Homeland’s renovated Beauty Shop makes residents feel good

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Newly renovated hair salon at Homeland Center

The brightened colors and spiffed-up décor of Homeland’s newly refurbished Beauty Shop impressed resident Vicki Fox, who was getting her hair done.

“It’s beautiful,” Vicki said.

Homeland’s Board of Managers has been methodically upgrading public spaces recently. The Main Dining Room got new curtains and artwork. The Florida Room got a new aquarium and valances.

Now, they have tackled the salon, a favorite spot of residents. The Board of Managers is the unique, all-volunteer group devoted to the stewardship of Homeland’s renowned home-like feel. Working with a modest budget, the group of women – descendants in spirit of the 18 women who founded Homeland as a “Home for the Friendless” after the Civil War – stages lively events, interacts with residents, and keeps public and private spaces feeling comfortable and welcoming.

The beauty parlor was established in 1953 by Homeland benefactor and Board of Manager, Katherine S. Kunkel, and is believed to be the first-of-its-kind in a long-term care facility.

Renovating the salon became a project after Board of Managers members and some residents realized that the last renovation dated to the 1990s. The upgrades were simple but impactful. The walls got a fresh coat of cream-colored paint. New chairs in a cheery cerulean blue are, like the old chairs, adaptable to the needs of elderly clients. Bigger shampoo bowls, in a sleek black, mean less water splashing around. The old floor gave way to a crisp faux wood in cream and gray tones.

The renovations were done “piece by piece” over weekends, said stylist Felicia Wallace, who has worked in the salon for 12 years.

“I know it’s not bigger, but it’s funny how things will make a space seem so much larger,” she said.

New beach-themed prints hang on one wall and in the restroom, but the feature that has everyone talking is the mural on the back wall depicting a walkway through the dunes, opening to a sandy beach and soothing ocean waves.

“I had a resident ask me if I thought it was the Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean,” said Felicia.

Polly Myers, resident and Felicia Wallace, stylist.

Definitely the Atlantic, said resident Polly Myers, sitting at Felicia’s station with her hair freshly styled. Polly said the mural reminded her of family vacations at the New Jersey shore.

Wallace and fellow stylist Charity McCrae provided input that kept the renovations in line with their workplace needs. While Polly was getting her hair done, Board of Managers members Barbara Cleeland and Catherine N. Rauth asked about hanging a mirror over the desk, where an old hutch once occupied the wall, but Charity doubted that the salon needed another mirror, so the two Board of Managers put their heads together to consider other options.

A drape in contemporary blue and green florals covers the salon’s glass door. The fabric matches the new valances hanging in the adjoining Florida Room, for a nice continuity between the two busy spaces.

That was intentional, said Barbara. The salon “just needed a little tender loving care. It got it finally.” And as for the residents, “They love it.”

Earlier that morning, Felicia had suggested that Polly arrive for her appointment a little early, perhaps around 11:15. Polly showed up at 10:30. She is a former Board of Managers member who believes that the salon and the styling skill of its hairdressers are vital to well-being – her own and that of her fellow residents.

Felicia sees that pride in her clients. The renovations “mean a lot because they like coming here. They love to look good, and it makes them feel good.”

Homeland Finance Office: Working behind the scenes to ensure quality care

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Homeland Finance Office employeesAt Homeland, there are things that money can’t buy, such as the home-like atmosphere and attention from caring staff.

But money can buy little delights, such as lunch for a group of residents at Red Lobster or dipping into Homeland’s charitable funds to pay for an extra that brightens a day, such as an iPad stocked with a resident’s favorite songs.

“It takes a lot of facilitating to make sure there isn’t an interruption of what residents need just because there’s a financial aspect,” says Director of Financial Operations Evelyn Fry. “That shouldn’t be the driving force. The driving goal at Homeland is to make sure that residents get what they need.”

The six-person Finance Office efficiently shoulders many money management duties, so residents, staff, and family don’t have to.

Residents enjoy the office’s impact in big and small ways. When a resident needs a medical service or medication, the Finance Office works with nurses to obtain insurance coverage. If the insurer denies a claim, staffers will track down the problem or, if necessary, allocate payment from Homeland’s Benevolent and Charitable Care fund. In the past year, Homeland Center provided more than $3 million in charitable care.

Circumstances change daily, so the office works closely with Homeland department heads to pin down details and assure accuracy.

