Tis the season for good cheer and goodwill and the staff at the Jackson Friendly Home work hard to keep the residents merry and bright all year round. You can help make a difference in the lives of the 44 senior ladies who reside there by making a donation or volunteering your time.
The Jackson Friendly Home is grateful for the community’s continued support. In the past few weeks, 18 volunteers from the Jackson Area Pickleball Association festooned the home with decorations and painted the main staircase. After the home was decked with trees, wreaths, and bows, Patrone’s Day Spa and FiveOneSeven Salon/Spa pampered the ladies by doing their hair and make-up. Once they were all glammed up, April Messer Photography took holiday portraits.
“The ladies were so excited by all the special treatment! They felt like a million bucks!” said Brianna Hatter, Administrative Assistant at JFH.
The residents enjoyed a festive December with a Christmas parade, a Christmas party, and lots of painting, music, and games. “Bingo, hands down, is always the crowd favorite,” Brianna said, laughing.
Another thing the residents enjoy is the Friendly Boutique. The staff artfully arranges donated clothing, jewelry, and accessories and the ladies are able to “shop” for free. “We try to open the Friendly Boutique about once a month,” Brianna said.
While JFH keeps their residents active, volunteers are always appreciated. You can share your time in a myriad of ways. If you have the gift of gab, some residents are thrilled with a smiling visitor and good conversation. Maybe you have a skill you can teach the ladies. Painting/Arts & Crafts classes are always popular. The ladies also like exercise classes, karaoke, and Bible study. Perhaps you can become a pen pal and brighten someone’s day with a card or letter.
The residents of JFH are a diverse group and have experienced individual challenges. JFH’s goal is to provide high-quality care for women 55 years and older who need a place to call home. It is a place where they can spend their years in peace and happiness. “We are like a big family here,” Brianna said.
The residents have fully furnished private rooms and are given three meals a day, plus an evening snack. There is laundry and housekeeping services. They receive medical, dental, mental health, and/or podiatry services. Most of all, it is a place the ladies can feel safe, cared for, and loved.
The Jackson Friendly Home is located at 435 W. North Street in Jackson, Michigan. If you can donate goods such as toiletries, money, or the gift of your time, it will help to enrich the lives of these special ladies. As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
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