Recently residents created snowmen from donated wine bottles, that are available for purchase as gifts for $10 each while supplies last.

“Every bit of it goes to those Alzheimer’s association,” Beth O’Connor, Assisted Living Activities Coordinator at Mill Creek, said.

Since April the group has raised $6,000 through seasonal craft projects, casual for a cause –where employees can pay to wear casual work attire –, bake sales, cake raffles, basket raffles, pancake breakfasts and individual fundraising efforts. The administration gave staff incentives to reach specific goals by giving out gift cards or a day off of work when that goal was reached. This year’s Mill Creek “grand champion fundraiser” collected $1,000 in donations. Next year O’Connor said the community’s goal is to raise $10,000.

Many of the residences are dealing with a diagnosis of a degenerative memory disease. O’Connor said being able to be to contribute through these events has been productive and positive for everyone.

A tray of hand decorated Christmas cookies sits on the seat of Ann Parish’s walker. (Journal photo by Corey Kelly)

“It’s a daily thing here,” O’Connor said. “It’s something that is looking them right in the face here. They like to participate. They like to feel that they are helping anyway they can.”

When necessary, crafting supplies are purchased by Mill Creek. However, occupant’s family members donate project materials. O’Connor noted that their fundraising success comes from a supportive administration, families and the staff of Mill Creek Senior Living Community.

“Our family member’s here are amazingly supportive,” O’Connor said. “Whether we ask for anything here, whether it’s old toilet paper roll or whatever we get an abundance.”

To create the snowmen, wine bottles were soaked in Goo Gone overnight. The bottle label could then be scraped off by participating occupants with tongue depressors. O’Connor helped paint each bottle white and created an example for the residences to reference. Occupants choose their bottle’s color scheme, painted on its faces and customized the bottle with different eye-catching accents such as decorative snowflakes or sparkling poms.

“The crazy thing about Alzheimer’s disease is it affects the short-term first, so if they were crafty people before, it kind of seems natural (now),” O’Connor said. “They can’t remember what they had for breakfast, you know or the short-term stuff, they can recall these things and all of a sudden they are painting like you wouldn’t believe.”

A gang of wine bottles snowmen line a shelf in the activities room at Mill Creek Assisted Living Suites building. Wine bottles can be purchased as gifts for $10 each while supplies last. (Journal photo by Corey Kelly)

O’Connor said that these fundraisers and craft projects get occupants to socialize and be active in ways that they otherwise may not be.

“The minute you say it’s for the Alzheimer’s associate they’re lined up ‘when do you need it?’ ‘Tell me when we should be there,'” said O’Connor.

The wine bottle snowmen project will be the last fundraiser before the New Year. The next event will take place in January with a traditional foods bake sale. Residence’s families or independent living residents will be donating desserts from that residence’s cultural region.

Another event on the horizon is a residence craft show. O’Connor says that patrons can expect to see many items made by the independent living residences, such as knitted pot-holders, baby hats, mittens and canvas paintings.

“Come down and see us at Mill Creek,” O’Connor said. “Help us meet our goal of $10,000 for this next fundraising season for the Alzheimer’s Association. Every bit of it goes to those Alzheimer’s association.”

For more information on Mill Creek Living Community events call (906) 225-5512 or visit millcreekassistedliving.com.