Stories

The Homeland picnic returns: Residents host guests and share happy memories

July 26, 2022

Freda Fontaine and her four sons always enjoyed their summer picnics. What did the gang eat? “Everything we could!” she said, laughing. Homeland was awash in summertime memories with the revival of the annual picnic in the beautiful Chet Henry Memorial Pavilion. The party celebrated two momentous events – the…

Homeland resident Elner Mann: Loving the care she’s getting after a life of caring for others

July 13, 2022

As a career nurse, Elner Mann worked in hospitals, doctors’ offices, and as a night nurse for a trucking company, where she once saved the life of a stricken man. A 1956 newspaper story recounts her administering first aid to a reckless driver and his passenger. “I loved taking care…

Homeland accountant Cindy Zelko: Family ties to Homeland quality

June 20, 2022

This year Cindy Zelko celebrates her 25th anniversary as an accountant in the Homeland finance office, but her ties to Homeland go far deeper. Cindy first worked for Homeland as a secretary during a gap year between high school and college. Recently, her father was a resident who made excellent…

Homeland resident Charles Wilson: An inveterate traveler

June 20, 2022

Charles Wilson took a career with the former Allegheny Airlines and turned it into a lifetime of travel that has taken him to 23 countries. Until quite recently, he was a resident of Homeland skilled care, joking with staff and rediscovering the joys of walking with help from Homeland’s physical…

Betty Hungerford: A Tapestry of Friendship and Professional Success

May 31, 2022

Mentor. Friend. Champion. Ask those closest to Betty Hungerford, director of development for Homeland Center, and these words immediately come to mind. Whether her friends and colleagues have known her for decades or days, one thing rings true. To know Betty is to love Betty for her compassion, strength, and empathy…

Homeland Director of Nursing Jennifer Tate-DeFreitas: A life steeped in service

May 31, 2022

If you need to find Homeland Director of Nursing Jennifer Tate-Defreitas, her desk isn’t always the place to look. “I still work the floor, and I still work every shift,” she says. “It’s important as a director to know the work because nursing is hands-on. As nurses, we have to…