Blessings
Linda Amoroso
NAAP Public Relations Trustee
The world seems to be turning faster and faster these days and
sometimes we forget to stop and take stock of our blessings. Our
residents also need to be reminded about how blessed they are. November is a great
month to start thinking about what can be done for others and what can be done
throughout the year. Here are a few ideas that you can use to remind yourself, your co-
workers, families and residents how blessed they are. This has an added bonus of
reminding the residents they can still give back and be a blessing to others. The
blessings below came from the residents themselves. This in itself was a great activity.
• Blessing of Caregivers: Provide and encourage the residents to write thank you
cards for those they feel have taken good care of them. Let them use as many as they
want.
• Blessing of Safety: Make and deliver cookies or other baked goods, to the local
fire and/or police stations.
• Blessing of Good Food: Make and deliver sandwiches, casseroles, or baked
goods to a local shelter.
• Blessing or Pets: Hold a dog and cat food drive and/or make chew toys/catnip
toys for a local animal shelter.
• Blessing of Family: Make a plaque with the family name and add a poem about
families. The residents could write the poem or use a favorite poem. Have a family
portrait day or week, and invite families to come into the facility during specific hours
and have a picture taken with their resident.
• Blessing of Cleanliness: Host a “Personal Care Items” collection for the local
shelter. This is a good way to share the hair care products, lotions, and soaps picked
up in hotel rooms.
• Blessing of Freedom: Host a sock drive for Veterans. We asked the local Veteran’
s Home what was most need by their residents. There’s lots of information on the web
of things that can be done for veterans and soldiers.
• Blessing of Healthy Children: Host a baby shower. play typical baby shower
games, serve cake and donate the presents to Nurses for Newborns or your local
hospital. Residents could make stuffed toys or pillows, fleece blankets, or other hand-
crafted items.
• Blessing of Education: Work with a local school and invite the children to your
home or bring residents to the school to tutor or read to the children.
• Blessings of Memories: Create a scrapbook of your home. Have resident take
pictures and choose photos for the book. Ask the residents to write their memories of
the home in the book.
• Blessings of Spiritual Wellness: Have a box where anyone can put a prayer
request in and then have a prayer circle with as many staff, residents and visitors you
can get. Holding hands and saying the same prayer.
• Blessings of Nature: Plant a tree. Start small plants in pretty pots and deliver them
to someone who needs cheering up.
• Blessing of Music: Go to a local school and sing the old songs for children who
may have never heard “Five Foot Two.”. Start a glee club with residents and staff and
go to resident rooms who need some cheer.
• Blessing of Special Talents: Encourage staff, residents, and families to share their
talents with each other, such as, teaching someone to crochet, bringing in a special
dish, sharing a hobby or collection, the list could be endless.
Here’s a “Lagniappe” (check out what a lagniappe is on our website: www.thenaap.
com): From Myrtle Klauer
• Draw a large tree with bare branches using several sheets of brown craft paper,
cut it out and use FunTak to put the tree up in a public area. Cut out a variety of different
leaves in different colors and place them in a box near the tree. Have volunteers, staff,
or families help residents write what they are thankful for on a leaf. Staff members,
families, and volunteers should also be encouraged to write their own blessings on a
leaf and add it to the tree as well. Before you know it the tree will be covered in brightly
colored leaves.
• Set up the large Christmas tree in the main lounge and leave it bare. Cut out
silhouettes of praying hands, punch a hole in the top, and run a loop of ribbon through it
before tying it off. Leave the praying hands in a box near the tree, with instructions to
write down a blessing and place it on the tree. Before long, the tree will be covered.
(This will also save you from putting together another tree when it comes time to
decorate for Christmas!!)
Linda Amoroso
NAAP Public Relations Trustee
The world seems to be turning faster and faster these days and
sometimes we forget to stop and take stock of our blessings. Our
residents also need to be reminded about how blessed they are. November is a great
month to start thinking about what can be done for others and what can be done
throughout the year. Here are a few ideas that you can use to remind yourself, your co-
workers, families and residents how blessed they are. This has an added bonus of
reminding the residents they can still give back and be a blessing to others. The
blessings below came from the residents themselves. This in itself was a great activity.
• Blessing of Caregivers: Provide and encourage the residents to write thank you
cards for those they feel have taken good care of them. Let them use as many as they
want.
• Blessing of Safety: Make and deliver cookies or other baked goods, to the local
fire and/or police stations.
• Blessing of Good Food: Make and deliver sandwiches, casseroles, or baked
goods to a local shelter.
• Blessing or Pets: Hold a dog and cat food drive and/or make chew toys/catnip
toys for a local animal shelter.
