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Betty Schamber photo

Mayflower Honors Retirees

86 years of faithful service! Veiled by the isolation that has resulted from the pandemic, four long-serving Mayflower Community employees retired in May. They are (years of service in parenthesis): Janet Neff, executive secretary (35) Betty Lou Schamber, Beebe Assisted Living certified medication aide (33) Chery Nelson, Health Center and Beebe Activities Director (11) Anne

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Diana Long holding the US flag craft she created.

Getting Ready for the 4th at Mayflower

The fun just doesn’t stop in The Mayflower Community Health Center. In the pictures included with this post, residents made 4th of July décor for their suites. The flag project is a kit that includes a sticky foam sheet and foam stickers for the stars and USA letters and sparkling pom poms along with a

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Residents Suzanne Schwengels and Arnie Adelberg engaging in the first plantings in the new Watertower Square garden

Life Goes on In The Mayflower Community

285 people living in senior living and healthcare on the Mayflower campus just south of downtown Grinnell during the pandemic…There is a lot happening. Sure, all group activities and dining has been suspended. People are encouraged to limit physical interaction with others. Face masks are being worn when out and about. Nevertheless, there is a

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Paper flowers in a basket

FANS’ Flowers for Mayflower Residents

An anonymous group of residents in Grinnell’s The Mayflower Community continues to do craft and other caring work to support Mayflower’s healthcare residents in quarantine. They call themselves FANS (Friends and Neighbors of Mayflower), and they want no credit. The latest offering was homemade paper flowers to brighten the day of Health Center and Beebe

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Janet Neff’s retirement photo

Mayflower’s Janet Neff Retires after 35 Years

On Wednesday, Janet Neff, Executive Secretary for The Mayflower Community, retired after 35 years of service. Based in Mayflower’s Pearson building business office, Janet has worked directly with four different Executive Directors over that period. In addition, she has been responsible for Mayflower’s bi-weekly payroll, accounts payable check issuance, and a variety of administrative support

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Chad Nath is pictured with the two Mayflower VegTrugs.

Imagine Grinnell and Giving Gardens Provides Accessible Flower Boxes to Mayflower

While still the executive director of Imagine Grinnell, Rich Dana wrote a grant to the Iowa State University Extension Service for funding for four “vegetable trugs.” A “VegTrug” is a V-shaped wooden container used to grow plants. A VegTrug is a space-saving extra slice of garden with perfect soil that also looks great. Flowers as

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Kinnick Van Wyk

Thoughtful Pen Pals Supporting Mayflower

Pictured above: Kinnick Van Wyk writing a letter to his pen pal. Grinnellian Kristin Van Wyk contacted Kellie McGriff, Associate Director/Administrator of The Mayflower Community after seeing a Mayflower story about resident pen pal stories. Together, Kristin and Kellie made plans for Kristin’s three children to write to Mayflower residents in the Health Center and

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GMRC employees, Barb Baker, Allisa Stallman and Holly Tracy holding laptops

Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company Helps Mayflower with Grant

Pictured above: Holding the new Mayflower computer laptops from left are Tracy Woolfork, Activities Supervisor; Allisa Stallman, CNA and full-time pre-med student at the University of Dubuque; Holly Thomas RN, Director of Health Services; and Barb Baker, Director of Advertising and Community Relations at Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company. The Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company (GMRC) has

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Mayflower residents, Gloria and Wilma playing Bingo as Tina Frascht calls numbers

No Visitors, But Staying Engaged

Since early March, The Mayflower Community Health Center and Beebe Assisted Living buildings have been closed to visitors, with the exception of compassionate visits at the end of life. Fortunately, as of today (May 19th), not a single case of COVID-19 has been diagnosed among Mayflower residents or staff. Something is working! For our residents

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Health Center resident, Mary Ellen Lynch, talking with Chief of Police, Dennis Reilly.

Mary Ellen Lynch Honored by Grinnell Public Safety

On Wednesday, May 13th, Mary Ellen Lynch, a resident of The Mayflower Community Health Center, was honored with a drive-in visit by members of the Grinnell Police and Fire departments. Led by Dennis Reilly, Chief of Police, they arrived in front of the Health Center to read by loud speaker, a proclamation directed to Mary

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