55+ Community Hosts Virtual Events To Keep Residents Connected

TAMPA, Fla. - April 20, 2020 - PRLog -- Before mid-March, Martha Hewitt loved going to Medley at Mirada's events, as she made new friends at the San Antonio active-adult community.

"I really like the events where we go out somewhere with the other residents," she said, "but I also like the ones hosted at the community, where we can get to know our neighbors and future neighbors better."

Then the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak began. Programming directors at Lennar's Medley communities, built for residents 55 and older, had to rethink how they do events, which in the past have ranged from day trips and cooking classes to wine tastings and dinner cruises.

"We realized that just because we can't host in-person events right now doesn't mean we can't help our residents stay connected," said Mark Metheny, Lennar's Tampa Division President. "We launched online event programming to give our residents activities to look forward to, as well as a way to interact with each other."

In the past few weeks, Medley at Mirada has hosted a pet photo contest, scavenger hunt, wine workshop and cooking demonstration, all online. Contests and video sessions have been hosted through Facebook and Facebook Live, moderated and led by Medley staff and partners.

"The online wine event was really interesting," Hewitt said. "I knew nothing about wine before, and I know a little bit more now. Plus, it was nice to be able to communicate with friends through the chat feature to say, 'Hi," and, 'I miss you!'"

John Ford and his wife, Karen, were among the first residents to move into Medley at Mirada and have attended most of the community events. They agreed that the online events are helpful for everyone's mood right now.

"The online events are great—they help keep us together and also help us focus on something other than staring at the wall or the TV," Ford said. "Now we have something to talk about while we're out walking our dogs, hollering across the street to each other."

Medley at Mirada is an active-adult gated community that will have a private clubhouse with a fitness center, a resort-style pool, and tennis and pickleball courts. Residents can also take advantage of trails, bocce ball courts, an event lawn and dog parks. It will also feature a Metro Lagoon by Crystal Lagoons®. At 15 acres, the family-friendly Lagoon will include a beach, swim-up bar, and crystal-clear water for swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding. Lagoon construction is underway.

For more information: https://medleymirada.com/ or (888) 211-6153.