John Knox Village

Sharing and Caring Program
For the Year Ended December 31, 2010

The Sharing and Caring program at John Knox Village is one of the keys to making the Village a great place to live and work.  This program provides opportunities for residents and staff members to give back to the community. 

The Village has long been a sponsor of and contributor to the American Cancer Society through the Relay for Life, the American Heart Association through the Heart Walk and the Alzheimer’s Association through the Alzheimer’s Walk because these diseases touch so many people in our community.  As part of our philosophy on wellness, the Village residents and employees participate in the annual Heart Walk and Memory Walk on our beautiful 64 acre campus.  Since 2003, the Village has sponsored the Survivor’s reception for the local Relay for Life.  This past year, the Village held its own “mini-Relay” on campus.  Over 270 residents, staff, family and members of the community participated in honoring over 60 survivors and in raising funds for the fight against cancer.

In 2010, the Village participated in the 10th Annual Rebuilding Together Broward event held in Collier City, an area of Pompano Beach.  The project focused on the rehabilitation of low-income senior citizens’ houses with the goal of providing each senior a safe and sanitary home.  The Village took on complete responsibility for one of the houses.  Over 50 staff volunteers assisted in repainting the house, refurbishing the kitchen, repairing windows, upgrading the landscaping and installing a new hot water heater. 

The Village wanted to help the Mighty Tiger marching band from Blanch Ely High School in Pompano Beach achieve a dream of participating in a marching band contest on the lawn of the White House.  The invitation to represent Florida in this national contest would also provide the students with the opportunity to see government and history up close and personal.  The Village helped the students help themselves by raising funds with a car wash and bake sale.  In addition, the Village sponsored 10 of the students to make this trip of a lifetime.

This year the Village was honored to support various pediatric healthcare organizations.  St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Pediatric Oncology Support Team reached out to the Village for help.  Both these organizations work with children and their families who are dealing with catastrophic health problems. We were able to “Make a Wish” come true for a local child suffering a life threatening illness.

Underserved children are supported by the Village so they can attend the Salvation Army summer camp in Central Florida.

Keeping with the philosophy of wellness, the Health for Life Wellness van participated in several health fairs in the community, including the annual Northeast Focal Point community health fair.  Nurses employed by the Village volunteered their time to perform blood pressure screenings, teach self breast exams, teach CPR to Scout leaders and conducted bone density screenings. 

The Village worked with local churches and synagogues to identify outstanding, caring seniors in the Pompano Beach community.  Ten individuals were selected from their congregations for selflessly aiding others with their time, talents and efforts.  Each Silver Angel was celebrated at a beautiful dinner and awarded for their commitment and dedication to others. 

St. Laurence Chapel, a local organization that provides day services for the homeless, is one of the main recipients of our residents and employees generosity.  Monthly donations are provided to St. Laurence from the resident Chapel Committee.  The annual white sock drive is held every year at Thanksgiving to collect new, white socks for the homeless.  This past year, over 1,668 pairs of socks were collected and given to St. Laurence Chapel. 

John Knox Village has partnered with the Alliance for the Homeless and Broward Outreach.   These organizations transform lives of homeless men, women and children through comprehensive residential programs to effect lasting change.  The Village provides year round support through financial donations and participation in various events at the Center. We provided blankets during the cold weather, filled Hope Totes with personal care items, donated clothing for the return to work clients, donated seating for their classrooms and supported their holiday functions. 

The Resident Auxiliary Service, a resident volunteer group that provides volunteer services for the general welfare of the residents of John Knox Village, collects and sorts through clothing donations throughout the year. Clothing donations estimated at $8,500 were distributed to St. Laurence Chapel, The Salvation Army, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Christ Church Thrift Store, St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Stores, Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church and Pompano has Heart.

As residents of South Florida, Village residents and employees are keenly aware of the needs that arise after a natural emergency. The island of Haiti experienced several major natural disasters in 2010.  The Village provided support to Doctors Without Borders, Pompano Has Heart and raised $6,900 through resident and employee contributions to assist with relief efforts.  In addition, two Shelter Boxes were purchased and sent to countries that had also suffered  natural disasters.