• Blessing of Family: Make a plaque with the family name and add a poem about
families. The residents could write the poem or use a favorite poem. Have a family
portrait day or week, and invite families to come into the facility during specific hours
and have a picture taken with their resident.
• Blessing of Cleanliness: Host a “Personal Care Items” collection for the local
shelter. This is a good way to share the hair care products, lotions, and soaps picked
up in hotel rooms.
• Blessing of Freedom: Host a sock drive for Veterans. We asked the local Veteran’
s Home what was most need by their residents. There’s lots of information on the web
of things that can be done for veterans and soldiers.
• Blessing of Healthy Children: Host a baby shower. play typical baby shower
games, serve cake and donate the presents to Nurses for Newborns or your local
hospital. Residents could make stuffed toys or pillows, fleece blankets, or other hand-
crafted items.
• Blessing of Education: Work with a local school and invite the children to your
home or bring residents to the school to tutor or read to the children.
• Blessings of Memories: Create a scrapbook of your home. Have resident take
pictures and choose photos for the book. Ask the residents to write their memories of
the home in the book.
• Blessings of Spiritual Wellness: Have a box where anyone can put a prayer
request in and then have a prayer circle with as many staff, residents and visitors you
can get. Holding hands and saying the same prayer.
• Blessings of Nature: Plant a tree. Start small plants in pretty pots and deliver them
to someone who needs cheering up.
• Blessing of Music: Go to a local school and sing the old songs for children who
may have never heard “Five Foot Two.”. Start a glee club with residents and staff and
go to resident rooms who need some cheer.
• Blessing of Special Talents: Encourage staff, residents, and families to share their
talents with each other, such as, teaching someone to crochet, bringing in a special
dish, sharing a hobby or collection, the list could be endless.
Here’s a “Lagniappe” (check out what a lagniappe is on our website: www.thenaap.
com): From Myrtle Klauer
• Draw a large tree with bare branches using several sheets of brown craft paper,
cut it out and use FunTak to put the tree up in a public area. Cut out a variety of different
leaves in different colors and place them in a box near the tree. Have volunteers, staff,
or families help residents write what they are thankful for on a leaf. Staff members,
families, and volunteers should also be encouraged to write their own blessings on a
leaf and add it to the tree as well. Before you know it the tree will be covered in brightly
colored leaves.
• Set up the large Christmas tree in the main lounge and leave it bare. Cut out
silhouettes of praying hands, punch a hole in the top, and run a loop of ribbon through it
before tying it off. Leave the praying hands in a box near the tree, with instructions to
write down a blessing and place it on the tree. Before long, the tree will be covered.
(This will also save you from putting together another tree when it comes time to
decorate for Christmas!!)
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Professionals
P.O. Box 5530
Sevierville, TN 37864
phone (865) 429-0717
fax (865) 453-9914
email: TheNAAP@aol.com
DISCLAIMER
PLEASE NOTE: Any opinion, advice,
statements, offers or other information or
contents expressed or made herein by third
parties is neither endorsed nor adopted by
the National Association of Activity
Professionals unless otherwise stated. NAAP
is neither responsible for nor warrants the
accuracy or reliability of any such opinion,
advice, information or statement made or
offered by third parties in this publication
(website). NAAP has the right, but not the
obligation, to monitor and review the
content that it feels violates the terms of its
understanding with the third party: violates
the policies and purposes of NAAP; or is
defamatory or otherwise deemed
objectionable.
DISCLAIMER
PLEASE NOTE: The articles set forth in this
publication are for informational purposes
only. Nothing contained herein shall be
construed as legal advice. The statements
made herein are those of the respective
authors and are not necessarily an
expression of the views of NAAP.
P.O. Box 5530
Sevierville, TN 37864
phone (865) 429-0717
fax (865) 453-9914
email: TheNAAP@aol.com
DISCLAIMER
PLEASE NOTE: Any opinion, advice,
statements, offers or other information or
contents expressed or made herein by third
parties is neither endorsed nor adopted by
the National Association of Activity
Professionals unless otherwise stated. NAAP
is neither responsible for nor warrants the
accuracy or reliability of any such opinion,
advice, information or statement made or
offered by third parties in this publication
(website). NAAP has the right, but not the
obligation, to monitor and review the
content that it feels violates the terms of its
understanding with the third party: violates
the policies and purposes of NAAP; or is
defamatory or otherwise deemed
objectionable.
DISCLAIMER
PLEASE NOTE: The articles set forth in this
publication are for informational purposes
only. Nothing contained herein shall be
construed as legal advice. The statements
made herein are those of the respective
authors and are not necessarily an
expression of the views of NAAP.
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