Over the years, the office’s functions have changed as regulatory oversight amplified and Homeland grew into today’s continuing care community offering personal, skilled, and dementia care.

“That’s what has kept me here,” says Evelyn, who celebrated her 35th anniversary with Homeland in 2019. “It has always been challenging and interesting.”

“We certainly want our residents to have the things they medically need, or that they need otherwise for their best quality of life,” Evelyn says.
Within the office, it’s all accomplished in an atmosphere of quiet professionalism, good cheer, and adherence to strict confidentiality standards. Each staffer – by coincidence, all women — brings a unique perspective to her role:

• Barbara Jones-White, Administrative Assistant, says the office supports the entire staff so “they can come to work and focus on the care that they give to residents.” She “absolutely loves” interacting with the residents and calls her coworkers “some of the brightest people I have ever met in my life.”

• Sonia Miralda, Administrative Assistant, joined Homeland in September 2019 and loves “the challenge every day.” She ensures residents receive personalized attention: “They come here, and they’re family.’’

• Lori McMichael, Assistant Director of Financial Operations, says she likes the challenge of staying abreast of changes in the industry: “You don’t get bored. You don’t get stagnant.” Lori is also the office decorator, hanging seasonal items such as a Halloween ghost.

• Lucinda Nemet, Accounts Receivable Clerk, has been with the office for 30 years and also helps tending to the birds in the Gathering Room as a way to interact more with residents “We’ve always been a close-knit community and family,” she says. “There are residents you get to know and have relationships with.”

• Cindy Zelko, Assistant Director of Financial Operations, is another long-time employee with 23 years of service. “We’ve been blessed with consistency, so we have the same people knowing what they need to do,” she says. “We’re able to get it right, and we can rely on each other.”

At heart, the office is dedicated to responsible stewardship of Homeland’s financial well-being.

“Whether it’s residents, family, or staff, the Finance Office is here when you need us,” Evelyn says. “We’re very dedicated to making sure that Homeland will exist well into the future.”

Homeland Center’s commitment to charitable, uncompensated care stands as a resource for the community. A nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, Homeland relies on the generous support of our friends and neighbors to continue helping the less fortunate. To find out how you can make a difference, call 717-221-7727 or go to www.homelandcenter.org/giving

Arrival of the mermaids: Exhibit brings a touch of whimsy to Homeland

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Bonnie Bissett

Bonnie and one of her mermaid pieces hanging in the gallery at Homeland Center

On a brisk fall day, mermaids came to Homeland Center

Not real mermaids, of course. These were artistic renditions from the creative mind of Bonnie Bissett, for Homeland’s latest quarterly art exhibit in the Florida Room gallery.

Homeland brings art to the walls through a partnership with the Art Association of Harrisburg, which invites artists to show their works in spaces throughout the region. Homeland remains the only continuing care community in the program, offering uplifting scenes for residents, staff, and families to enjoy.

Bonnie’s nautical pieces suited the space, hanging near Homeland’s newly refurbished aquarium. While exotic sea creatures swim in the tank, Bonnie’s sea horses and mermaids cavort amid foil finishes and shiny glass beads.

As Bonnie hung her works, her pieces attracted considerable attention.

“These are cool!” enthused Charity McCrae, a beautician from the adjacent Homeland beauty shop.

“The residents like coming down this walkway and seeing art on both sides. They might not be able to get out to see artwork, so it’s nice that it comes to them,” McCrea noted. “I put it on Snapchat, too, so other people can get to see it.”

Bonnie’s works will hang through December 2019. She comes from a family of artists, but she spent her early career running the engine rooms of oil tankers plying the U.S. West Coast.

Still, she knew she wanted to “design and decorate and paint.”

“My parents were interested in art, and I was always involved in art in high school, but I never considered it as a formal career because they were supposed to be skinny and hungry all the time – you know, the starving artist,” she said.

Bonnie has designed clothing, painted murals and faux finishes in homes, and sewn historical reenactor costumes.

In the mid-1990s, she relocated from San Francisco to her family homestead in Lewisberry, a rural spot between Harrisburg and York. Her work in interior design and organization introduced her to the Harrisburg Symphony Society Showhouses; fundraisers held every few years when artists remake the spaces of a classic home.

One of her memorable contributions was painting a “forced perspective” telephone room in a graystone home’s foyer. In that same home near Harrisburg’s Susquehanna River, viewers “either loved or hated” her fish-themed powder room, inspired by a high-water mark from the flooding of Hurricane Agnes.