As a member of the business community, the Village actively participates in the Chamber of Commerce, the local Historical Society and other functions in the City of Pompano Beach.  Each year the Village sponsors two leading high school students so they can attend the South Florida Leadership Training Camp.  The camp instills the values and leadership skills necessary to become a community leader.  Donations are made to our state healthcare association to help promote education in long term care.

We celebrate and honor our veterans with donations to the Fischer House and Friends of  Fischer House.  We provided calling cards for Vets to connect with their families over the holidays. Girl Scout cookies were purchased for service personnel overseas to enjoy a “Taste of Home.”  Financial donations were made to PAWS for Patriots, a division of Southeastern Guide Dogs, the History Flight organization, Bit by Bit therapy Riding Center and the Fallen Heroes ceremony.

The annual school supply drive for employees is one of the best examples of the spirit of sharing and caring that is such a part of the Village.  Residents and employees provide donations of money and new school supplies to ensure that children are properly equipped to begin a new school year.  Backpacks full of school supplies were provided to line staff with school age children.  This past year, over 100 children were given the tools they needed for a successful school year. 

In 2010 John Knox Village adopted Charles Drew Elementary School. The school serves students who reside in a community where the average family income is below the federal poverty line.  We supplied 200 back packs full of school supplies to low income children attending school for the first time.

Support was provided to the Broward Children’s Center.  The Center provides education, medical and residential services to infants, children and young adults who are at risk or who have special medical needs.  Donations were made to purchase a school bus to transport school age children to community schools.  We also participated in their annual fund raiser, Miles for Smiles.

The holidays are always such an enjoyable time for Village residents and employees and provide the perfect opportunity to share with the community.  The Village increased its financial support of the local food banks this year in an effort to respond to the economic crisis in the United States and provided $7,500 in support for several Thanksgiving Food Drives.  Every year, the Village sponsors a collection for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign in conjunction with the annual Chamber of Commerce breakfast hosted on campus.  Employees donated almost 500 toys to help brighten the holidays for underprivileged children.  Village residents and employees work hand in hand with the Boys & Girls club to sponsor an annual Christmas Party, complete with presents and Santa Claus for local children. 

Other areas where residents and employees give back to the community include fund raisers for local little league teams, collection of eye glasses, cell phones and hearing aides for the Lion’s Club, participation in career day activities for local schools, clothing donations to the Salvation Army and scholarship sponsorships for Broward County students. Because charity does begin at home, Village residents have a special affinity to volunteering within the Village itself.  Whether it is residents who visit other residents in the health center or residents who volunteer by answering phones, the Village is the grateful recipient of their spirit of giving.  Almost 500 Village residents offer their time and talent to make the Village a wonderful, caring place to live.

Our community opens its doors to local Scout troops teaching the importance of giving back to the community.  They have participated in our annual Flag Day ceremony, the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and participate in intergenerational programs in our Health Center.

The Village provides meeting space to many organizations that serve the local community.  In 2010, the Village welcomed the following organizations to its campus:

• Al-Anon
• Association of Older Lutheran Adults
• Broward Library Foundation
• Broward Personal Computer Association
• Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church
• Daughters of the American Revolution
• First Christian Church
• First Presbyterian Church Ft. Lauderdale
• First Presbyterian Church Pompano
• Florida Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
• Florida Lifecare Retirement Association
• Kids Ecology Corporation
• League of Women Voters
• National Association of Retired Federal Employees
• PEO
• Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce
• Pompano Economic Group
• Sigma Alpha Iota
• St. Henry’s Catholic Church
• St. Martin-in-the-Field Episcopal Church
• St. Nicholas Episcopal Church
• Toastmasters International
• United Way
• University of Miami

The future of the Sharing and Caring program is exciting.  The role of John Knox Village in the community mirrors our corporate mission statement:  John Knox Village is dedicated to providing a protective, supportive community where our Residents may thrive as their physical, social, emotional and spiritual well being is addressed.