On Wednesday, April 7, 2021, the first chapel services (since the start of the pandemic) were held for the Health Center and Beebe Assisted Living residents. Due to infection control measures, the Health Center service was held at 2:00pm in the Carman Center with Beebe’s service following in their activity room at 3:00pm. Doug Tiffany, Chaplain for Care Initiatives Hospice led both services. He was tested for COVID, screened, and given a shield and mask prior to entering the buildings. He remained masked and shielded for the duration of his visit. Health Center resident Wilma Graden was the pianist for the first service and there was no accompanist for the second service.
Conducting services on Wednesday, April 14th was Rev. Eric Schubert, Senior Pastor, of the Grinnell United Methodist Church and on April 21st, it was Rev. Wendy Abrahamson, Senior Pastor of the Grinnell St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The new senior pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Grinnell, Rev. Daniel Rinehart, was the worship leader for the April 28th service.
Wilma Graden, Health Center resident, has been playing piano for the Health Center services.
Future plans include combing the two Chapel services into one for both Health Center and Beebe Assisted Living residents. This will be dependent on infection control protocol and directives from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), and Mayflower administration.
— Leslie Jaworski, Community Life Director
