The well-known prayer of St. Francis says, “Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort, than to be comforted. To understand, than to be understood. To love than to be loved.” Steven Covey’s bestselling book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” borrows part of the prayer as Habit #5. Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood.

It sounds simplistic. It is not. I recall having a disagreement with one of my children and her saying, “Dad, I have some things to say; just let me say them and do not say a word.” It may have been the most difficult 10 minutes of my life. I was viewed quite differently than I saw myself. Though not easy to hear, these insights can be incredibly valuable. I suspect many of you are like me. I have strong opinions that are always correct, and I am always eager to share them! Again, speak to my beloved family for confirmation!

The digital age has made “understanding” even more difficult. We criticize others online and seldom listen. While social media has many benefits, I do not believe it enhances communication. I listen to the folk singer Carrie Newcomer’s song, “Don’t Press Send.” It is an excellent reminder to be less impulsive and slower to respond.

MMC’s leadership team is responsible for listening to (and hopefully understanding) over 600 residents. Residents have wants, desires, and needs; it is the responsibility of the leadership team to listen and understand. And, to recognize that depending on the season of life, the conditions vary considerably. A resident on hospice is experiencing different needs than a resident who just returned from a cruise to Europe.

In light of this responsibility, residents had the opportunity for their voices to be heard through the Holleran Satisfaction and Engagement Survey. I am pleased to share that we had an 80% response rate. According to Holleran benchmarks, this is a great response rate. We celebrated this outstanding response on Monday, September 12, with an ice cream social. 

There was a lot of great information gleaned from the responses. Several themes stood out and most frequently mentioned were the restricted dining hours and access to health care services. In addition to the executive summary, there were over 37 pages of comments. Overall, it was evident that residents are satisfied and happy to be living at MMC, and our team received numerous comments of affirmation.

As we seek to understand and make improvements, there is much information to absorb. It was rewarding to note that MMC’s overall resident satisfaction was in the 89th percentile (rated against Holleran’ s national database). Over 90% of residents said they would recommend MMC to a friend or relative. Thanks to all of you for your support of our ministry. I appreciate your honesty as we seek to understand.

Community Basics and Moravian Manor Communities are proud to announce that after 15 months of construction, the Saxony Ridge Apartments are planned to be open December 1, 2022. The 62-unit apartment building for persons age 62 or older, is currently accepting names for the interest list for 44 one-bedroom and 18 two-bedroom apartments.  

In early September, applications were mailed via email or USPS to everyone on the interest list, and a few days later, the applications were made available to the public. Upon receipt of the application and processing fee, credit and background checks will be completed by staff at Community Basics. Based on the order of receipt, those who pass the checks will be contacted for an interview. 

Community Basics must adhere to numerous rules and regulations to offer housing for rent. For example, to qualify for Saxony Ridge Apartments a one-person household’s income needs to be between $16,248 and $37,920 per year, and a two-person household’s income needs to be between $22,392 and $43,320 per year.

Community Basics plans to have a holiday open house in December; the exact date and time are yet to be determined.

If you have questions about the apartments, how to get your name on the interest list, where to get an application or income qualifications, please contact Community Basics at 717-735-9590 or
info@communitybasics.com.

It was a beautiful summer morning when Carol Minnich and I met at her Warwick Woodlands Campus home. Sitting on her front porch with a smile on her face and wearing a beautiful felted wool butterfly pin, a recent gift from her daughter, it didn’t take long for me to understand why she has been coined by many as “The Butterfly Lady.” 

A loving mother of two, Carol was a stay-at-home mom until her kids, Kristen and Marshall, were teenagers. To help with college tuition, Carol re-entered the workforce eventually landing a position with Fulton Bank, where she was happily employed for 25 years until her retirement. 

As a child, Carol recalled, “I was always fascinated by all things nature,” but as would hold true with most people, the responsibilities of work and raising children didn’t allow much time to pursue new hobbies. It was only when her children were grown and out of the house that Carol learned about raising butterflies from a close friend and her sister-in-law. 

Nearly twelve years later, Carol shared, “I’m always learning something new.” A hobby that started when she was living in her former home in Lancaster, PA, Carol didn’t think it would be possible to continue raising butterflies when she moved to Moravian Manor Communities. So, she reluctantly gave away all her cages. Shortly after her arrival here, while tending to her parsley, she noticed it was loaded with Swallowtail caterpillars. Carol has officially been raising butterflies ever since! 

Word spread fast about Carol’s hobby and now friends and neighbors regularly bring her caterpillars found in and around their gardens. In cages sheltered on her front porch away from the harsh elements, Carol provides a safe haven for a variety of butterflies, mostly Swallowtail, but some Monarch as well. In each cage, Carol carefully places the larvae or caterpillars and provides them with the appropriate food source. “They are veracious eaters,” Carol laughed, “I’m always checking to make sure they have the nutrients needed to continue their development.” She recounted a recent visit from one of her neighbors that provided an opportunity seen by few. In one of her many cages, there was a Swallowtail going into chrysalis. And only a few moments later, they witnessed a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. Truly a site to behold. 

I was captivated by Carol’s vast knowledge as she described in great detail the cycle of a butterfly and the important role butterflies play in our society. That’s when I knew Carol’s love for butterflies wasn’t just a hobby…it was a passion. I asked Carol what she would like readers to know. Carol’s heartfelt response was this, “Monarchs are important pollinators, along with bees, hummingbirds, moths and bats, playing an important role in pollinating food crops and approximately 75% of the world’s flowering plants. Sadly, the Monarch population, although not yet extinct, is plummeting (recently officially added to the endangered species list) due to pesticides, development, deforestation, climate change, and loss of their only food source as caterpillars, which is the milkweed family of plants. Monarchs are attracted to flowers for its nectar (thus the need for pollinator gardens), but also need milkweed to lay their eggs on, which is the food source for their caterpillars, which in turn become butterflies and thus completing the cycle of life. It is essential to protect the Monarchs (and other pollinators) because of their important role in our ecosystem!”

In addition to her work with butterflies, Carol loves playing cards. At any given time, she can be found playing cards with friends and neighbors on both the Founder and the Warwick Woodlands campuses. During the winter months, when life isn’t quite as busy, she also enjoys the art of quilling. 

To learn more about Monarch butterflies and what you can do to help save this endangered species, visit https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/monarch-butterfly-declared-endangered-amid-declining-numbers.