The Legacy Honors the Importance of Volunteerism - Especially for Younger Generations

PLANO, Texas - May 3, 2013 - PRLog -- The Legacy Willow Bend and The Legacy Preston Hollow recently honored their many volunteers who take the time to visit the communities on a weekly basis and make a difference in the lives of the residents. From knitting and mahjong groups to musical performers and game leaders, the communities bring in an array of activities and volunteers with special talents to enrich the lives of their residents. The appreciation events at the communities were given to not only say thank you, but to place an importance on showing younger generations the significance of volunteerism.

“This is our fifth volunteer appreciation event, and I am proud to say we have volunteers that started with us five years ago who are still here today coming each week to give their time,” said Florence Kramer, volunteer coordinator of The Legacy Willow Bend. “We started with one volunteer, and then it continued to grow to well over 200 volunteers today. I want everyone to know how important they are and how much they mean to us. They are not only enriching the lives of our residents, but they are showing future generations the importance of giving back.”

At The Legacy Willow Bend, the knitting group – comprised of female members of the community and other volunteers – displayed blankets, stuffed animals, and scarves for sale, with all proceeds going to the homeless. Lifesaver candies were passed out to volunteers from the memory support group thanking them for their time.

“I play the guitar for residents at The Legacy as part of my bar Mitzvah project,” said Elliot Glanger. “It feels so good to talk to the people here. I am passionate about playing guitar and being able to share my passion with residents here makes me happy. I walk away feeling very good.”

The Legacy Preston Hollow volunteer event honored special guests and family members Sarah Yarrin, Jackie Waldman and Melissa Plaskoff who shared their stories of generational giving. Melissa, granddaughter of Sarah and daughter of Jackie, founded Lemons to Aide, a charitable foundation that hosts lemonade stands to instill the mindset of service and charitable giving in children at a young age.

“Lemons to Aide was an idea that started with my son Hudson who wanted to help Haitians after the horrible earthquake,” said Melissa. “It was that moment of watching my son succeed in sharing his heart with others, that inspired me to start the fund. It is so important to get our kids involved in volunteerism. They should crave to help others. Every day you volunteer, you enhance the lives of others.”

The Legacy Preston Hollow honored volunteers with food and beverages and a special performance by activities director Lolita Mason. Volunteers took turns sharing their individual volunteer experiences with the residents.

“Our community would not be as vibrant without the love and support of our volunteers,” said Cheryl Weitz, community relations coordinator of The Legacy Preston Hollow. “They provide the extra touches every day, that make a true difference in our residents’ quality of life.”

The Legacy Willow Bend, Plano’s first and only life care retirement community, is situated on a 28-acre site at Spring Creek Parkway between Preston Road and Ohio Drive. The Legacy Willow Bend offers resort-style services and amenities for active, independent seniors, as well as all levels of health care services on-site. The community features 103 independent living apartment homes, 12 custom independent living villas, 40 assisted living apartment homes, 18 memory support suites, and 60 private skilled healthcare suites.

The Legacy Willow Bend is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit retirement community owned by parent company, The Legacy Senior Communities, Inc. The Legacy Willow Bend, the only Jewish-sponsored life care retirement community in Texas, is open to people of all faiths.  For information, call (972) 468-6208.

The Legacy Preston Hollow is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, faith-based senior living residence that offers a continuum of care allowing residents to stay in place with assisted living, short-term rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and long term care. Built in 2001, the community features 41 assisted living apartments, 113 skilled nursing beds and a state-of-the-art Medicare unit. The Legacy Preston Hollow is the Dallas Home for the Jewish Aged and a partner agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas. The community is family service-oriented and open to people of all faiths. For questions regarding admissions, please call (214) 363-5100.