Harvest of Hope to benefit Manor residents  There’s no place like home. That’s why the Sisters of St. Basil and staff of Mount Macrina Manor strive to create the most homelike environment possible for residents of this Province-sponsored nursing facility in Uniontown, Pa., whether they’ve come for a short rehabilitative stay or to make the Manor their home. Every home has a place to sit and enjoy a meal or a snack; and being home means having the opportunity to take a leisurely trip to a restaurant or cafe, to gather with friends and family, or to make new acquaintances. “Currently, the Manor has no dedicated space within the facility that offers this type of environment,” said Dana Loposky, Administrator, “a place where residents can go for some refreshments, to talk, laugh and simply enjoy the company of others.”

Sister Margaret Ann Fedyszak, OSBM, Sister Paula Dzurisin, OSBM, Brother Thomas Somerfeld, BHM, and Sister Fabiola Boruta, OSBM (standing, left to right) visit with Sister Anne Margaret Krupenac, Most Rev. George Kuzma, retired Eparch of Van Nuys in the outdoor alcove that will soon house the new ice cream/snack shop for Manor residents.

Working to change that, the Sisters of St. Basil are sponsoring the second annual Forget-me-Not Gala, A Harvest of Hope, to raise the funds needed to build an ice cream/snack shop for Manor residents by remodeling a section of the facility.

The special evening, featuring dinner, dancing and a few surprises, is set for Saturday, September 20, 2003, at the historic Summit Inn Resort on Route 40 in Farmington, Pa.
 

The planned ice cream/soda shop will provide additional access to the courtyard garden for residents enjoyment in good weather. Here with Sister Petronilla Puhak, OSBM (left, standing) and Sister Eleanor Mary Horvat, OSBM (right, standing) are Mary Karaszia, Emerson Nicols, Resident Council President, and Mary Vrabel.

Last year’s dinner and silent auction raised over $5,000 earmarked for this special project. Loposky said that when the idea for the ice cream shop was presented to several residents, they smiled and, after a moment’s consideration, put in a plug for his or her favorite flavor. “We want Mount Macrina Manor to be a place filled with abundant life and this project will enhance those opportunities,” said Sister Ruth Plante, OSBM, Provincial. “Of course quality of care is paramount, but we are just as committed to quality of life, providing for the social, emotional and spiritual needs of all our residents who are family to us.”

The Basilian ministry of nursing home care began in 1958 with the opening of Maria Manor in Ebensburg, Pa. Mount Macrina Manor was built on the monastery grounds in Uniontown, Pa., in 1971 to serve as the new home for residents transferred from the Ebensburg facility and others. Expanded and enhanced through the years, today the Manor provides skilled and intermediate levels of nursing care for the elderly and infirm. The recently renovated 141-bed licensed and certified facility features a Hospice Care Unit and a national award-winning, state-of-the-art Alzheimer’s Unit. The holistic approach to caring includes clinical, rehabilitation and support services such as respite care, physical, occupational and speech therapies, and pastoral/spiritual care.

For Harvest of Hope donation and/or ticket information, please contact: Monica Seese, Mount Macrina Manor, 520 West Main Street, Uniontown, PA, 15401, 724-430-1137.