“The showhouses were fun,” she said. “It was a lot of work. The benefit of doing that was meeting other professionals in the field and networking.”

She has taken “classes galore” on faux finishing and gilding techniques. Still, finding her own style as a fine artist has taken time and thought.

“I needed big pieces,” she said. “I told myself, ‘Focus, Bonn, focus.’ So, I came up with the eyeball and the mermaids.”

Bonnie BissettMermaids reflect her seafaring experience and her appreciation for the mythical creatures’ lore.

“They would capture the sailor’s heart,” she said. “Sometimes they’re evil. Sometimes they’re not. They’re mischievous.”

Two of the people who stopped to admire Bonnie’s art on this morning were also artists. Homeland Center Board of Managers member Catherine Rauth’s hands were slightly dirty from planting containers spilling over with flowers and greenery – one of the many special touches by board members to enhance Homeland’s home-
like feel.

Catherine has taken watercolor lessons and recognized the mixed-media nature of Bonnie’s works.

“This is fun,” she said. “This is cheerful. It’s so nice that Homeland brings this art here.”

Housekeeping staffer Cherie Moore has taken Art Association of Harrisburg classes and helped install a mosaic at an area school. Bonnie’s work made her stop and look because “it’s different.”

“It’s cold outside, and this makes me happy,” she said. “I like that they bring in the art, and the residents get to see it.”

Since 2015, Bonnie has enjoyed living in downtown Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in her first-ever brick home, “like one of the three little pigs.”

“I can walk to places, and there’s an interesting little art community,” she said. “They’re very supportive.”

Bonnie also works with elderly clients, helping them create their own works of art. She agreed with the exhibit viewers who appreciated the power of art to brighten Homeland’s halls — and the lives of residents.

“It’s important to be able to see art when you can’t get out and about,” Bonnie said. “It’s good therapy.”

Don Lauver: A twin who’s one of a kind

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Don Lauver and twin Bob

Bob (left) and Don (right) Lauver

For Don Lauver’s 82nd birthday, more than 20 family members trickled into Homeland Center on a picture-perfect autumn afternoon, with Tupperware in their hands, smiles on their faces, and love in their hearts.

Don’s wife Joanne and daughter Jen Mark worked to set up the retro diner as Don greeted his guests from a chair situated strategically by his granddaughters.

The Tupperware contained all of Don’s favorite foods: German Chocolate cake (made with Splenda, as the doctor ordered), soup, wings, ribs, potato chips, cheese cubes, and more.

When Don arrived at Homeland in September, he was recovering from several falls at his former home, and was very ill, he and his family say. But in the few weeks he has been here, he has already gained 10 pounds, which has helped him rebuild his strength.

The marvelous meals are one of his favorite parts of Homeland.

Don readily shares how breakfast features hot and cold items, including poached eggs, sausage and bacon, and Sunday dinners are like a year-round Thanksgiving feast, with roast turkey, gravy, stuffing and potatoes.

He also praises the kindness of his caregivers and marvels at the array of activities that run all day.

Perhaps it takes a kindness connoisseur to know some. Like the devoted grandfather that he is, he asked the dietary staff to bring him some bags of snacks so that he could give them to some young ones who were expected to arrive at this party. It was his birthday, but he was more concerned about giving gifts to others.

That is just like him, say granddaughters Madison and Lauren Mark. Their granddad knows everybody and will talk to anybody. His “friends” collection grows wherever he goes. He was thrilled to discover that five of his former church friends from Progress Immanuel Presbyterian Church were already residing at Homeland.

He is such a “sharing” man that he even shares his Oct. 7 birthday with his twin brother, Bob, of Mount Gretna. Bob ran Harper’s General Store in Annville.

“We were really close,” Don says of their childhood. “We did everything together.”

Initially, they set out for different colleges, but Don wound up transferring to his twin’s university –Elon University–after his first semester.

Don is surrounded by educators. His son-in-law Eric Mark is a popular social studies teacher at Bishop McDevitt High School. Eric’s wife teaches school in Dillsburg.

Don’s wife Joanne also was a long-time teacher in the Susquehanna Township School District.

Joanne and Don Lauver at Don’s 82nd birthday party.

Don attended Susquehanna Township High School but later transferred to Perkiomen Prep School. He graduated from Elon University in North Carolina and worked in a tax office as an accountant. Born in Richfield, Juniata County, he lived in Harrisburg for most of his lifetime.

