T
hey say it is a choice they gladly made and a testament to the enduring connection they have to the organization and its Guiding
Values of Joy, Compassion, Integrity, Stewardship and Community.
John Buckwalter served as Director of Development and then Director of Planned Giving from 2008 through 2013. However, his association with Landis Homes began in 1963, even before the first shovel hit the ground. Living in New York City at the time, John recalls how his father, Ira Buckwalter (a founding member of the planning team for Landis Homes), shared the vision of a new retirement community sprouting up on a farm in Manheim Township. Over the years, John and his wife, Mim, had plenty of opportunities to visit, as both sets of their parents chose to reside at Landis Homes.
Trough John’s work of encouraging persons to financially support Landis Homes, he grew to appreciate the care provided for residents and how residents led full and meaningful lives. When it came time for John and Mim to choose their retirement home, the decision was clear. Tey continue to appreciate the ongoing and new opportunities provided to residents.
Marilyn Langeman joined the team in 2008. Drawn to the mission of Landis Homes and the proximity of the campus to her home in Akron that made biking to work possible, Marilyn applied for an administrative assistant position in the HR department, a field she was familiar with from her time at Mennonite Central Committee.
Marilyn says, “I believe many team members return as residents because of the well-deserved high reputation Landis Homes enjoys.” She recalls how she and many others put significant effort into achieving good scores during inspections, particularly the rigorous CARF accreditation that takes place every five years. Landis Homes is one of only two communities in Lancaster County that has received CARF accreditation.
“Landis Homes is a reputable organization with values that align with my own. When we decided to make the move while we were still healthy and able to take advantage of opportunities to stay fit,
Enriching Lives, Together
volunteer and be part of a community, Landis Homes was at the top of our list,” says Marilyn.
Arlene Mellinger Yager began working as the first Admissions Counselor (now Director of Residency Planning) in 1980. “I loved my job! I got an early indication of how strong Landis Homes was when the CEO of another area retirement community asked if he could get some of the names from our prospective residents list!” She continues, “I left Landis Homes in 1989 when I got married and moved to Canada. When my husband passed away, I knew I wanted to come back to my roots and move to Landis Homes.”
As a resident, Arlene appreciates having her own space, but she also enjoys being able to walk to visit others or go to the dining venues. She has reconnected with longtime friends and has made new ones. A highlight for Arlene has been using her golf cart to take trips to Oregon Dairy for ice cream. “I decided not to have a car and the ability to have a golf cart has been great. Tis past summer, I took at least 80 people with me on these trips. I call it my “golf cart ministry!”
When Sue Shirk helped her mother move to Landis Homes as one of the first Harvest View residents in 1995, she saw up close how the organization worked and said, “I want to work here!” Tat opportunity came when she started as the Director of Volunteer Services in 2004. More than a decade later, as she began to determine where she wanted to live, she didn’t consider anywhere else saying, “Even knowing all the ‘nuts and bolts’ behind the scenes, I knew this is where I wanted to be.” Sue stayed on in her role for more than a year after moving to campus.
For these and other former team members, they didn’t just retire – they came home.
Landis.org | FLOURISH | Spring 2024 • 21
6
Y
0
E
A
R
S
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24
