Oak Park Arms celebrated 45 years of senior housing and innovation. At one point, Oak Park Arms became the training ground for senior living managers from more than a dozen communities across the country. Innovation and improvement are a constant.
Senior citizens danced the night away at the 41st Seniors’ Senior Prom on Friday, June 16, at the Oak Park Arms. The prom was an annual tradition for 40 years before being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A highlight of the event was the crowning of the 2023 king and queen – Don Sundstrom and Marge Schwarz.
Oak Park Arms residents completed the Oak Park Arms’ Academy for Seniors latest course titled, “Before 1776: Life in the American Colonies.” For older adults, staying active is the key to preserving health. Researchers have found that mental exercise is just as vital as physical exercise.
On Saturday, April 22, the final day of National Volunteer Week, Delores Newell was awarded Volunteer of the Decade at the Oak Park Arms. Delores has been volunteering for more than 13 years at the Oak Park Arms and in December of 2022 she became a resident of the Oak Park Senior Living Community.
Young students from the Kindness Creators Preschool joined seniors from the Oak Park Arms Senior Living Community for a Valentine’s Dance. “Anytime you sit with kids, it makes your day,” said Nancy Thornton of Oak Park.
Noteworthy, the award-winning show choir from Oak Park River Forest High School, performed for seniors and the community at the Oak Park Arms. “We used to have Noteworthy concerts often, so having them back after a couple years was very special for the seniors. Intergenerational programs are so much fun for everyone involved.”
For the first time since the pandemic, the Oak Park Arms hosted a concert for the entire community. Renown blues guitarist Lurrie Bell, who is an Oak Park Arms resident, joined the concert to the delight of the audience and the performers.
Oak Park Arms resident and retired preschool teacher, Anne Gressle, finds passion in volunteerism at Kindness Creators Preschool, which is housed within the Oak Park Arms. On Wednesday, June 8, the four- and five-year-olds “graduated” from Kindness Creators.
In response to the growing concern about the Coronavirus (COVID-19), leadership at the Oak Park Arms has made the decision to prohibit all visitors to the community. Health care workers and caregivers are still able to provide services for residents at the community.
Kianna Gill, 14, and Emory Reichmann-Crowley, 13, both cadettes of Girl Scout Troop 41525, planned and executed a multi-step project, the creation of a pretty wooden bench, for the residents of the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. They bought a metal frame and lumber, cut the wood and assembled the …