Joanne and Don lived in the same neighborhood, growing up. When asked if he married the girl next door, he replied with a broad smile, “No, I married the girl down the street!”

The relationship had a rocky start. When he tried to ask her out, Don accidentally drove his convertible into Joanne’s family hedges and had to apologize to her father.

On their first date in New Cumberland, his friends dared him to drink so many gin and tonics that Joanne had to drive him home.

Joanne described her husband as someone “Who knows what he wants.”

Lauver says yes, he lost the gin and tonic bet, but he got the girl. They also remember how she was so cold that night, he gave her his coat.

It was the dawn of a beautiful 54-year marriage, beginning at a ceremony in Progress Immanuel Presbyterian Church.

In addition to his career as an accountant, Don also served in the Air National Guard as a medic.

He always embraced the fresh air and wildlife of the outdoors. He had a cabin in Snyder County, surrounded by 300 scenic acres, where he enjoyed hunting deer and small game.

And he is a legacy at Homeland. Don’s parents both lived in Homeland, as did his wife’s aunt, Dottie Pickel.

Don Lauver and family

Don, Joanne (far right) surrounded by many of their children and grandchildren.

He has six grandchildren, ranging in age from 13 to 20, who are clearly his pride and joy.

“I’m really blessed,” he says. “They’re all honor students.” He is happy to catalog their majors and accomplishments.

Don’s son-in-law Eric says it sounds corny, but he thinks the lesson he most learned from his father-in-law is that every day is a gift, so enjoy every second.

Clearly, Don has done that for 82 unbroken years, with a twin to double the fun.

Update: Don Lauver passed away on January 4, 2020.

Homeland resident Bob Hostetter: “You have to want to make a difference”

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Bob HostetterBob Hostetter loves history. He also loves iron-willed people who fight for change. His two loves converge at Homeland Center, founded in 1867 by a group of Harrisburg women determined to provide a home for widows and orphans left destitute after the Civil War.

“They built Homeland as a place to live, a place to go when you needed some help, and that is really the overarching concept today,” he says. “It’s an amazing phenomenon.”

Bob lives in Homeland while rehabbing from a leg injury. He brings to Homeland a lifetime of service to Harrisburg arts, education, and racial justice.

As a schoolboy in Pittsburgh, Bob loved art classes, making mobiles in the style of Alexander Calder. His father was the executive secretary for an association of printers and papermakers. His mother “was an old-fashioned housewife. She baked pies. The apple pie was great. She would back gorgeous cakes.”

The dinner-table conversation often centered on civil rights.

“I was raised by parents who were actively committed to anti-racist dynamics,” he says. “They brought us up about ways to be sensitive towards racism.”

After studying at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, he moved to the Harrisburg area and served as pastor for a suburban Presbyterian church. But it was the turbulent 1960s, and he felt drawn to serve a church in inner-city Harrisburg.

He and his African American congregants were “active in confronting public officials” over politics and policies. One contingent of older women marched to City Hall, demanding improvements in education and health care. He still marvels at the impact and organizational skills of women who were descended from slaves and who were denied many opportunities in life.

His determined congregants taught him that “you have to have a dream, and you have to have a reason to be, and you have to want to make a difference. That’s what drove those women every day. They never faltered.”

A friend of Bob’s – a pastor equally dedicated to community change – was an official at WITF, Harrisburg’s public broadcasting service. Bob joined him and worked there for 19 years, mainly in community project development, rising to the position of vice president.

Most memorable was the PBS Time to Act campaign, when public television stations nationwide made local productions targeting anti-substance abuse messages to teens. In Pittsburgh, Bob met First Lady Nancy Reagan, then leading her “Just Say No” campaign.

Working for social change also included decades of service with the Rotary Club of Harrisburg, including a year-long term as president. He spearheaded an initiative introducing middle school students to real-world business skills.

“It was a group of people and businesses dedicated to the community who have no other reason to be in Rotary other than to be of service,” he says. “I love the people and still do.”

Bob and his former wife, Martha, raised two children, supporting their son’s love of soccer and daughter’s love of music. His own, lifelong passion for art led him to help create the Allied Arts Fund, a former regional arts facilitator.

For many years, Bob has lived along Harrisburg’s Susquehanna riverfront – first, in the historic Shipoke neighborhood, and then in the equally historic Riverview Manor. From his sixth-floor apartment, he can “see right up the river, where the views are just striking.”

