Staff Appreciation at St. Francis Manor (Posted August 19, 2020)
The derecho storm cancelled our staff appreciation celebration scheduled on August 12 but we still want to thank our amazing staff for being team players and doing whatever it takes to get the job done! “Our employees have shown great perseverance and adaptability especially during the last five months of COVID-19 and now with all of the storm damage,” said Dion Schrack. “We appreciate you and are blessed to have you working with us."
Seeland Park resident Susan Thorndike shares the story of her golden retrievers over the years as well as her affinity for training and breeding dogs. 
Seeland Park resident, Kathi shares some thoughts. "I have always believed in miracles; and during this terrible pandemic, I have not been disappointed! My mother always planted pansies every year; and she told me, “When you have white pansies, they are telling you that somebody is watching over you.”
Most of us probably haven’t even heard of a horse-drawn school bus—let alone ridden in one! Russ Sadler, resident at Seeland Park, however, rode to school in a horse-drawn bus in Selma, Iowa during the 1940s. 
Transportation to appointments is an important service provided to the residents/tenants of St. Francis Manor, Seeland Park, and the Hammond Center for Assisted Living. During a recent fundraising campaign, three matching pledges were met which helped to raise enough money to purchase two new handicapped accessible vans. 
In recognition of all the heroes working at St. Francis Manor during the COVID-19 pandemic, Seeland Park resident Mike Sawyer recently presented a wood-burning plaque created by artist Kathy Reed of Grinnell to Administrator/RN Tiffany Criswell, who continues to lead the COVID-19 charge at St. Francis.
Cinnamon, an eight-year-old llama owned by Merle Mann of Oskaloosa, arrived in the back seat of Merle’s pickup truck for a campus visit on May 18.
Tenants and staff celebrated the Hammond Center’s first anniversary with a special dinner on March 4. The festivities began at 4 PM with appetizers and beverages followed by a short program that included a special appearance from Connie the Contractor a/k/a Betty Hammond.
On Friday, February 7th the Social Center was radiating with women dressed in red as over 130 St. Francis Manor, Seeland Park, Hammond Center and Grinnell community residents celebrated National Wear Red Day. Started by the American Heart Association in 2003, the women wore red to raise awareness of heart disease which is the No. 1 killer of women.
