A Sampling of Our Educational Opportunities at Homestead Village

Homestead Village has over 30 committees in seven key Life Enrichment programming areas—Education, Fitness, Arts, Music, Leisure, Spiritual, and Volunteerism. And, nearly all of the volunteers on those committees are our dedicated and enthusiastic residents!

Life Enrichment, which we have featured on this blog in the past, is certainly an essential component in creating a community culture in which we can all THRIVE.

Today’s blog post highlights the work of our Education Committee (Chair, Gary Johnson; Staff Liaison, Karen Longenecker), which ensures that senior learning opportunities abound for our residents and the broader community around us in Lancaster County. We will also highlight the other committees related to Education, including those focused on voter education and even our on-campus library.

Read on to discover more and get a sample of a few of the events, classes, and more they provide.

(Note that COVID-19 has caused many regular events to be postponed or moved to virtual formats since March 2020. Readers are encouraged to contact us with any questions.)

Education Committee Programs and Events

While the ongoing pandemic has caused us to postpone many events this year, the Education Committee typically plans a monthly Healthy Living talk, a monthly general educational lecture, and at least two educational series per year (typically in January and June).

Several special events throughout the year are also offered. For instance, during October 2020, Dr. Charles Duffy, a neurologist at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, is speaking on “Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease,” which is a topic that is important to our work in Memory Support here at Homestead Village as well as of general interest to many in our community.

Voter Education

Our Voter Education Committee, led by Phyllis Whitesell, typically holds quarterly lectures. However, because the 2020 United States presidential election is looming, this group has been extraordinarily active lately!

An example of one of the voter education-related events that recently took place is an info session with Lisa Shaw, the Judge of Elections for our voting poll station at nearby Church of the Apostles. She held a well-attended Q&A session in The Bachman Center to get residents ready to “get out the vote” on November 3rd (or submit their mail-in ballots).

Trips

Although the pandemic has disrupted our travel schedule, there are usually three different kinds of trips each month. These often include tour guides or hosts to make these excursions both fun and educational.

Trips take the following formats:

• Monthly Local Excursions (Committee Chair, Millie Christie)
• Monthly Out of Town Trips (Committee Chair, Donna Bourke)
• Annual Overnight Trips (Committee Chair, Bill Sherman)

Life Stories

Led by Peggy Atkins, the Life Stories Committee focuses on helping residents share and pen their autobiographical stories. This work is beneficial as a form of therapy to the writer, and it also creates an invaluable gift to family and descendants.

Learn More About Life Enrichment at Homestead Village

Round-Table History Discussion

This monthly group is for residents interested in American history. Committee members and guests take turns leading the group and leading discussion.

It should be noted that this is not a political discussion group. To avoid partisan acrimony, conversations are not permitted to spill over into post-World War II subjects.

Bookmobile/Homestead Village Library

The Bookmobile from the Library System of Lancaster County visits Homestead Village monthly to both deliver requested books and set up a display of books for residents to check out.

Learn more about the Bookmobile service from our local public library system.

In addition to public library access, Homestead Village also has an on-campus private library for residents. Marty Bull leads the Library Committee with a committee of 9 individuals, and Maureen Deibert is the staff liaison.

This is a full-service library with volunteers working daily to keep books and lending organized and running smoothly. Volunteers purchase books regularly to keep it current, and they also hold two highly anticipated book sales a year to raise funds.

Other Learning Events: Marketing Seminar Series

Throughout the year, our Marketing Department invites knowledgeable speakers to The Bachman Center to share what they know about timely topics related to retirement planning, life at senior communities like our unique Life Plan Community, and financial asset management.

In November 2020, we will host a virtual seminar featuring Richard Elias, CFP®, AWMA®, to offer year-end tax tips for a tax year that has brought about many changes with the SECURE and CARES acts taking effect.

These special events are open to the public—or held virtually via Zoom at this time. More information can always be found on our Events page here on the website.

Homestead Village Cares

We sincerely hope you are staying happy and healthy during this difficult time, whether you are one of our treasured Homestead Village residents or part of our larger online community of friends and neighbors. If you have questions, please give us a call or contact us through HomesteadVillage.org.