“You can stand in the living room and see a storm coming,” he says. “It’s a magnificent jewel we live with.”

Bob believes that Homeland’s commitment to delivering excellent care sustains support from the region’s generous donors. Their backing directly benefits residents through Homeland’s cheery spaces, diverse activities, and the benevolent fund that assures no resident is ever displaced due to depletion of resources.

“Those women who started Homeland would be stunned to know and see what their efforts have grown into,” he says. “The day-to-day life here is so positive. People are friendly. You pass someone in the hall, and whether you know them or not, they say hello. Anyone who has the need for help like I do would be a fortunate person to come here.”

Creative spark: Homeland residents’ artworks bring cheer to sick children

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Homeland residents' artowrkAfter Homeland resident Joanna Kaisin colored an intricate scene of sun and leaves in green, yellow, and orange, she chose purple for the border.

“It’s a happy color,” she said.

A “spark of creativity” surged through Homeland Center for September’s National Assisted Living Week. The 2019 theme, “A Spark of Creativity,” recognized the potential for personal care residents, staff, and families to unleash their inner artists and find such benefits as improving cognitive and sensory-motor functions, building self-esteem, and reducing stress.

Homeland Center embraced the theme with an array of creative ventures, bringing new ideas to its weekly art classes and introducing an initiative that benefits hospitalized children.

On a Saturday morning, residents gathered in the Homeland solarium to decorate bags for Caitlin’s Smiles. The organization is named after Caitlin Hornung, a Harrisburg-area girl who spent the last years of her short life in and out of hospitals, getting treatment for a malignant brain tumor.

Young Caitlin’s spirit never wavered, and she found her greatest joy in creating art. After her death in 2000, her mother, Cheryl Hornung vowed to bring the same relief from pain and fear to hospitalized children. Today, Caitlin’s Smiles recruits an army of volunteers to prepare craft kits for children and teens. They are distributed to hospitals throughout Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, and other states.

Those craft kits are packaged in “Bags of Smiles” that start out as plain white but are decorated with love by caring individuals. That’s where Homeland residents enter the picture. Every other Saturday, they are now decorating bags that will deliver cheer to a hospitalized child somewhere.

The opportunity to brighten the day of a sick child gives residents new purpose and a feeling of contributing, says Homeland Activities Assistant Lateefah Battle.

“When you tell them about Caitlin’s Smiles and give them a bag to decorate, it brings out more of their energy,” she says. “They say, ‘We’re doing it for the children.’”

Homeland residents' artworkResident Ann Soder agrees that her bag was sending best wishes to a sick child somewhere.

“It’s a good project for us to do, that children have cancer, and maybe we can bring some brightness into their day and show that we care for them,” she says. “Our wishes for them is to keep up their treatments, and we pray that you will be well.”

Ann started by pasting her bag with stickers declaring “Think happy, be happy,” and “Good things take time.” Then she picked up a blue marker and drew a kite flying in the air.

“Well, somewhat of a kite,” she said. While the residents might disparage their artistic talents, they love pouring their hearts into their imaginative works. Homeland staff and volunteers provide the encouragement residents need to nurture their creative instincts.

Earlier in National Assisted Living Week, a weekly art class offered a new idea – the chance to contribute to a mural. Under the direction of art instructor Taqiyya Muhammad, residents colored inspirational sayings – “Believe you can, & you will,” “You are amazing” – intended to hang as a mural-style grouping in Homeland’s popular Main Gathering Room.

At that session in Homeland’s Lick Library, resident Joanna Kasian says she’s not a good artist. “I would put eyes, probably on each finger I draw,” she says. But that doesn’t stop her from bringing her inspirational motto – “Believe in yourself” – to life with yellows and greens and purples.

Homeland residents enjoy their artistic endeavors, says Muhammad.

Homeland residents' artwork“They do amazing work in art class, our little hour,” she says. “It seems like it goes by so fast.” Some are so enthusiastic about their pieces that, “depending on how intricate or how detailed they want to make it, they say they’ll come back and finish it next week.”

Resident Gloria Mineur also admits that she has no artistic ability, but she’s pleased with her efforts at adding colorful details to a drawing declaring “Love One Another.”

Mary Graves appreciated what she and her fellow Homeland residents were accomplishing. She decorated her bag with a yellow sunflower, sprouting from a pot bejeweled with sparkly stickers.

“The kids will like that,” she says.