a celebration of appreciation for team members and residents for their contributions to making the community a great place to work and live. The celebration featured four distinctly themed days: Decade Day, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Pink Flamingo Day and Beach Day. Residents and team members were encouraged to “dress for the beach” as they enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch on Beach Day. Pink flamingo hair clips adorned some residents on Pink Flamingo Day adding another festive touch. One resident exclaimed, “It’s just like old times!”, as she gathered with friends on the back patio to enjoy a meal together.
Residents at The Village at Gettysburg celebrated “It Takes a Village Week” – a celebration of appreciation for team members and residents for their contributions to making the community a great place to work and live. The celebration featured four distinctly themed days: Decade Day, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Pink Flamingo Day and Beach Day. Residents and team members were encouraged to “dress for the beach” as they enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch on Beach Day. Pink flamingo hair clips adorned some residents on Pink Flamingo Day adding another festive touch. One resident exclaimed, “It’s just like old times!”, as she gathered with friends on the back patio to enjoy a meal together.
